On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:51:26 -0700, Jeannette
wrote:

An article by Tania Aebi who sailed around the world with a cat

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/showpo...47&postcount=1

Jeannette
SV Con Ta Partiro
Mazatlan

Skip Gundlach wrote:

So, please, responses from those who have successfully dealt with the
above, and, as well, if there are other issues which we've overlooked
or about which we are ignorant.

Thanks...

L8R

Skip and Lydia


Hi,
We have had at least one cat aboard most of the 14 or so years we have
been cruising. If you like cats they are no problem at all. We have a
plastci enclosed kitty litter box with a persepex flag door that sits
at the stern and have used various types of kitty litter, the recycled
paper one being the worst.

To allow the cat (s) unimpeded access to the deck we installed a cat
flap door. After I got tired of lifting the washboards in and out
constantly, I made a rugged louvred twin door from hard Australian
jarrah which is backed by replaceable insect screens, the whole thing
being mounted in a frame that drops into the recess where the
washboards go. It is lockable so that we can leave it whilst away from
the boat and has a commercial vertically swinging cat door. Most of
the time at sea, the doors remain and only during extreme weather do
we take it out and stow it, replacing the original solid washboards.

For food, we carry bags of "Iams", a high grade cat biscuit that is
available most places in the civilised world. When flying fish abound,
the cats patrol the deck at intervals and pounce on them.

Only once did one of our cats fall overboard. She was a Chocolate
Point Siamese - known as rather dumb animals. She had a habit of
waling around the 1 inch tubular pushpit. Luckily for her, we were at
anchor and the hard nesting dinghy was lying astern. She managed to
scramble into that. Never happened again.

The best cat and possibly the best for a boat was my Turkish Van - the
original swimming cats from lake Van in Turkey. She loved the water
and would often go for a swim at the beach or off the dock if we were
so moored.

As to entry into countries, my wife was a breeder (yep! she gave birth
to our children, not me) and thus we travelled across the Tsman
between New Zealand and Australia with my Turkish Van and two
Orientals, one of which had 5 newly born kittens. We had to have them
all certified as healthy by a Vet. and pay some dollars for a permit
to import them into Australia. There, the Quarantine Vet. examined
them and we were home free.

Nowhere else did we experience any problems.

FYI, New Zealand and Australia both have strict laws controlling
importation of pets which usually involve lengthy quarantine periods.
I know of one American who had posted a monetary bond which allowed
his dog to remain on board in lieu of quarantine ashore. He last it
and was fined heavily when he was discovered with his dog on the
beach. They could have destroyed the animal. When in Rome.......

regards
Peter - a lowly colonial type