Best life jacket for cats? Other advice?

Well, we have been contemplating taking our two adult cats with us instead of leaving them at home for days at a time.
My biggest concern is their safety. Can any one who has done this give us best practices advice as well as a reliable life jacket name?
Will it be really difficult to acclimate two 8 year old cats to the marine life? Ideally we'll be taking them on shortish trips of three days but if they seem comfortable, we'd love to keep them with us as much as possible.
This would be for summer only as we keep the boat outside of Newport, RI.
Gouchergal
Squeeze

Gouchergal said:

Well, we have been contemplating taking our two adult cats with us instead of leaving them at home for days at a time.
My biggest concern is their safety. Can any one who has done this give us best practices advice as well as a reliable life jacket name?
Will it be really difficult to acclimate two 8 year old cats to the marine life? Ideally we'll be taking them on shortish trips of three days but if they seem comfortable, we'd love to keep them with us as much as possible.
This would be for summer only as we keep the boat outside of Newport, RI.
Gouchergal
Squeeze

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Are they indoor or outdoor cats? And what size cats?

If we're gone for more than a week we take our two adult cats along. They adapt quickly. They're indoor cats at home and they stay inside the boat when on board. I don't want to try to rescue a wet cat that's gone overboard. We've sacrificed one of our showers for a litter box and even bring a cat tree along. We've run into a lot of cats on boats and quite a few of them wander around outside with no problems. We have heard of a few that got lost though.

I would pay to watch someone put a life jacket on a cat.



I love cats.



And I have the scars to prove it.

I love Indoor cats. When left to wander, not so much. Having my home "marked" was unpleasant.

As to a life preserver, I cannot imaging g a lithe feline being in one much longer than a nanosecond.
As a boat companion, I believe pets are great. Bring yours along and see how it goes. Good luck.

Here are Erin and Lessa on the Nav table in a Rhodes Bounty 2.

I guess it depends on the boat and the cat(s). I've heard of people doing the Great Loop with a cat and a dog on a 25' boat. Since there wasn't much comment on the cat (compared to the dog) in their travel blog, I guess the cat was not much of an issue. I also know of people that had two cats on their sailboat in the PNW, one of which had to be fished out of the water in the middle of the night.

If you start with the cat when it is very young, you'll probably have more success with the life jacket thing.

You might start with the car. Take a road trip with them and see how they handle it. Some cats get motion sick. Others might freak out with the motion and the noise. We had one cat that would start throwing up after about 20 miles, another that certainly was not happy about being in the car. When we stopped it was keen to escape. We have one now that seems to enjoy the view, so he might be a good candidate for the boat if we decide to go that route.

A life jacket is not needed for the cat to float , they naturally float and can swim .

What the jacket is needed for is to have a handle on top so the cat can be hauled aboard with a boat hook .Reach down and the cat may climb your arm.

On our 90/90 we have an aft hung rudder. We rolled a tube of carpet that hung from the water to above the deck , with loose wire ties.

A roll of carpet ladder could be mounted aft on many style boats.

Out cat loved to go for dink rides (aluminum dink , not a condom boat) and was easy to teach she could gain the deck easily with the carpet.

2 times cruising the cat self rescued , came below dripping with sea water.

The big hassle was on the Loop the cat would want to go exploring at any dock or lock.

This was solved by using sliding window screen in the door jam , we could communicate while coming alongside , and step over the screen if desired , but it blocked the cat from the deck.

Cats can also be taught to use the toilet , but you will have to leave the lid up, and flush for it.


Enjoy your furry friends on board!

We still have one cat aboard...

Can't remember the brand name of the life jackets we got, but it's a brand also well known for dog vests (which we had, too). There are many threads on cruisersforum.com about PFDs for critters, and many of those recommendations would be useful to troll for brand names.

Mostly the "handle" and decent under-chest/belly support are the significant criteria, as well as correct sizing of course.

Friends cruised with an "outdoor" cat, and they trailed a woven length of heavy lines so the cat could return aboard after an unexpected swim. FF's carpet ladder would be similar. Assumes claws intact.

-Chris

BandB said:

Are they indoor or outdoor cats? And what size cats?

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Hi there,
They are indoor cats who would love to be outdoor cats! They are 12 pounds each and are fluffy Maine Coons,

Gouchergal

ranger42c said:

We still have one cat aboard...

Can't remember the brand name of the life jackets we got, but it's a brand also well known for dog vests (which we had, too). There are many threads on cruisersforum.com about PFDs for critters, and many of those recommendations would be useful to troll for brand names.

Mostly the "handle" and decent under-chest/belly support are the significant criteria, as well as correct sizing of course.

Friends cruised with an "outdoor" cat, and they trailed a woven length of heavy lines so the cat could return aboard after an unexpected swim. FF's carpet ladder would be similar. Assumes claws intact.

-Chris

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Good information. All I have seen on Web seem to be made for dogs, but small sizes may fit a cat. Claws are indeed intact! So you mean an unexpected swim when underway?? Thanks!!

FF said:

A life jacket is not needed for the cat to float , they naturally float and can swim .

What the jacket is needed for is to have a handle on top so the cat can be hauled aboard with a boat hook .Reach down and the cat may climb your arm.

On our 90/90 we have an aft hung rudder. We rolled a tube of carpet that hung from the water to above the deck , with loose wire ties.

A roll of carpet ladder could be mounted aft on many style boats.

Out cat loved to go for dink rides (aluminum dink , not a condom boat) and was easy to teach she could gain the deck easily with the carpet.

2 times cruising the cat self rescued , came below dripping with sea water.

The big hassle was on the Loop the cat would want to go exploring at any dock or lock.

This was solved by using sliding window screen in the door jam , we could communicate while coming alongside , and step over the screen if desired , but it blocked the cat from the deck.

Cats can also be taught to use the toilet , but you will have to leave the lid up, and flush for it.


Enjoy your furry friends on board!

Click to expand...

This is fantastic information! Cats can use a toilet?? What'll ya think of next?!!
The biggest information I'm getting is that where there's a will, there's a way.
One big question: Was she a baby when she began her cruising life? How did you acclimate her?
Thanks!

ssobol said:

I guess it depends on the boat and the cat(s). I've heard of people doing the Great Loop with a cat and a dog on a 25' boat. Since there wasn't much comment on the cat (compared to the dog) in their travel blog, I guess the cat was not much of an issue. I also know of people that had two cats on their sailboat in the PNW, one of which had to be fished out of the water in the middle of the night.

If you start with the cat when it is very young, you'll probably have more success with the life jacket thing.

You might start with the car. Take a road trip with them and see how they handle it. Some cats get motion sick. Others might freak out with the motion and the noise. We had one cat that would start throwing up after about 20 miles, another that certainly was not happy about being in the car. When we stopped it was keen to escape. We have one now that seems to enjoy the view, so he might be a good candidate for the boat if we decide to go that route.

Click to expand...

Great idea about starting with the car. They don't like the trip to the vet's but I noticed on longer trips they tend to fall asleep, which would be great because our boat is 70 minutes away from our house.
Thanks for the info!

janice142 said:

I love Indoor cats. When left to wander, not so much. Having my home "marked" was unpleasant.

As to a life preserver, I cannot imaging g a lithe feline being in one much longer than a nanosecond.
As a boat companion, I believe pets are great. Bring yours along and see how it goes. Good luck.

Here are Erin and Lessa on the Nav table in a Rhodes Bounty 2.

Click to expand...

Wonderful picture! Your girls look similar to our Maine Coons, Maggie and Katie. How do you keep them entertained in such a small area if they aren't let out?
Vickie aka Gouchergal

alormaria said:

I would pay to watch someone put a life jacket on a cat.



I love cats.



And I have the scars to prove it.

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HAHA! That may be my answer! Will definitely let you know! (It will be me trying to put the jackets on with my husband videotaping, I'm sure!!)
Thanks,
Vickie aka Gouchergal

porman said:

If we're gone for more than a week we take our two adult cats along. They adapt quickly. They're indoor cats at home and they stay inside the boat when on board. I don't want to try to rescue a wet cat that's gone overboard. We've sacrificed one of our showers for a litter box and even bring a cat tree along. We've run into a lot of cats on boats and quite a few of them wander around outside with no problems. We have heard of a few that got lost though.

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Good practical advice about the litter box shower. Hadn't thought that far ahead! And the tree is a must since they have all their claws....I just hope there's room for us by the time we get done outfitting for these cats!
Thanks,
Vickie aka Gouchergal

Good info as we are shortly about to embark on another cruise, this time with cat aboard!

FF has the best idea, have a carpet or something the cat can claw their way onto the boat.

I like cats, but for the most part, not on a boat, other than a real short trip. Just too much work!

I've tried taking our older cats on the boat to see how they'd like it....didn't!

I've put lift jackets on them and maybe it took them 2 seconds to get out of them. They looked like Hodini getting out of a straight jacket!

Now, I did take one cat for a kayak ride.... got about 15 ft from shore, she jumped and swam to shore and wouldn't talk to me for a week.

Another older male cat did go windsurfing with me....YES windsurfing. He stayed on the board, enjoyed the ride around a lake and jumped off when I got close to the dock. That same cat went for a paddle boat ride with my admiral and jumped off in the middle of the lake and had to be rescued.

I have made 2 "life jackets" for small dogs. Neither I nor our dogs liked the commercial ones. Others are correct the key is just having handles to grab on to lift.
What I made was close to a simple harness w handles instead of D rings.
You might actually find a small size dog or cat to harness that could work. I don't have pics but what I made up was basically 2 nylon straps w plastic snap buckles and loop handles. I added some think flexible sheet packing foam inside a fabric cover and sewed the webbing to it.
It ended up as a soft flexible underbelly that snapped around & on top.
If you are interested in making one i could probably sketch something close to what I did.
I'd suggest trying a small harness to see how the critter reacts. Even w/o handles its EZ to grab a harness strap to rescue in an emergency.

Seevee said:

FF has the best idea, have a carpet or something the cat can claw their way onto the boat.

I like cats, but for the most part, not on a boat, other than a real short trip. Just too much work!

I've tried taking our older cats on the boat to see how they'd like it....didn't!

I've put lift jackets on them and maybe it took them 2 seconds to get out of them. They looked like Hodini getting out of a straight jacket!

Now, I did take one cat for a kayak ride.... got about 15 ft from shore, she jumped and swam to shore and wouldn't talk to me for a week.

Another older male cat did go windsurfing with me....YES windsurfing. He stayed on the board, enjoyed the ride around a lake and jumped off when I got close to the dock. That same cat went for a paddle boat ride with my admiral and jumped off in the middle of the lake and had to be rescued.

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Haha! Thanks for the discouraging news!! At least you are honest!! I just bought two pet life jackets today...my husband is sure I am crazy!
Vickie

Bacchus said:

I have made 2 "life jackets" for small dogs. Neither I nor our dogs liked the commercial ones. Others are correct the key is just having handles to grab on to lift.
What I made was close to a simple harness w handles instead of D rings.
You might actually find a small size dog or cat to harness that could work. I don't have pics but what I made up was basically 2 nylon straps w plastic snap buckles and loop handles. I added some think flexible sheet packing foam inside a fabric cover and sewed the webbing to it.
It ended up as a soft flexible underbelly that snapped around & on top.
If you are interested in making one i could probably sketch something close to what I did.
I'd suggest trying a small harness to see how the critter reacts. Even w/o handles its EZ to grab a harness strap to rescue in an emergency.

Click to expand...

Thanks so much for the input, but I am way too lazy for that!! Now I can't wait for summer to see how this all works out!
Vickie aka Gouchergal

Group9 said:

Good info as we are shortly about to embark on another cruise, this time with cat aboard!

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You'll just have to PM me and let me know how it goes!

Vickie

I wouldn't bother with a PFD for a cat.

Gouchergal said:

Haha! Thanks for the discouraging news!! At least you are honest!! I just bought two pet life jackets today...my husband is sure I am crazy!
Vickie

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Vickie, as the happy owner of two fairly large cats, I would love to see the video of you and the cats wrestling as you try to get them into their pfd's. I can just see it now.

Perhaps you should have an ambulance on standby.

"Cats can use a toilet?? What'll ya think of next?!!"

Our cat was a few years old and was easy to teach to use the toilet.

You purchase a plastic kit that consists of a sheet of plastic that is laid on the toilet bowl and the seat lowered to keep it in place.

The cats usual litter is placed on the sheet , and the cay will begin to use it.

Perforated guides allow a hole to be torn into the plastic , every few days the hole is enlarged to the next size hole..

The cat will perch on the seat and bombs away after a few days .

Nothing too it!4How Cat Toilet Training Works with CitiKitty – CitiKitty Inc.


https://www.citikitty.com/pages/how-citikitty-works


https://www.walmart.com/ip/CitiKitty-Cat-Toilet-Training-Kit/14997625?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=17368&adid=22222222227010822530&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=59804948111&wl4=aud-566049426705la-100313368631&wl5=9012040&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=125169500&wl11=online&wl12=14997625&wl13=&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu6SQ96mu3wIVzVuGCh1r1QbKEAQYBCABEgKg4fD_BwE

Gouchergal said:

Good information. All I have seen on Web seem to be made for dogs, but small sizes may fit a cat. Claws are indeed intact! So you mean an unexpected swim when underway?? Thanks!!

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Yep, or at anchor. Intact doesn't mean we don't trim periodically, especially the front claws... otherwise the furniture would probably be destroyed by now. I don't want to take up space with a cat tree, but there are plenty of levels she can jump on and lots of higher places she can jump to. A favorite is on the ledge at the forward saloon windows.

Doesn't hurt to have cat toys laying around; a "mouse" here or there... and we have a feather thing on the end of a string, and a laser pointer, both of which are popular when she's in the mood.

The litter box we use is one of the covered ones, and that helps keep sand semi-close after she's been rooting around in there for a while... Hint: for daily cleaning and easy lifting of the top cover... you don't have to actually clamp the fittings down every time... just let the cover rest on the base.

-Chris

." otherwise the furniture would probably be destroyed by now"

Cats love to claw at stuff they can rip apart.

Out method is a series of cork discs 1/2 thick 2-3 inches in diameter, enough for a foot or more.

We place a dowel thru the center holes and tape it upright on a chair or table leg.

The cat will tear at the cork, and some will tear loose! A delight for the cat.

Replace the corks , instead of the couch.

porman said:

. I don't want to try to rescue a wet cat that's gone overboard.

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Ours went in while chasing swallows along the rails on the top deck.
We heard a splash, went out and there was simi swimming around towards the front of the boat.
We thought of dropping the dinghy but instead grabbed a landing net and scooped her out with that when she came back down to the back.
She learnt her lesson, no more running along the rails chasing birds.

Shrew said:

I wouldn't bother with a PFD for a cat.

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Bought one on eBay for a few dollars to shut my mother up.
Tried to get the cat in it but its an impossible mission that would end in blood.

I moved my two 10+ year old cats on a sailboat and they were fine. They never liked the engine or heeling but they got used to it quickly.

Last year we adopted two adult rescue kitties that were a little feral. They hate the engines (now on a trawler but they are fine otherwise.

They are no more work on the boat than on shore. We had a two step ladder down to the forward cabin. I removed it and made a 'step' that was big enough to cover the litter box. There was just enough room for it and the final step before the door to the head.

3 of the 4 cats fell in at some point but never while under way. They mostly got out on their own except once when one fell on the side away from the dock. The hull was too slippery to get her claws into it. I scooped her up and she was fine (I heard her scratching outside fortunately.)

I used to keep a harness on them so I could grab something to get them out of the water in an emergency. It turned out it wasn't that hard but again we were never underway. We keep them inside while away from the dock. We do let them wander around when we are anchored or moored but never unattended. We have screens so it has been pretty easy to keep them inside at night. Actually, they are never outside at night even at our home dock. During the day though they seem to like walking around and checking things out. But when we are away from home we keep a sharp eye them. Usually we are anchored or moored so we don't have to worry about them wandering off.

We also have a dog aboard. He does wear a life jacket as he usually follows me (or food) around and is outside while we are under way. He is too big to grab with one hand so the handle is essential (mostly for me to feel comfortable as he has never even seemed close to falling over board.)

Having our fur kids with us is pretty essential. And more than worth it. We love having coffee in the morning and watching the cats patrol the boat, watch and occasionally chase the seagulls and generally do cute cat stuff.

Gouchergal said:

Hi there,
They are indoor cats who would love to be outdoor cats! They are 12 pounds each and are fluffy Maine Coons,

Gouchergal

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12 lb. Maine Coons? Good luck with that. They probably weigh twice as much when wet, and if they hit the drink strapped in a life vest, they'll probably exhaust themselves trying to get out of it before even thinking of swimming to a safe place, such as the boat they just fell off of.

As long as they have all their claws, you're best bet is to keep thick ropes dangling from both sides and the rear of the boat.

There's no way I'd bring a de-clawed cat on a boat unless it refused to come out of the cabin in the first place.