Captain Cat
- Thread starter Nomad Willy
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The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
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We had a boat cat for 18 years. His name was Sailor.
He did'nt like rough water either. He went to the salon near the back of the boat and laid in the middle of the floor where the motion was the least.
We miss him more when boating.
He did'nt like rough water either. He went to the salon near the back of the boat and laid in the middle of the floor where the motion was the least.
We miss him more when boating.
Sailor of Fortune
Guru
she is a cutie Eric!
bfloyd4445
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A cat is pretty much the ideal pet for a boat:
Don't have to row ashore the minute the anchor is down. And throughout the day.
And they don't require assistance getting up, down or off the boat. Until they get old.
They don't require daily walking or exercise. Though our cat enjoyed walking on a leash on the trails at Stuart Island and Montague
The only downsides:
Having to carry 150 to 200 pounds of cat litter for a two - three month cruise to remote areas!
Vacuuming up the cat hair.
Don't have to row ashore the minute the anchor is down. And throughout the day.
And they don't require assistance getting up, down or off the boat. Until they get old.
They don't require daily walking or exercise. Though our cat enjoyed walking on a leash on the trails at Stuart Island and Montague
The only downsides:
Having to carry 150 to 200 pounds of cat litter for a two - three month cruise to remote areas!
Vacuuming up the cat hair.
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OP
OP
Nomad Willy
Guru
syjos where do you go for three months where you can’t get cat litter haha.
Yup Pansy was a very good kitty. Always asked for permission before jumping up on me. Even managed to get up on the float by herself when she went in the drink at the marina. Musta usedall four paws as propellers. She wandered about quite a bit .. loved to explore other boats flybridges. Didn’t like going on other boats to get her.
rsn48 just post thumbs up on “quick reply”.
Floyd, must be. Ever hear of “good kitty bad kitty”?
syjoys, Yup. Even wife hair .. in the engine compartment ect .. seems everywhere. No complaints though.
Yup Pansy was a very good kitty. Always asked for permission before jumping up on me. Even managed to get up on the float by herself when she went in the drink at the marina. Musta usedall four paws as propellers. She wandered about quite a bit .. loved to explore other boats flybridges. Didn’t like going on other boats to get her.
rsn48 just post thumbs up on “quick reply”.
Floyd, must be. Ever hear of “good kitty bad kitty”?
syjoys, Yup. Even wife hair .. in the engine compartment ect .. seems everywhere. No complaints though.
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- Joined
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If you want to know where we go, all you have to do is put on diving gear and follow the trail of cat litter on the ocean floor.
Cat litter is available in the Broughtons and other remote areas but I have a hard time paying the prices up there. A 5 pound container of litter up there cost as much as the 30 pound container at Costco.
Our 16 pound cat required a lot of litter.
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bfloyd4445
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Cat hair can be an issue. I've heard of people training cats to use the head but have never taken the time to do so. I just use wheat litter.
hmason
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We don't have a cat however we had the opportunity to stay at our daughter's house for a couple of weeks. She has a cat and uses this: https://www.tidycats.com/breeze-systems. It might solve your litter carrying problem. It is quite an amazing system. Our daughter loves it.
O C Diver
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My step daughters came with a cat named Taz, short for Tasmanian devil. Nice cat inspite of the name. At some point the cat decided he didn't like litter boxes. He would stand at the back door and meow to be let out. When it was time to come back in, he would walk the porch railing to the door and shake the door knob.
Ted
Ted
Sitting in the sun Eric, enjoying the view, I think I'd kick the cat out and steal that spot for myself 
My fat 16lb Qatari cat is now enjoying life in Atlanta so much that he brought me home a big bloody frog last night. We didn't have those in the mid-east and I wonder what went through his head the first time he saw it
My fat 16lb Qatari cat is now enjoying life in Atlanta so much that he brought me home a big bloody frog last night. We didn't have those in the mid-east and I wonder what went through his head the first time he saw it
bfloyd4445
Guru
Sitting in the sun Eric, enjoying the view, I think I'd kick the cat out and steal that spot for myself
My fat 16lb Qatari cat is now enjoying life in Atlanta so much that he brought me home a big bloody frog last night. We didn't have those in the mid-east and I wonder what went through his head the first time he saw it
He saw an opportunity to provide dinner to his servant that always brought him food and jumped on it. Be thankful he didnt deposit a dead rat on your lap or a live mouse to your bed. Both have happened to me by feline friends attempting to give me a gift
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This was a long time ago when Sailor the cat was young and we were at home, not on the boat
We were woken up at 7 am by noise. I opened my eyes and there was blood splattered on the ceiling and walls. Sailor had brought in a bird through the pet door and let it loose in our bedroom. He was sitting on the dresser waiting for praise.
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bfloyd4445
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chuckle....I can just picture the scene. Sailor would be sitting there proud of what he has done waiting for your praise.....I've never lived on a boat only use them for transportation and relaxation but my cat, or cats always went with me if i would be gone more than a couple of days. A home, even a temporary one always seems empty to me without a cat
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I agree wholeheartedly!
We keep talking about getting another cat but now that we have been catless for a year and a half, we are realizing how much responsibility and work a cat is. Changing the litter when he got too feeble to go outside, feeding him, combing him daily to keep flying fur to a minimum, clipping his nails weekly, flea control, vet visits, medication etc. etc.
And as he got older, he required a lot more care and attention. And vet bill's that were equal to "boat bucks".
And with a cat, a spontaneous weekend non-boating getaway required a cat sitter. Now we can just go. When he was younger, we would sneak him into hotels and he was fine, he would quietly sit in a large shoulder bag as we checked in and carried him up to our room. When he got older he started squirming in the bag.
And a cats emotional needs. When he wants to play or need petting or go outside, I have to drop everything or he would woe is me.
Maybe Sailor was spoiled?
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Here are some pictures of Sailor on the boat.
When he was younger, he would be off the boat as soon as we were tied to a dock. He loved to people watch. We had to put a chair on the dock for him to sit on. People with leashed and unleashed dogs would walk by and let their dog come close to Sailor, ignoring my warning that he hated dogs. As soon as the dog got to within a foot of his chair he would first give a warning growl and when the dumb dog kept advancing, come flying off the chair and land on the dog giving the dog the back claw treatment. We've been asked to keep Sailor inside by marinas after he scared or hurt a dog and the dog owner complained even though Sailor was on his chair minding his own business. Cat discrimination!
Sailor would sit at the transom door for hours watching people, boats, geese, seals and floatsom when anchored.
The last picture is Sailor on the dock in Joe Cove. That was his favorite. The small dock was questionable so no one ever moored there except us and a few other people. He had the run of the 40' X 30' dock. And the dock was so decrepit that it had grass growing on it, which sailor like to walk through and chew.
He had a really good life.
When he was younger, he would be off the boat as soon as we were tied to a dock. He loved to people watch. We had to put a chair on the dock for him to sit on. People with leashed and unleashed dogs would walk by and let their dog come close to Sailor, ignoring my warning that he hated dogs. As soon as the dog got to within a foot of his chair he would first give a warning growl and when the dumb dog kept advancing, come flying off the chair and land on the dog giving the dog the back claw treatment. We've been asked to keep Sailor inside by marinas after he scared or hurt a dog and the dog owner complained even though Sailor was on his chair minding his own business. Cat discrimination!
Sailor would sit at the transom door for hours watching people, boats, geese, seals and floatsom when anchored.
The last picture is Sailor on the dock in Joe Cove. That was his favorite. The small dock was questionable so no one ever moored there except us and a few other people. He had the run of the 40' X 30' dock. And the dock was so decrepit that it had grass growing on it, which sailor like to walk through and chew.
He had a really good life.
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bfloyd4445
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I think his real title is Captain Sailor, your just a simple swabby or steward serving the real Captain..
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You know what they say; Dogs have owners, cats have staff!
bfloyd4445
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Because of your posting i began to think about dogs and cats. Cats are #1 pet worldwide and thinking of the dog owner's i know i realized most dogs are owned to preform a chore for the owner. Cats on the other hand cohabitate with humans for convenience in a symbiotic relationship developed over hundreds of thousands of years. Cats saw man as a dirty creature that attracts the vermin cats prefer to eat. Then when man began settling down and farming, storing produce and grains they became an even better provider. Over time cats just naturally moved in with humans finding the most comfortable warm or cool spots to sleep and soon took control.
I have never known any dog in control and no of no indoor cat that is not in control. And of course they govern with minimum effort.
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That's a happy cat!!!!!
I've read similar history of cats. They were not domesticated like dogs since other than killing rodents, they were totally useless and difficult to train.
The cats on the other hand felt that humans were worth domesticating because humans were smart enough and eager to please.
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markpierce
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Here, kitty, kitty!
bfloyd4445
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Just remembered a pix my daughter sent me taken from her upstairs window of her cat creeping up on a lion that was laying there watching the cat. I'll post the pix if i can find it
Chuckle, yep, absolutely right.....
.....my feelings exactly
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The problem on boats is that cats need that nasty litter box and dogs have to poop on deck which needs to be washed.
On the other hand... when I was at University I had a flop eared rabbit named Brundle. I taught him to poop in the toilet. I inserted a screen of 1/2” hardware cloth and his little pellets just fell right through into the bowl. Fantastic! Until my stupid roommate fed him beer and he died. [emoji195]
Yep he ran around my apt freely and just jumped up into the toilet when he had to go.
On the other hand... when I was at University I had a flop eared rabbit named Brundle. I taught him to poop in the toilet. I inserted a screen of 1/2” hardware cloth and his little pellets just fell right through into the bowl. Fantastic! Until my stupid roommate fed him beer and he died. [emoji195]
Yep he ran around my apt freely and just jumped up into the toilet when he had to go.
bfloyd4445
Guru
Smart rtabbit! I've heard of, and know one person that had cats that used the toilet. If i ever live full time on a boat you can be sure my cat will be using the toilet. I have a half size litter box i have used onboard successfully but it still takes up floor room. I had a cat, TuTat, that insisted on pooping on the floor in the back bathroom and no matter what i did he would not change. I finally grew a brain and realized he knew the head was the place to go so i put a litter box in there and all was well. That was forty years ago and i guess i was a bit slow back then. That was years before i learned cats can use the toilet. TuTat would have been easy to train if i had been smarter back then
Amazing! In college I had a room mate or two that barely mastered the toilet!
BruceK
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CPseudonym used joke about the impossibility of "teaching cats geometry", a step up from "herding cats". Maybe they could learn geometry. But only if they wanted to.
bfloyd4445
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I think any cat will learn to do that. They are very good at training humans you know. And they always find the best spot to relax in.
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