Captain Cat

[jimisbell]

Yes, my cat has me trained to open the door for her to come in when its 106 degrees outside, but she would rather use the litter box than go out.


Her favorite place to sleep was on my chest. Not this cat but the previous one also slept on my chest but she one day decided to empty her bladder there. Needless to say she didnt hit the ground for 30 feet after that.


All my cats have been female. Are the males the same? Current cat is a calico and I am convinced that calicos are schizophrenic. You get two cats for the price of one.

 

[Exctyengr]

Great thread! We have three cats, including Cat Mandu, a holy terror, totally fearless and will attack man, beast, woman and child, dogs and other cats. Probably not a good candidate for a cruising companion. On the few occasions that we have cruised with our cats, the challenge has been keeping them on our boat and off of our marina neighbors when at the dock. Not an issue when anchored out.
We do use the breeze system and it is very efficient in terms of litter. It does use pee pads that need to be put in trash adding to that pervasive issue.

 

[syjos]

The only trick Sailor could do:

I would point my finger at him and yell "Bang" and he would flop on to his side. He didn't just lay down, he would practically throw his legs up in the air, and on most floors make a thud when he hit the floor. He weighed 16 pounds.

He had certain criteria for the trick. He only did it with me, he had to have an audience, he would not repeat the trick, and he had to be in the mood. After all, he was a method actor!

Someone would say something about Sailor doing a bang or I'll ask him if he wanted to do one and he would get up, walk over and wait expectantly for me to do my part. If he was'nt in the mood, he'd ignore everyone.

He enjoyed the attention and did the bang on the dock when there was an appreciative crowd

 

[BrianSmith]

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.

We've had this on the boat since May the Cat moved aboard almost 3 years ago. I won't describe it here, other than to say that you use a fraction of the litter that a traditional system uses. Have never seen anything we'd like better.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

we have a cat on the tug i work on. Best life of any animal! She was the runt of the litter trying to scrape together something to eat on a shipyard dock in Jax, Fl. The other cats were pushing her aside at every scrap of food they found. We grabbed her and brought her aboard. Loving life, eating well and part of the crew now. Full vet check and shots when we got back to NY. So far she has sailed from Jax to Key West, Puerto Rico,Mobile ,Alabama and as far north as Nova Scotia on a ship rescue. Black cat adopted on Friday the 13th...What can go wrong?...

 

[syjos]

Nomad Willy,

Heck of a thread you started.

Who would have thought that a group of boaters and tug workers would be talking about cats on the Trawler Forum?

Thanks!

 

[syjos]

we have a cat on the tug i work on. Best life of any animal! She was the runt of the litter trying to scrape together something to eat on a shipyard dock in Jax, Fl. The other cats were pushing her aside at every scrap of food they found. We grabbed her and brought her aboard. Loving life, eating well and part of the crew now. Full vet check and shots when we got back to NY. So far she has sailed from Jax to Key West, Puerto Rico,Mobile ,Alabama and as far north as Nova Scotia on a ship rescue. Black cat adopted on Friday the 13th...What can go wrong?...

Pictures of Tug Cat?

 

[jimisbell]

Lei Choy San, named after the Dragon Lady (Female pirate in the China Sea just before WWII) because she has a black patch over her left eye, was thrown out of a speeding car onto the highway at the age of just 4 weeks. We found her starving to death in the ditch about a week later covered with fleas, ticks, scabbies covered with scabs from her injuries and eating insects for food. The vet told us she might not survive. She did and has learned her one trick from my wife who taught her to do a "High Five" for her dinner. She will also do it to get my attention by holding her hand above the screen on my laptop to say, "I am here, put up the computer and groom me."


I always wonder if rescues have a memory of what came before or do they just forget it and move on?

 

[BruceK]

..I always wonder if rescues have a memory of what came before or do they just forget it and move on?

My vet thought so. One rescue dog we adopted had several owners and stints in rescue kennels,she really needed an experienced German Shepherd owner. Every time we boarded her at kennels a disaster occurred, an escape(missing almost a week), a life threatening stomach torsion needing immediate surgery(anxiety is a cause), refusing to eat leading to being put on a drip, that kind of thing. Vet said she thought she was being dumped again,. We learned to keep her at home with a dog/housesitter when we went away, then she was fine. Great dog, still miss her.

 

[syjos]

I always wonder if rescues have a memory of what came before or do they just forget it and move on?

I'm not sure about actual memory of the past but it changes them somehow.

Sailor was found abandoned in the bushes when he was 4 to 5 weeks old, and hungry.

He had food issues all his life. He would gobble up all of his food and want more. He ballooned to 18 pounds when he was 2. He was on a diet the rest of his life. We had to feed him limited portions 4 times a day. He wanted more. It was a struggle.

The Vet attributed his behavior to memory or just a sense about his starving when a kitten.
Vet said Sailor had a subconscience need to eat.

 

[jimisbell]

Interesting. Lei Choy was always having personality problems when we put her in a kennel while we traveled. We always blamed it on the personnel. But when we started leaving her home, outside, on her own, and someone would come by to feed and water her, the problems went away. Maybe she was afraid we were abandoning her to the kennel. Long as she could stay at home, even if we were not there, she was happy.


She just came up to me and gave me the high five. I think she knows I was writing about her.

 

[jimisbell]

This is a picture of Lei Choy San just a week after we found her and still with asphalt burns on face and legs and swollen stomach from starvation. But its a good picture because she was now rescued just a bit cautious about us.

 

[bfloyd4445]

I'm not sure about actual memory of the past but it changes them somehow.

Sailor was found abandoned in the bushes when he was 4 to 5 weeks old, and hungry.

He had food issues all his life. He would gobble up all of his food and want more. He ballooned to 18 pounds when he was 2. He was on a diet the rest of his life. We had to feed him limited portions 4 times a day. He wanted more. It was a struggle.

The Vet attributed his behavior to memory or just a sense about his starving when a kitten.
Vet said Sailor had a subconscience need to eat.

I think i have the same affliction as Sailor. Can't stop eating

 

[bfloyd4445]

She looks like she has already taken control

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Ms Darby at her fav galley seat

 

[syjos]

Interesting. Lei Choy was always having personality problems when we put her in a kennel while we traveled. We always blamed it on the personnel. But when we started leaving her home, outside, on her own, and someone would come by to feed and water her, the problems went away. Maybe she was afraid we were abandoning her to the kennel. Long as she could stay at home, even if we were not there, she was happy.

Sailor had similar abandonment issues. If we left him at home for 2 to 6 hours, he would be fine. Over 6 hours, he will sit on the front window sill and wait for our return.

If left overnight, with a timed feeder, he would act PO'ed for a day after our return.

As he got older, he got more anxious when left alone so we hired a cat sitter to check on him and feed him. He was OK with the sitter since she gave him extra food and treats.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Pansy was only several months old when Chris got her from a woman w 30 cats. She was perhaps several months old. Not a kitten but not a mature cat.
No rescue issues at all I’d say. Could be she had a good moma down in the rocks on the beach near LA. They took the kittens from wild momy. Neutered momy and took her back to the beach while keeping the kittens. One thing I remember about what Chris said was that Pansy wasn’t interacting w the other cats but was watching Chris when she went to the woman’s house. Then Pansy jumped down off the pedestal she was sitting on, went over to Chris, hesitated but then jumped up on Chris’s lap. Probably the most beneficial thing she ever did for her wellbeing.
Only behavior that was the least bit strange was that in Alaska in the big house she’d run hell bent back and forth in the hallway on the second floor (like galloping) and meow/howl (a bit) and repeat. That’s it.

 

[jimisbell]

Willy, Calicos are known for their split personalities. You got a good one. Lei Choy is really split. We dont let her play with children because she can suddenly switch to the evil one with no warning. I think. in her earlier life, children tortured her. Sometimes, if I raise my hand above my head, she will cower and threaten to strike me. But when she is sweet, she is a good cat. I cant blame her for a bad youth, it wasnt her fault.

I sure hope animals go to heaven.

 

[jimisbell]

She looks like she has already taken control

Yep, and now, 3 years later, I think she is telling me to put her in my will.

 

[bfloyd4445]

Pansy was only several months old when Chris got her from a woman w 30 cats. She was perhaps several months old. Not a kitten but not a mature cat.
No rescue issues at all I’d say. Could be she had a good moma down in the rocks on the beach near LA. They took the kittens from wild momy. Neutered momy and took her back to the beach while keeping the kittens. One thing I remember about what Chris said was that Pansy wasn’t interacting w the other cats but was watching Chris when she went to the woman’s house. Then Pansy jumped down off the pedestal she was sitting on, went over to Chris, hesitated but then jumped up on Chris’s lap. Probably the most beneficial thing she ever did for her wellbeing.
Only behavior that was the least bit strange was that in Alaska in the big house she’d run hell bent back and forth in the hallway on the second floor (like galloping) and meow/howl (a bit) and repeat. That’s it.

The Alaska incident is common behavior and what i started labeling as, motor boating. Most cats i have had will get wound up and behave like this from time to time often without stimulation. Literally spinning around the walls.

 

[jimisbell]

Ours will chase her tail when she gets "wound up." But what amazes me is that she seems to like hot weather. Sometimes in 105 degree wether she will go out on the lawn and chase her imaginary prey and get so hot she starts panting. But when I open the door and invite her in she will instead sit down and invite me out. Not in 105 I wont.
And she is a "Longhair" which should make it hotter.

 

[bfloyd4445]

Ours will chase her tail when she gets "wound up." But what amazes me is that she seems to like hot weather. Sometimes in 105 degree wether she will go out on the lawn and chase her imaginary prey and get so hot she starts panting. But when I open the door and invite her in she will instead sit down and invite me out. Not in 105 I wont.
And she is a "Longhair" which should make it hotter.

I just learned that the hair actually helps keep them cool and remember a cats body temp is 102.

 

[jimisbell]

I just learned that the hair actually helps keep them cool and remember a cats body temp is 102.

WOW!! I will stop worrying about her now.

 

[Simi 60]

Our cat Simi, full time live aboard for over 3 years now.
She likes the lifestyle and gets fresh fish several times a week.
Scared of them at first but she is onto them as soon as they hit the deck now.

 

[jimisbell]

When we got Lei Choy I didnt think there was a way in hell that she would turn out to be a pretty cat. If she hadnt been starving I would not have taken her in. But she turned out OK.

 

[syjos]

When we got Lei Choy I didnt think there was a way in hell that she would turn out to be a pretty cat. If she hadnt been starving I would not have taken her in. But she turned out OK.

Great looking cat!

 

[bfloyd4445]

WOW!! I will stop worrying about her now.

The fur is layered which allows air circulation and insulates cat from intense summer heat.



https://www.petmd.com/cat/shaving-cat-good-idea-keep-them-cool-summer

 

[jimisbell]

The fur is layered which allows air circulation and insulates cat from intense summer heat.



https://www.petmd.com/cat/shaving-cat-good-idea-keep-them-cool-summer

Thats a good article and one every cat owner in the Southern states should read. I had thought several times about shaving her for summer. Now I wont. She is more comfortable in the summer than I am. Its probably too cold for her in the house (78F).

 

[syjos]

Sailor was a long hair and he'd lay out in the sun on the deck or roof of the boat or the dock during summer for hours.

The outside of his fur would get hot to my touch but he was ok with it.

I did not shave him but certain areas had to be trimmed regularly.

When he was real overweight, his stomach hung down and the hair on his stomach dragged on the ground picking up debris. I had to keep that area trimmed to avoid having to comb the debris out every time he came in from outdoors..

 

[bfloyd4445]

Thats a good article and one every cat owner in the Southern states should read. I had thought several times about shaving her for summer. Now I wont. She is more comfortable in the summer than I am. Its probably too cold for her in the house (78F).

the paper i originally read was much more detailed and accurate than at the link i posted here unfortunately. The cats fur serves many purposes, heat, cold, to predator protection. Ever notice after a cat fight there is hair every place but the fighters remain usually unscathed? You would think with all those slashing claws and teeth at a speed faster than the eye can see there would be blood everywhere but there isnt a drop. Just left over clumps of fur.

Had a cat named Tu Tat that took no crap from anyone or anything. If you yelled at him he would turn around look at you and growl back, then go back to what he was doing. If you yelled at him again to get him to stop he would growl even louder and if you swatted or squirted him he would run off. Then later when all is forgotten, or so you thought, he would ambush you and sink his teeth into you then run off under the bed. He took no crap from man or best. My neighbor came to the door one time with her 125 pound boxer, a very mild mannered canine, Tu Tat didn't like dogs so tore into him a mass of slashing fangs and claws. Poor dog took off full speed with the cat on him for maybe twenty feet. Dog didn't slow and was soon out of sight. Tu came back inside and stood guard at the door while we went to retrieve the poor dog. When i returned Tu was still inside the open door on guard.