I have a friend who wants to bring her cat on board for odd weekends. The idea of a ships cat is appealing. Someone I knew had a ships dog who went everywhere.
Has any one lost one overboard, being curious things I wonder if it might try to jump off? I guess we keep the fishng net on deck just in case, and where do I hide the kitty litter tray!?
The kitty litter needs to be down wind somewhere around the stern area! It's the biggest problem having a cat onboard my Trim likes to flick it out all over the deck! im not sure about bringing house hold cats onto boats as I brought mine on as a kitten and she seems quite happy when we cast the lines and head out. shes been swimming 3 times now and I think she's got the message now not to fall in. i have heard of passage makers loosing there beloved cats overboard never to be seen again....that would be really sad.
I brought my 3 cats on board in November, first whilst at the marina. They never left the boat at the marina, but I lost the oldest one overboard one night whilst anchored in the river. I never heard her fall in, just woke up and she was gone. Her daughter fell or jumped off a couple of weeks later on a very still moonless night. Maybe the river looking like glass had her fooled. I heard her splash right on midnight, and threw the hatch open and jumped out on deck calling her as I heard her splashing as the current carried her towards the stern. I was hanging over the side trying to reach her when she found my coil of rope that hangs just in the water near the stern. She was up it like a rat up a drainpipe. My other cat has never looked like falling in.
The kitty litter I keep in the cockpit if it's rainy but on dry days it's out on the deck unless we are sailing out at sea. They are wonderful company, and I would be devastated to lose either of them.
Thanks all. My friend thinks a harness might work and otherwise keep cat below. The cats name is Boo Boo but it should be called "rocket with claws!!".
