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Conference misery::feline

Title:Meower Power - Where Differing Opinions are Respected
Notice:purrrrr...
Moderator:JULIET::CORDES_JA
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1079
Total number of notes:28858

468.0. "To become a Boat-Cat" by ICS::WANNOOR () Thu Dec 31 1992 11:54

        
        
        Wellie, my indoor 5-mths' old male shorthair will soon become
        a boat-cat!  We'll be living aboard a 51-ft ketch in a couple
        weeks.  I'm quite anxious about this because: 
        
        A) he is totally unafraid of water (he plays in the bathtub full of 
        water), and might consider the ocean as another bathtub (albeit  a
        bit larger!)  
        
        B) he's been totally an indoor kitty; I'm afraid he might be
        lost/harmed if he wanders around the marina, even with all
        the proper identifications.
        
        On the other hand I'd like for him to enjoy the deck area,
        not just limited below deck.   The ideal situation is for him to
        freely roam the boat (up & below), but not jump off on the
        dock or into the water.   Any suggestions how to do this
        "painlessly" for both parties??
        
        Thanks,
        
        -Ashikin
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468.1I know 2PARITY::DENISEAnd may the traffic be with youThu Dec 31 1992 13:2418
    My next door neighbor's daughter has lived on a boat with her cats
    for many years.  The tales I hear are so funny.  Apparently, the cats
    are very well adapted to their life.  They were both rescues from a
    local Florida shelter.  They have both been trained on what to do if
    they fall overboard, which has only happened once.  A very heavy rope
    is left on the side of the boat and the cats have actually been trained
    to go to that rope if they fall over.  The one time that one of them
    did fall, she went right to the rope and climbed up.  That's really the
    only incident that has occurred.  The cats don't wander at all from
    their "turf", and seem to know the limits and dangers of "big" water.
    It's been about 8 or 9 nine years, so it must be working out well.
    
    If  you have a specific question, I can get it answered for  you I'm
    sure.  My neighbor will be heading to Florida in a few weeks to visit
    with her daughter, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if she took some ?'s 
    down with her.
    
    Denise
468.2BPSOF::EGYEDPer aspera ad astraMon Jan 04 1993 03:002
    try perhaps a lash for the first time??
    Nat
468.3DELNI::MANDILEToepick!Mon Jan 04 1993 06:344
    During my boating days, a cat used to live on a boat with
    his family all summer long.  He wore a lifejacket made just
    for cats!  It was the cutest thing!  He also wore a collar
    with multiple phone numbers, in case he fell overboard.. (8
468.4My Cats Love The BoatODIXIE::RHONEImpossible is an opinion--not a factMon Jan 18 1993 18:2319
    My husband and I live on a boat with our 3 cats -- an 8-year
    old, a 5-year old, and a 4-month old. We have only been on
    board for 7 months, so the older ones had some adapting to do.
    They have adapted very well.
    
    Each cat has a life jacket (available from Survival Technologies,
    6418 US Hwy 41 North, Suite 266, Apollo Beach, Florida 33572). Best
    time of the day is DECK time -- they sit on the deck for hours and
    watch the water and the wildlife. We have safety netting all 
    around to boat to help prevent accidents.
    
    There are a lot of cats living in our marina -- 15 to 20. On
    occasion, one has to be fished out of the water -- everysix
    months or so. We have never had to fish one of ours out, but
    then they are confined to the boat.
    
    All things considered, your cat is going to love boat life.
    
    Chris Rhone 
468.5Depends on what the cat is used to already...SALEM::SHAWWed Jan 20 1993 06:1514
    
    We used to live on a house boat in Sausalito CA. We had two dogs and
    two cats, which all were used to living in our house with a big yard
    and lots of ground to play. The dogs adopted fine, (of course they got
    their daily walks in the park.) the cats, however (a mom and her son)
    never got used to it. We tried for several months and the showed us
    their disatisfaction with the move by leaving us presents in the living
    room, on the bed (right on the pillows :-) ). We eventually found
    a friend that adopted both mom and son.  We missed are kitties so 
    much that we then adopted a little guy (just a few months old) and
    he got used to the boat just fine. 
    
    Shaw