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Sail Away, Sail Away (continued)

Even without taking into account instances of falling overboard, not all sailing experiences with cats are positive ones. Susan Cosby of Chicago said she and her husband, Richard, took their cat sailing for a three-week cruise. Unfortunately, the weather turned rough. Now, at the mere mention of the words “sail” or “boat,” or when the cat sees any boat paraphernalia, he runs and hides under the bed. He’s also taught the other family cats to make themselves scarce whenever they hear these “four-letter” words.

Tips for Sailing with Your Cat:

1. If possible, introduce your cat to sailing when she’s a kitten.

2. Experiment with a harness and leash while on land to be sure your cat’s comfortable with them — before trying them out on the boat.

3. Bring your cat to the boat several times before you actually go sailing so she can become accustomed to a different place.

4. Find a secure place on the boat for the litter box. One suggestion is the shower floor.

5. Have a safe and secure place for your cat to go if the weather becomes rough, such as a Vee Berth arranged with extra pillows, or the sail locker. Then you won’t be concerned she’ll get underfoot when you really need to concentrate all your attention and efforts on riding out the storm.

6. In the off-season, continue to take your cat to the boat so she stays comfortable and accustomed to it.

Copyright © 2000 by Susan Bard Hall. All rights reserved.

This article first ran in the April 2000 issue of Pet Times™.

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