35 replies to this topic

[nbfiresprite]

Ok our boat is currently on dry land in the last stages of fitting out. We plan to be on the water next May and will be moving aboard with 2 x 3yo cats called Zig and Zag Original I know LOL

Anyway they are already used to the boat and have been coming to the boat with us at weekends for well over a year. However being on dry land they are not used to being around water so wondering how they'll fair when on the canal and what we should be aware of?


Any other tips or advice welcome

Rope side fenders (Thick type) so they can climb out.

Firesprite

[Julynian]

Just fitted the new cat flap, the cat's were a bit hesitant as they've never had to use one before but a couple of hours after fitting they were jumping through it like it's been there for years.


Shame to have to put a hole through my engine room door though


Nice easy to fit cat flap from Cat Mate

http://www.catflaps..../en-uk/d11.html

[Leni]

Nice door!

I notice you asked in your first post about cat health insurance. My cats don't have health insurance, but every month I put away in a savings account the amount it would cost me if I had insured them. I know it's a bit of a gamble, as if they had a serious problem it might not be enough to cover it, but the up side is, if they don't need it my money is still there! If I had paid for insurance they didn't need it would be gone into the insurance company's coffers. I know it's a risk, but luckily they have had no major problems so far, and a reasonable balance has built up.

[Arthur Brown]

Cats, however tame you think they are, will come and visit you for food, and maybe put some attendance in, but they will have a wander and have several other places where they get attention and maybe food too. They may bring live or nearly live offerings from hunting parties, some of which will hide under the cupboards for years. Every so often they will go fishing, but this may need your attention as getting out of the water is not as easy as falling in! A climb-out system usually based on a bread tray may be used but the automated recovery system (you with a landing net) is expected to be available at all times.

Remember that you may own a dog but a cat owns you.

[Ace 01]

I saw a poster in a pet shop saying:

"A dog takes orders and a cat takes a message and gets back to you"

I thought that was a pretty good description, especially in our cats' case


Ann

[bizzard]

I reckon that everyone should have a cat,as most people these days need some drastic disciplining.

[Julynian]

Hi Leni

Didn't bother with cat insurance in the end. Fortunately only one has had a small illness in 4 years which cost around £150, your idea of stashing money instead of paying to an insurance company is a great idea, I do have a couple of bank accounts doing nothing so just spoke to Lynn and we'll set up a SO . Problem is now with insurance is the premiums are very high as the cats are now 4 YO So we'll match those premium prices.

Hi Ace

Yep cats are raving mad and can't be told a thing.

Hi Arthur

Already had a few shrews brought on to the boat, pretty used to that now, well I am Lynn hates it

I do have a nice big landing net ready for action when we're on the water. Will also try to rig something they can escape to if we don't see them go for a swim.

Hi Bizzaed

We have 2 are we twice as disciplined ? In what way do you think cats discipline people BTW Lynn want's to know

[bizzard]

Hi Leni

Didn't bother with cat insurance in the end. Fortunately only one has had a small illness in 4 years which cost around £150, your idea of stashing money instead of paying to an insurance company is a great idea, I do have a couple of bank accounts doing nothing so just spoke to Lynn and we'll set up a SO . Problem is now with insurance is the premiums are very high as the cats are now 4 YO So we'll match those premium prices.

Hi Ace

Yep cats are raving mad and can't be told a thing.

Hi Arthur

Already had a few shrews brought on to the boat, pretty used to that now, well I am Lynn hates it

I do have a nice big landing net ready for action when we're on the water. Will also try to rig something they can escape to if we don't see them go for a swim.

Hi Bizzaed

We have 2 are we twice as disciplined ? In what way do you think cats discipline people BTW Lynn want's to know

Ahoy there,welcome back. Maybe your cats aren't as demanding as my Satchidanander,he's got me right under his paw,the demon,i have to give in to him on everything all the time,my life has become a terrible hell on earth,''WHAT CAN I DO,I CAN'T CONTINUE LIKE THIS !!!''He completely domineers everthing,everything!!He tells me what to do all the time,He's taken over my favorite chair,my bed,my food cupboard,my boat, EVERYTHING !!!.He grumps,snarls,spits and snores like anything too.He took me to the C.C.F.D.O,''Cat counsellers for distressed owners''meeting.''IT WAS RUN BY CATS,THOUSANDS OF EM''and i couldn't get a word in edgeways amid the ME-OWS.''''HELP ME,PLEASE HELP ME''I can't take anymore.

[Julynian]

Ahoy there,welcome back. Maybe your cats aren't as demanding as my Satchidanander,he's got me right under his paw,the demon,i have to give in to him on everything all the time,my life has become a terrible hell on earth,''WHAT CAN I DO,I CAN'T CONTINUE LIKE THIS !!!''He completely domineers everthing,everything!!He tells me what to do all the time,He's taken over my favorite chair,my bed,my food cupboard,my boat, EVERYTHING !!!.He grumps,snarls,spits and snores like anything too.He took me to the C.C.F.D.O,''Cat counsellers for distressed owners''meeting.''IT WAS RUN BY CATS,THOUSANDS OF EM''and i couldn't get a word in edgeways amid the ME-OWS.''''HELP ME,PLEASE HELP ME''I can't take anymore.

Hi bizzard

Glad to be back

We do now what you mean ours are quite demanding too, not as bad as yours though it seems One likes things thrown for him, he'll fetch and bring back just like a dog, and just like a dog won't stop hounding you till he's knackered the other's quite passive but likes attention and lots of it. Both try to awake us at the crack of dawn too, most annoying

Can now lock the new cat flap though so some peace now and then.

We sure don't want to end up attending the C.C.F.D.O, that's for sure.

[Miracle]

les has some good advice on the cat situation. My cat and i moved in when he was about 4 months old. He fell in after about 2weeks (just long enough i think to have started gaining confidence). Then it seemed he fell in regularly for 2 more months, it was very worrying! Now we're 6 months on board and he's doing alright again. He's gotten the hang of moving and knows he must be inside if the engine is going. I trained him from a very young age to come when called although I think the pavlovian "bell=food" should work on older cats, If its the only time food is put down. When I trained my cat I did it through postive associations, when i pet him I say his name, when I give him treats I say his name etc., the benefit it turns out is that now we can go for walks using a call and response. Much like a mother to kitten relationship.

re the demanding thing, YIKES. My boat doesnt have a cat flap and for a short period he would wake me up at night demanding to be let out then come back and demand in an hour later. Ususally around 3am! I now have a routine.. he gets to be out til 10.30pm then i call him, when he comes in I change the water, top up the food and that's it for the night. The first few days it was a test of wills. He'd jump on me, scratch the door, howl like a mad thing. I suffererd. I only replied NO firmly. It took around 3 days and then he got the picture.

[jp117]

Hi-Collars with the cats name and a contact number as you say are a must- Our dogs tag also says "Scan Me" on the back of the tag hilighting that he's been chipped. There's a young couple on the trent and mersey and they have two wooden signposts saying "cats aboard" that they put on the towbath away from each end of the boat- if they moor near a bend- I thought they were a good idea- prompted me to put my dog on the lead as he will chase cats (I do try to stop him)- but the lady said some dog owners had a go at her- I thought it a good idea and I'm a dog owner

[jelunga]

A first for me a few days ago. We were coming down the north Oxford not too far from Braunston. There was a lady walking down the towpath taking her two dogs for a walk and her cat was there too. Apparently the cat started by sitting on her shoulders when she took the dogs for a walk and then starting walking itself playing with the dogs along the way. Really nice to see

[Auntyfab]

My cat likes other boats with cat flaps - she can go inside, have a nose around, eat someone elses food and sleep in a new bed. She especially likes doing this when we are due to move.

On a serious note, well meaning walkers often think a cat on the towpath is lost and may try and take them away so contact details are essential.

I would recommend keeping cats looked indoors when travelling, too many cats get lost jumping off at locks.

If your cats are not very road wise, you may want to keep them in if you moor very near a busy road.

A cat flap is good but do be aware that your cat may present you with a live mouse at 2:00 in the morning if you keep it unlocked all night.

Our cats love living on a boat but they still get wet sometimes - especially if they are trying to catch ducks (unsuccessfully so far)! Enjoy.

[Domino_2]

Our cat is now 10, but still acts like a kitten. She seems to enjoy living aboard. Her only complaint is that we have forbidden her from going into the engine room, and under the engine. She really wants to become a mechanic.

When we moor up, she vocally lets us know that it is time she had some attention and that she would really like to be taken for a walk along the towpath on her harness and lead. We have one of those extending leads which we tie to the boat and that gives her plenty of scope to explore near her boat, whilst not disappearing for hours. (I would include a photo of her on her lead - but can't work out how to do it )

On occasions when moored in the middle of nowhere we do let her off, and she normally comes back repeatedly every 20 minutes or so, and loudly announces her arrival.

Although we had a cat flap at the house, we didn't put one in when we moved full time onto the boat - that way we can decide when she goes out.

For the last 2 winters we've moored in Swanley Marina, at a berth picked by the cat for its play area. Yes the cat is the captain of this boat really

[Chertsey]

I thought I would report back on taking Willow to Droitwich. He took to it as to the manner born. Bearing in mind also that the boat we were travelling on is not the same boat he previously thought of as home.

We did keep him incarcerated whilst under way - our nerves couldn't stand the thought of him jumping ship at a lock or getting underfoot. In a traditional working boat this entailed turning the bedhole part of the back cabin into a containment zone, giving him a caged in area with cushion, food and water and litter tray. He didn't like it much but didn't really have any cause for complaint. Once tied up we let him out. Every time, he explored without going too far, and always came back. He caught mice and visited other people's boats, and fronted up dogs, but he quickly learnt to get back on the baot when a dog was in the vicinity and hiss at them from there. When we left the boat I shut him in the back cabin, with a chain allowing the slide to be open a couple of inches so as not to cook him. He was always very pleased to see me when we got back from the pub but quickly settled down to sleep on his cushion (brought from the 'home' boat). The most interesting time was when we were on the river pontoon at Stourport. He followed me all the way up and over to the narrow lock and when I went to look down into it (it's pretty deep) he gave me a heart attack by jumping up onto the wall. I'm sure he would have been fine but I grabbed him all the same!

In short, taking him was a terrific success but that might just be because he's a uniquely intelligent and boat savvy cat

Edited by Chertsey, 25 April 2012 - 05:17 PM.

[Black Ibis]

Our Lyra has lived aboard now for coming up to three years, and hasn't fallen in that much- although she's a surprisingly strong swimmer.

Normally, we moor alongside a common and she has a great time seeing off passing dogs and lounging in the grass.