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Cats on narrowboats


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Sorry folk, here I am again! Following on from my question about dogs and trad sterns I now have a question about cats. If the subject already been covered perhaps one of you would be kind enough to refer me to it.

 

We have had our cat for about 7 years and obviously it is used to living in one place. We could probably find her a good home but the wife would like if possible to take her with us. We plan to be based in a marina. Do all/most marinas allow cats? The one we are planning on berthing at do, as it is only a small family run marina. But we do plan to do some lengthy cruising as well so my main question is how do cats adapt to not being in the same place all the time? I suppose this depends on the cat but have any of you others made the transition and how did it go?

 

Neil

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Sorry folk, here I am again! Following on from my question about dogs and trad sterns I now have a question about cats. If the subject already been covered perhaps one of you would be kind enough to refer me to it.

 

We have had our cat for about 7 years and obviously it is used to living in one place. We could probably find her a good home but the wife would like if possible to take her with us. We plan to be based in a marina. Do all/most marinas allow cats? The one we are planning on berthing at do, as it is only a small family run marina. But we do plan to do some lengthy cruising as well so my main question is how do cats adapt to not being in the same place all the time? I suppose this depends on the cat but have any of you others made the transition and how did it go?

 

Neil

Buy a bell, every time you feed your cat ring the bell. It will eventually start to return to the sound. Get the cat used to the engine sound by running it for periods whilst at your mooring.

 

Most of all, be prepared to wait....

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Buy a bell, every time you feed your cat ring the bell. It will eventually start to return to the sound. Get the cat used to the engine sound by running it for periods whilst at your mooring.

 

Most of all, be prepared to wait....

 

 

Good training.

 

 

Dogs are herd animals - so fix on you and what you're doing

Cats are territorial and get disturbed when the scenery changes. Once the get accustomed to you moving around they get more adventurous and will wander off if they sense a good supply of "hot and cold running" food...

 

Thus the bell training is a good strategy - you having to wait is the downside of very fresh food being more attractive.

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We live aboard our boat and have done for 8 years. Our cat has been with us the whole time. She knows that the boat is her home and loves that sometimes she has a new hunting ground. When we more up in a new place she goes off and has a look about. If it quiet she will go off and hunt for something to bring back to us. I think her record is 4 minutes from us mooring up and her coming back with a mouse.

I suppose each cat is different. Ours knows the boat is her home and she is very territorially over it and will defend it against any cat or gog that comes close.

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I use a cat flap with a one way stop on it; little revolvable locky thing; and when I'm travelling it only opens inward; they go out the stern doors and come in through the flap and once they're in they're in.

 

I always build some time into a trip for the cats; especially my To Albie; I'm resigned to the fact that it's his holiday too and he will enjoy it at some point.

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Yes, it does depend on the cat. We'd had our cat six years (he was about two when we got him) when we moved on board and he has taken to it wonderfully. We shut him in whilst travelling and let him out as soon as we arrive. So far he has shown no tendency to wander too far and comes when called. We haven't even needed to use any tricks around feeding to achieve this. Cats do recognise the boat as home (the boat we travel on isn't even the same one we live on, but he has no problem with that), but if you have a cat that tends to roam and spend long periods away from home (which ours doesn't) then that can be a nuisance when boating. The only other constraint we find it places on us is that we try to avoid mooring near roads or railways, in case he's forgotten what they are. The only other things that worry me are towpath cyclists (when he is flopped out like a hearthrug across the path) and him attacking dogs.

Edited by Chertsey
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The only other things that worry me are towpath cyclists (when he is flopped out like a hearthrug across the path) and him attacking dogs.

 

I wish my two were so gregarious...

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I keep reading posts about people with cats on their boats and homes in the uk and no one seems to consider the damage to what's left of your native animals.It seems o.k to let your cats out to do their own thing i.e. kill every small creature they can before returning back to their bed for the day.Most places here, it's mandatory in a lot of cities if you own a cat to keep it confined to an enclosed run on your property.Letting them out to "Hunt" is surely irresponsible and if you are allowed to bump them off if not on their owners property that's what I will be doing whilst on your canals.Look after your wildlife and look after your pets in that order.

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I keep reading posts about people with cats on their boats and homes in the uk and no one seems to consider the damage to what's left of your native animals.It seems o.k to let your cats out to do their own thing i.e. kill every small creature they can before returning back to their bed for the day.Most places here, it's mandatory in a lot of cities if you own a cat to keep it confined to an enclosed run on your property.Letting them out to "Hunt" is surely irresponsible and if you are allowed to bump them off if not on their owners property that's what I will be doing whilst on your canals.Look after your wildlife and look after your pets in that order.

No you're not allowed to.

 

Yes they do hunt native and non-native wildlife, but not, as far as I am aware, to a sufficient degree to put species at risk or even to make an appreciable dent in the population. Certain birds may be the exception to this, but far more birds and bird species have been destroyed by intensive farming than all the cats in the country could manage.

 

Anyone who keeps a cat in an enclosed run shouldn't be keeping a cat at all.

 

Mine catches rabbits so I'd have thought you'd be glad of that sort of thing.

 

And with that attitude, frankly, you can stay away from our canals.

Edited by Chertsey
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I keep reading posts about people with cats on their boats and homes in the uk and no one seems to consider the damage to what's left of your native animals.It seems o.k to let your cats out to do their own thing i.e. kill every small creature they can before returning back to their bed for the day.Most places here, it's mandatory in a lot of cities if you own a cat to keep it confined to an enclosed run on your property.Letting them out to "Hunt" is surely irresponsible and if you are allowed to bump them off if not on their owners property that's what I will be doing whilst on your canals.Look after your wildlife and look after your pets in that order.

 

 

The cat people on here will have you if you are not careful , they cast spells on you and tell the cats how naughty and nasty you are , BEWARE.

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No you're not allowed to.

 

Yes they do hunt native and non-native wildlife, but not, as far as I am aware, to a sufficient degree to put species at risk or even to make an appreciable dent in the population. Certain birds may be the exception to this, but far more birds and bird species have been destroyed by intensive farming than all the cats in the country could manage.

 

Anyone who keeps a cat in an enclosed run shouldn't be keeping a cat at all.

 

Mine catches rabbits so I'd have thought you'd be glad of that sort of thing.

 

And with that attitude, frankly, you can stay away from our canals.

Make yourself more aware Chertsey.Certain birds alone is enough,not to mention your voles,bats and other moggie playthings.

I agree with you there unless it's in a bucket[just kitting everything should be put down humanely].

Rabbits and cats are a pest here, introduced by you lot.

No! I'll be there shortly and they are not your canals.I'll have a beer with you,stroke your cat but if it pads past my space with a crested newt or natrix natrix hanging out of it's vile jaws I'll report it immediatly.That last comment has really p***** me off,stay away!you need every dollar you can get to keep those canals going.If I was bringing my own beer and food and a bag full of cat traps fair enough.Do you follow your cat around with a bag Chertsey? our dosen't cat poo stink and stick to your footware?Starting to ramble off for a beer.

 

The cat people on here will have you if you are not careful , they cast spells on you and tell the cats how naughty and nasty you are , BEWARE.

Thanks for the warning Gaggle.Could do with a couple of spells.Can they predict lotto numbers? or are they limited to catatstrophes.

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We moved on board a year and a bit ago. Our cat grew up on land, so boating was a new thing. They adapt very quickly. When cruising , the engine tells them...."it's not time to go outside" and ours settles down for a sleep. When the engine is off...it'll want out. When CC-ing, we put him on a rewindable leash, and attached it to a tree of something, and he was happy. In a marina, he and us, have learned that you cant keep him locked in the boat, and if you let him out, he'll come home...at a time of HIS suiting, not yours. He meeows outside the hatch door at about 2am, we feed him, and then he curls up at our feet, and sleeps a full 18hrs till he wants out the following night. :) If we were cruising, we'd keep him on the leash again. We lost him once...he escaped while we were filling diesel. We had to ride back 20mins on our bikes to look for him, and apparently he had been jumping on everyones boats looking for us....so they do know what a boat is, and where their dish is filled. He popped out the fence, and hasn't gotten lost again since. At the moment he's passed out on the middle bed.:)

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...but not, as far as I am aware, to a sufficient degree to put species at risk or even to make an appreciable dent in the population.

 

The last recorded sighting of the, now extinct, Large Copper Butterfly ;) ........

 

0177MBpreyinmouthAL.jpg

Edited by carlt
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I keep reading posts about people with cats on their boats and homes in the uk and no one seems to consider the damage to what's left of your native animals.It seems o.k to let your cats out to do their own thing i.e. kill every small creature they can before returning back to their bed for the day.Most places here, it's mandatory in a lot of cities if you own a cat to keep it confined to an enclosed run on your property.Letting them out to "Hunt" is surely irresponsible and if you are allowed to bump them off if not on their owners property that's what I will be doing whilst on your canals.Look after your wildlife and look after your pets in that order.

 

Care to put a photo of yourself up and a time and place of your visit. I would like to know if you were anywhere near my boat.

 

Don't get all shitty when someone challenges you on what is a ridiculously weird comment. 'Let's go on holiday and kill things that are pests in our country' I for one would rather not see a penny of yours go towards the system if you believe that is anyway in which to act.

Edited by wanted
  • Greenie 1
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Make yourself more aware Chertsey.Certain birds alone is enough,not to mention your voles,bats and other moggie playthings.

I agree with you there unless it's in a bucket[just kitting everything should be put down humanely].

Rabbits and cats are a pest here, introduced by you lot.

No! I'll be there shortly and they are not your canals.I'll have a beer with you,stroke your cat but if it pads past my space with a crested newt or natrix natrix hanging out of it's vile jaws I'll report it immediatly.That last comment has really p***** me off,stay away!you need every dollar you can get to keep those canals going.If I was bringing my own beer and food and a bag full of cat traps fair enough.Do you follow your cat around with a bag Chertsey? our dosen't cat poo stink and stick to your footware?Starting to ramble off for a beer.

 

 

Thanks for the warning Gaggle.Could do with a couple of spells.Can they predict lotto numbers? or are they limited to catatstrophes.

You're the one who referred to 'our canals' in the process of threatening to kill cats whilst over here: "that's what I will be doing whilst on your canals."

Report it all you like, there's no law against it and (rightly or wrongly) an owner has no legal responsibility for what a cat does.

You started with the aggressive talk, I merely responded in kind.

Cats don't crap in the open like dogs, they go behind a hedge and they bury it. But I guess if you only keep them in concrete runs you wouldn't know that.

I think the recession has gone past the point where a few beers' worth of Australian dollars is going to make a lot of difference to be honest.

 

Come here if you like and enjoy our canals, but respect our laws and our customs (including cat-loving) while you're here.

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There you go! look at it,it's not even enjoying it.I bet it spat it out as soon as the camera was off it.Hope you had a cricket bat or a bucket handy.

 

I think it is pretty well known that cats do have a natural 'cruel' streak in them, just watch one if left to it's own devices toy with a mouse or bird after wounding it but before it kills it, however given that we don't yet kill humans (in civilised countries at least) for being cruel to other humans or even killing them why is there a justification for doing it to cats for being cruel and killing another animal?

Edited by The Dog House
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No one asked if you liked cats, just what people did with theirs on the boats! Keep your hair on. I have no problem with you shooing my cat (who was rescued) off "YOUR BOAT", if you are unlucky enough to have to moor near me when you get one! But just be aware that I also have 3 huge dogs who are very protective over their little sister and may not take too kindly to you causing her harm, let alone me. :angry:

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I keep reading posts about people with cats on their boats and homes in the uk and no one seems to consider the damage to what's left of your native animals.It seems o.k to let your cats out to do their own thing i.e. kill every small creature they can before returning back to their bed for the day.Most places here, it's mandatory in a lot of cities if you own a cat to keep it confined to an enclosed run on your property.Letting them out to "Hunt" is surely irresponsible and if you are allowed to bump them off if not on their owners property that's what I will be doing whilst on your canals.Look after your wildlife and look after your pets in that order.

 

Animal Activists in the 80s released loads of Mink that kill our wild birds and mammals so dont worry about the damage a few cats do and please dont come near my boat with your attitude of bumping off cats as im quite a large bloke.

 

Rabbits and cats are a pest here, introduced by you lot.

 

 

Was'nt my lot mate there all still in England are you sure its not your lot. :rolleyes:

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We can only guess that Ron is an Aboriginal Australian (or whatever the proper term is) given his objection to the introduction of pests from Britain.

 

To be fair, lots of mink were released by farmers once they ceased to be profitable, and plenty escaped on their own too.

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Hello Cloggy.Don't see what being a "big bloke" has to do with anything,if you fall in head first you would still be in trouble :rolleyes:

Good point re. whose lot,never thought about it that way.

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