"Do they ever fall in?" or "Have they ever fallen in?"
They have never fallen in, but once, Phoebe jumped in while we were in a marina, not sure what she was thinking. The water was like glass and I think she thought she could walk on it...
She was in the water all of 10 seconds but learned a valuable lesson - that no matter how flat or calm the water looks - it's wet, and can't be walked on.
Other than that one singular event, there have been any other cat overboard situations.
"Don't you ever worry about them falling in?"
I won't say that I worry, but I have a very 'healthy concern' for the prevention of such an event. The trick is to limit the number of situations where they actually can fall off, but after this many years aboard they are quite conditioned to this environment and kinda know where they're not supposed to go...
But, yeah - of course, I'm concerned about it - that safety netting isn't there for my benefit ;)
"Don't they at least have Life Jackets?"
Actually, no - not anymore, we did try quite a few products. We have yet to find a suitable product that they will actually wear and not struggle out of, plus they are, at present, a tad bulky and are in of themselves a hazard in some cases, nullifying any possible safety benefit.
When needed, the crew have slimline harnesses with tethers but they see only occasional use.
So, for us, lifejackets (for the cats) haven't worked out, yet, but that doesn't mean I don't recommend them - if your cat will wear them, and there's a need for them to be worn - great, do it. All cats are different, some will - some won't...
"Do they ever go off the boat?"
Sometimes. They occasionally explore neighboring yachts or go for a walk on the pontoon or pier, wherever we are docked
Having said that, it should be noted that Phoebe is a bit older and I think her most adventurous days are behind her, and Chloe is actually quite a shy cat and never strays too far from the captain's lap.
So, yes they do get off the yacht on occasion, but it isn't a 'regular thing', just a 'sometimes thing'.
"Can they swim?" or "Do they swim?
Phoebe can swim, for about 10 secs that I've seen, I suspect Chloe can swim as well, but she is 'untested' at this time...
I think all cats can swim, for a little while at least - much the same as dogs, and although my cats aren't scared of the water - they both don't like getting wet!
Neither Phoebe nor Chloe goes swimming, and both have never expressed the slightest interest in going into the water, but they also have very restricted access to the water, perhaps if they had better access maybe - but where we are, the water is never really a good temp for swimming, so it's not something I'd even like to encourage!
Where do they go to the toilet?
I've always thought this was a funny one, but this question comes up more often than I thought it would, but the simple answer is that they use a cat box.
I've heard of people's pets doing their business on the deck and hosing is off - which is fine I guess, but the crew prefers a box...
And yeah that means hauling a lot of litter, and it is a hassle, but it is cheap and it works fine for them, presently...
"Do they ever get seasick?"
They do not, or haven't been, yet...but they were gradually introduced to the ocean and the noises that go along with it. They also had plenty of time to adjust to the motion before we went sailing - I think that helped.
The girls have been through quite a bit of weather by this point and are pretty seasoned, however - if conditions were bad enough I'm sure it's not something that's outside the realm of possibility, but as yet - no seasickness.
"Do they ever get scared?"
I don't think so, not really - the only thing they don't seem to like is the engine - but they're not scared of it.
Chloe will actually go to sleep on the top step when the engine is on, as the top step is right above the engine - it gets warm - and she likes the heat more than she doesn't like the noise. Phoebe just kinda looks at the source of the noise and frowns at it, but largely ignores it...
Thankfully the engine isn't on that frequently or for very long, and with diesel prices being the way they are - we try not to run it that often! lol
The only thing that scares Chloe is other people...as soon as anyone comes down the pontoon or if a vessel comes near - she retreats below decks and informs the Captain...that's primarily why she is CSO.
"How old are the Cats"
...As of 2022,
Phoebe Alexandra (black/white) is 18.5yrs Old
Chloesaphina Delafontaine (ginger/white) is 5.5yrs old
"Have they always been boat cats?"
No, they were both indoor house cats prior to moving aboard the yacht. They did not attend any kind of special feline seamanship college or training course, nor do they come from a long line of pedigree seafaring felines - they were, and are, just regular cats.
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These are just a few of the more popular questions we get - I will update this page with any new persistent questions that come up... :)
If you can think of any that should be on here, feel free to drop us a message!
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