Kaptajnen":1i8x4db8 said:
We are planning to bring our small 2 month old kitten aboard and “hope” to train her to use a litter box in the cockpit.
Anyone have any advice on bringing cats on short cruises?
We have taken our cat(s) on boats with us for decades (even wrote a book about traveling with one of those sweet felines: "Cat On A Leash"). Most cats do well with a litter box, but it is important to give them consistency. Start with the same litter box you use at home. If your cat is using that box well, plan an overnight on the boat where you don't move (on the trailer will work, but at the slip is good, too). Let the cat get used to these new surroundings, show him/her where the litter box is, and have a quiet evening on the boat. After a time or two of this, while one of you can keep the cat comfortable, start the boat and let it idle until the cat isn't concerned about these new sounds. Pick a calm day, and do a short outing, where the cat gets a treat or a meal while out. Back to the dock and more quiet time.
By this point, you are ready to take on more and so is the cat. Still, avoid any rough weather until the cat is well acclimated to the boat environment.
Our cats (one at a time) have traveled all over the US and into Canada and Mexico. Up to 6 months at a time in the boat or RV. On our last cruising boat, our cat Izzy got to have one compartment just for her litter box. I took the door of the lower cabinet and put a curtain across there - she got her privacy, and we didn't have to look at litter. The only downside of putting the litter in the cockpit is: the cat has to be in the cockpit to use it... you have to be out there with her to keep her safe. In an inside compartment, the litter box is accessible any time. If you decide to go out for supper, the cat is safe and comfortable in the boat... with access to the litter box. From experience: if a cat has to go potty and there isn't a litter box available, they will find the next best place: in a plant, on your pillow, on the rug... not a good way to get them started.
If you haven't tried it, the Breeze system for litter works great on a boat. It uses pellets that dries out the solids and keeps the smell to an absolute minimum, and a pad in a tray under the litter box to absorb the urine (which passes through the pellets above). A little more money than typical clumping litter, buy well worth it. Once a week or so, you change out the pad. Each day, you scoop the poop, which is dried out and no (or very little) smell. We carried a litter box between the house and boat until we were sure each cat would use it properly, then used one of the same in each place. The pellets don't get pushed out and tossed around like the sandy clumping litter, so less mess to deal with.
This is worth the time to get the kitty comfortable with the boat. Our cats have also walked on a leash, so we could roam the docks or explore ashore. While I like dogs just fine, a cat on the boat is a great companion and doesn't have to "go to shore" three times a day. Walks become a fun outing, not a necessity.
Hope that helps.
Jim
