Keeping cats aboard

Explorer and navigator Matthew Flinders literally placed the name ‘Australia’ on the map after completing the first circumnavigation of our continent in 1803. With him sailed “my faithful, intelligent Trim,” as Flinders described his cat. “One of the finest animals I ever saw.”

Trim was a black-and-white moggie born at sea in 1799 as the HMS Reliance sailed around the Cape of Good Hope towards Australia. He went on to survive a shipwreck on the Great Barrier Reef, and six years of imprisonment on French Mauritius with Flinders.

Cats have a long history of doing well on boats – since the early days of Egyptian trading, cruisers have taken cats to sea, and at one time the USA Navy gave them personalised ‘passports’. Some solo sailors swear that their faithful nocturnal felines keep them alert at all hours, while cruising couples and families say that cats soothe, comfort and calm everyone aboard. 

Quite happily existing on a catch of fresh fish, our cat Bindi has thousands of sea miles under her belt. She has superb balance when underway, and is especially resilient to seasickness.

As long as you keep your cat in check, the marinas we’ve stayed in don’t mind liveaboard cats – even at a marina that refuses dogs. As to cat-overboard scenarios, Bindi has taken a tumble more than once but has so far managed to claw her way back onboard. 

Cats don’t need daily walks or special ever-changing meals, as most will happily eat what you catch. As self-groomers, they don’t need baths and are low maintenance. They’re also pretty independent.

Climbing the rigging (and chasing kids around the deck) takes care of their exercise needs, and these agile little beasts are less prone to seasickness than their canine buddies. Their bodies even make their own vitamin C.

The downside to living with any pet on your boat is finding a carer or boat-sitter should you need to fly away. In our case, with so many boat-cats cruising, there has always been someone to care for Bindi in our absence. 

When we cleared into Indonesia with Bindi in 2022, the quarantine officer seemed impressed that we’d brought along our own ‘ratter’ and positively cooed over her. The Customs officer was rather indifferent, busy with his paperwork, and all he had to say on the matter was: “Oh, you brought your cat.” We saw a similar level of disinterest when we entered Malaysia and Thailand too.

The clincher for international cruisers is trying to re-enter Australia with your pet when the holiday is over – a complicated, costly and unnecessarily stressful episode for any animal.

The process generally involves a valid import permit, a stay of at least 180 days in a rabies-free, quarantine-approved country prior to entering Australia, and a range of compulsory veterinary tests. Cats must then be flown to Australia’s only post-entry quarantine facility in Mickleham, Victoria.

For a cat coming from many Pacific Island nations as well as Singapore and Papua New Guinea, expect a minimum stay in quarantine of 10 days, and budget for around $2500 plus veterinary fees, plane flights and animal handling costs.

Find out more at agriculture.gov.au (search for ‘bringing cats and dogs to Australia’).

PFDs designed specifically for felines are in short supply, so you’ll most likely walk away with a model designed for a small dog. These aren’t ideal because cats have smaller necks and torsos, but longer bodies proportionally.

If you can’t get a PFD specifically designed for a cat, ensure the one you choose is well cut, or it might slip off while your cat is in the water, especially when you try to haul it out. Measure your cat before you go shopping -- neck, chest circumference and body length - and choose a model that allows your cat freedom of movement.

Once you’ve clipped your cat in, the torso straps need to be secured out of the way to prevent your cat from tripping. The PFD should be snug, but not tight.