Cycling with a Cat on Calmac
Tusher
Posts: 2,762
I've no idea which forum to ask, but hopefully here and the CakeStop may give me an answer.
Our much loved, placid and gentle cat has now been diagnosed as diabetic (amongst other physical problems). So he need his insulin shots twice daily, as well as other medication.
We visit the island of Coll twice a year, for four-ten days, leaving the car in Oban, and taking the bikes. We now cannot find someone who can care for our cat when we're away. Previous attempts at a cattery resulted in a stress related and life threatening blocked bladder.
So.........we've thought about taking him with us. We stay in a house where he can't get out, and as he's very attached to us, we think he would prefer that than the cattery. I've seen small animal baskets on the web he could travel in, but it's the ferry part that's worrying me. Caledonian MacBrayne will gladly take a cat, they say, but I've never actually seen one on board to ask his opinion.
He has previously come fishing with us on a small boat.
And yes, em, he does have his own life jacket.
Any advice please?
Our much loved, placid and gentle cat has now been diagnosed as diabetic (amongst other physical problems). So he need his insulin shots twice daily, as well as other medication.
We visit the island of Coll twice a year, for four-ten days, leaving the car in Oban, and taking the bikes. We now cannot find someone who can care for our cat when we're away. Previous attempts at a cattery resulted in a stress related and life threatening blocked bladder.
So.........we've thought about taking him with us. We stay in a house where he can't get out, and as he's very attached to us, we think he would prefer that than the cattery. I've seen small animal baskets on the web he could travel in, but it's the ferry part that's worrying me. Caledonian MacBrayne will gladly take a cat, they say, but I've never actually seen one on board to ask his opinion.
He has previously come fishing with us on a small boat.
And yes, em, he does have his own life jacket.
Any advice please?
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Comments
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It's probably a very personal thing (or whatever the equivalent adjective would be for a cat). If it's been with you on a boat and presumably in a car then I guess it would cope OK with a ferry especially if you were away from the engines.
I must admit I'd be more concerned about the logistics of putting a cat basket on a rack and making sure it didn't run off and get lost. But yes, probably better than a cattery.0 -
As you will be aware the car deck is a pretty noisy and to a cat probably scary place but in a proper cat cage should be ok as you will take it up to the passenger area anyway.Try your vet for a suitable tranquiliser mebbe.I have seen a cat certainly on one of the shorter crossings to Oban which seemed ok.0
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Was the cat in a basket upstairs?
His vet has no problem prescribing a mild sedative for the journey.0 -
The cat I saw was in a basket. presumably on way to the vet in Oban. Did not ask the owner for details.Certainly I know that some dogs get tranks.for such journeys but most of our local ones are very blase and have no problems. Cats are not so accepting and ours did not like car journeys but they usually involved a needle at the end which was not popular and cats have memories.0
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They do indeed, uneasyonwheels.
He's been saved though because my mother-in-law has kindly agreed to move in whilst we're away and she'll pander to his every whim. She's a (human) nurse, and isn't daunted by having to give him insulin injections.
I've been having nightmares about him getting out and leaping overboard, to be honest. Although he did enjoy fishing with us (he tried to jump in our tender whenever he saw it being hitched up to the car) and our wee boat was pretty noisy with the smelt of diesel, but the ferry is an entirely different experience to him. And there will almost certainly be dogs on board. He runs from large dogs (naturally) but he sees small dogs as torture victims (he's a big cat, over 6kg) and takes pleasure from assaulting them. The ferry journey could all go so horribly wrong.
Also, Coll doesn't have a resident vet.
Thankyou again to all who took the time to reply. I do appreciate it.0 -
And have now completely gone off the notion.
This morning's boat couldn't get into Coll, it tried Tiree and then had to give up and is returning to Oban. A friend's on board and says it's the worst weather she's ever known.
She boarded at 06:30 and they'll not be back in Oban until 15:30.
That would be far too long for a cat, and, stuck in a basket, I don't even want to think about feline sea sickness. It just wouldn't be fair to him.0 -
I sympathise. Got stuck in Oban on Tuesday due to weather conditions. There may be worst places to be stuck but cannot think of any offhand. Being a tourist it is probably an adventure but not for a cat on a calmac boat.Once came back from Barra and was the only person in the dining area at lunchtime. Staff fed me tho' despite sounds of breaking crockery from the kitchen!
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Calmac deserve a medal- they always try so hard.0
