We started thinking about taking our cat, Dory, aboard Mystic after seeing how stressed she got being left behind. She is very attached to us. We had been leaving her with our son while we were away. That didn't go well since he also had a kitty. Dory is pretty good with other pets but Eleanor was very territorial. She would sit in Dory's litter box and glare at her with an attitude that suggested, "What are you gonna do about it?"
Dory watched us pack our truck for the long drive to Marinette Wisconsin. She knows what it means when we start throwing things in bags. This time, we had her pet carrier ready to stuff her in. She was not thrilled with this change in routine and let us know about it, but she settled in nicely for the long ride.
When we got her aboard Mystic and opened the carrier to let her out, she stayed put. Every little creak and every sway of the hull created a physical reaction of fear from her. She was not impressed one bit with her new digs. She eventually took over the v-birth section of the boat and protested loudly and with the exclamation point of her claws if we tried to pick her up or move her. She did not want to be anywhere else in the boat. We finally coaxed her out with treats but she quickly retreated back to her safe spot as soon as they were gone.
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| Dory, the reluctant boat kitty |
We quickly realized that our girl was not going to adapt to 350 square ft when she was accustomed to 2200. She was scared and depressed and confused by all the new sounds and smells. Several folks on our dock have dogs that like to come visit Mystic without notice. Dory stared at them from the floor with no malice but definitely ready to fight for her space should she need to.
We disrupted our plans and made a special trip home to get her back to her land life. As soon as we opened her crate, Dory scurried out and began exploring all her favorite places. Her stature changed and her confidence returned.
Dory is named after the colorful little fish in Finding Nemo. My uncle saved her from a feral life outside. We adopted her at one week old, unsure if she'd even survive, but she just kept swimming, swimming, swimming from kitten milk bottles to queen of our home. Her life has been spent inside, sheltered from harm. She doesn't know much about the rest of the world so it's not a surprise that her visit aboard Mystic didn't go well. We learned that Dory is not a boat kitty. She is the Mistress of our land home, Dory the land lubber kitty!
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| A big stretch on the French Door |
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| Waiting for dinner |
