Cats have a long history of doing well on boats, and for as long as there have been sailors, cats have been going to sea. At one time the USA Navy gave them personalised passports, and since the early days of Egyptian trading, cruisers have taken cats on board.
In the last Rolex Sydney to Hobart,10-year-old Oli became the first cat in history to cross the finish line aboard Sylph VI, the last of 85 finishers, after a week at sea. He follows in the prodigious footsteps of Trim — the first cat to circumnavigate Australia — who was, according to explorer and navigator Matthew Flinders, “one of the finest animals I ever saw”.
Born at sea in 1799, as Flinder’s HMS Reliance sailed around the Cape of Good Hope towards Australia, Trim went on to survive a shipwreck on the Great Barrier Reef, and six years of imprisonment on French Mauritius with Flinders during the Napoleonic Wars.
Today, many sailors swear that their faithful, nocturnal felines keep them alert on the helm at all hours, while cruising couples and families sharing small spaces say that cats soothe, comfort and calm everyone on board.
Furry Barometers: Why Sailors Have Kept Cats on Boats for Centuries
The cat’s ability to bring good or bad luck isn’t limited to black cats alone. Early sailors (with plenty of time on their hands) observed that tail twitching in cats often coincided with a sudden drop in air pressure, signalling that bad weather was approaching.
A tail-twitching cat could be carefully observed, giving sailors time enough to turn their ships out of harms way. As furry barometers, their prowess as protectors grew, and gave rise to all kinds of perceived magical powers. Cats were kept on the helm for their superior night vision, which many believed could detect distant lights and keep sailors safe.
Cats were keenly watched and the superstitions grew: a cat sneezing foretold rain, excessive fur licking signalled hail, and if a cat went overboard, a treacherous storm would surely follow. Some believed cats could start a storm with their magical tails, so sailors would go to great lengths to appease their cats and ensure they stayed happy.
In truth, those early sailors were right. Sensitive inner ears that enable a falling cat to land on its feet, also allow it to detect minute changes in atmospheric pressure and therefore the approach of unfavourable weather. Cats do become anxious when the barometer drops, and a keen owner will notice all kinds of restless, nervous behaviour.
The First Feline Seafarers: From Nile Traders to Royal Navy Mascots
Ancient Egyptian tomb paintings reveal that cats were shipmates aboard boats sailing the Nile, valued for their ability to catch birds in the riverbank thickets en route. By the 8th century, cats had reached the Mediterranean, and Phoenician traders took them on board to keep rats and mice under control. The longest voyages for cats began with the Age of Discovery, when 15th century explorers set to sea in the search for new lands.
Initially favoured for their knack of killing off the rats and mice that plagued precious cargo and ships stores, cats quickly warmed themselves to homesick sailors often separated from loved ones for years at a time. But the celebrity years for cats started with the two world wars, when cats became ships’ mascots on UK and US naval warships.
During the war years — 1914 to 1945 — it was commonplace to ‘souvenir’ a stray cat while a ship was in port, and the most beloved ships’ cats were given hammocks to sleep in, photographed wearing miniature uniforms, and awarded service ribbons and battle stars for surviving their tours of duty.
A little remembered WWI effort took place in the United Kingdom, when thousands of stray cats were rounded up and given to the military to protect precious documents, ropes and wiring, and ships stores too. Cats of the Royal Navy truly earned their keep – a “victualling allowance” for treats from the ship’s canteen of 1 shilling and 6 pence per week. Navy cats finally fell out of favour once world quarantine laws tightened, but the superstitions surrounding cats that originated aboard ships, still linger today.
Why Choose a Boat Cat? The Quintessential Seafaring Companion
There are lots of animals that you could take boating, but the reason cats are favoured is for all the things a cat doesn’t need. They don’t need baths or daily walks (although some love the occasional beach stroll or dinghy ride). Most will happily eat what you catch and as self-groomers, are low maintenance.
Cats have superb balance when underway, and are especially resilient to seasickness. Best yet, their bodies even make their own vitamin C, making cats the quintessential seafaring companion. Their ability to detect drops in atmospheric pressure suggests that once they start acting anxious and go into hiding, it might be time to reef in the main or head for home.
Being so independent means that you can go ashore all day without any guilt, knowing that your pet won’t suffer, whine or bark and potentially annoy the neighbours. Our own rescue cat Bindi has thousands of sea miles under her belt, and curls up on the helm seat on night sails to help keep us alert and awake.
Cats are permitted in lots of marinas (even some that refuse dogs), but, like any pet, you need to plan ahead and secure a carer or boat-sitter should you need to leave the boat for extended periods.
As for cat-overboard scenarios, Bindi has splashed quite a few times over the years and is now to five lives. Thankfully her survival instinct is strong and she always manages to cling on or climb back on board.
Cruising Across Borders: Navigating Quarantine and Customs with a Boat Cat
When we cleared into Eastern Indonesia with our cat in 2022, the quarantine officer seemed impressed that we’d brought along our own ‘ratter’ and positively cooed over Bindi, trying to get a selfie. The customs guy was rather indifferent, busy with his paperwork, and all he had to say on the matter was “oh, you brought your cat”. I went armed with health certificates and vaccination reports, but not one eyebrow was raised, and a similar level of disinterest was shown when entering Malaysia and Thailand too.
Some countries impose animal entry conditions, but many close enough to attract Australian cruisers offer little objection to feline crew members. The clincher for international cruisers is trying to re-enter Australia with your pet when the cruising adventure is over — a complicated, costly and unnecessarily stressful episode for any animal.
The process differs depending on where your pet’s journey back to Australia begins, but it involves a stay of at least 180 days in a rabies-free, quarantine-approved country prior to entering Australia, application for and approval of a valid import permit (currently $589 for one cat), 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 (plus Singapore and Papua New Guinea), expect a minimum stay in quarantine of 10 days (starting from $2142), plus your own personal veterinary fees, plane flights and animal handling costs. It’s rather an easy thing to take your pet out of Australia, but a major undertaking to bring it back, so find out more in advance at agriculture.gov.au
Planning a Wild Escape with Your Whole Family? Bringing children, partners, or four-legged crew members into a life at sea requires more than just a sturdy hull—it requires preparation. From managing complex international marine paperwork to designing a safe, sustainable off-grid lifestyle, we can help. Explore our Tailored Cruising Preparation Services and turn your cruising dream into a reality.
*A version of this feature first appeared in Club Marine Magazine (39.2)
