A New Challenge: Cats in a Canoe?

Anyone heard of a canoeing cat? My next project?

I think someone posted pictures here of a friend with a canoeing cat.

Alan

I had a canoeing cat but it was so long ago I don’t have any pics. It was totally bonded with my Samoyed it went anywhere she went, walks boat rides, it didn’t matter.
Jim

I've had two cats out in a canoe. The first was around 1980, he went on an overnighter. The other is my current cat, he seemed to be a little nervous, but it wasn't traumatic for him. I think he would get used to it if I took him out more often.

I have one of my wife's cats that loves to sit on my lab and watch canoe videos with me. We often joke that I should take her along on my trips.
I'm not sure how she would react to being in the canoe. I tolerate her here at the house only because my wife tolerated my Labrador retrievers all those years. One good thing No Mice

There was a fella on Myccr about 20 years ago, think his name was Richard Culpepper, apparently a lawyer in Thunder Bay. Anyway, he was a very serious canoeist, and he also took his cat on most trips. If my memory is right, he posted a picture of himself and his cat in a Chestnut Pal, running a very large set of rapids, like the hugest rapids in the world. Just kiddn, but they were big.
I believe this is him, not in the rapids though.

As someone who has raised a lot of cats, I'm not sure taking a cat in your canoe is a good idea.
At the very least, it needs to be harnessed.
A cat isn't a dog. It is going to do what it wants to do and that could mean running off.
All it would take is something startling it.

Friends well known in the local canoeing community had their cat George with them on every trip. The cat was always riding up front looking over the bow. Seemed like George thought he was a dog. He was also leash trained, and would usually be on leash while on shore.

I taught my cat to lean right and lean left today.

Cool pics! I'll try that.
Wait... I have to get a cat first...
Any recommendations?

Phoenix, That one looks like it'll do. No pfd required but bit might make border crossings interesting.

Sure. Once you get cats figured out, then you can bring your pet raccoon, cockatiel, hermit crab, or skunk.

Don't forget the goats.

I was bound and determined not to be a cat person, until we were "donated" a feline rescue, 3 times. Frig. Hating them was impossible.
Being sentient creatures they had distinguishable characters just like all domestic animals. And I learned a great deal about myself and the world through being "an owner". Just like having children, there's a lot to learn and work out. I'm thankful for all that because I needed it.
But there was one psycho cat I would've loved to have taken tripping. She was already feral and weird beyond reasonable and would've certainly upset the delicate hierarchy in the wild woods. In the event that tabby enfant terrible chose to join the forest all the bad arsed Sasquatch/demons would've been usurped by a new hurricane of seething hate. Albeit she did purr with people, provided you didn't try to pet her. But all this is moot, because she wasn't fond of car rides. Only one of us would've survived the drive north, and my money isn't on me.

Odyssey said:

I was bound and determined not to be a cat person, until we were "donated" a feline rescue, 3 times. Frig. Hating them was impossible.
Being sentient creatures they had distinguishable characters just like all domestic animals. And I learned a great deal about myself and the world through being "an owner". Just like having children, there's a lot to learn and work out. I'm thankful for all that because I needed it.
But there was one psycho cat I would've loved to have taken tripping. She was already feral and weird beyond reasonable and would've certainly upset the delicate hierarchy in the wild woods. In the event that tabby enfant terrible chose to join the forest all the bad arsed Sasquatch/demons would've been usurped by a new hurricane of seething hate. Albeit she did purr with people, provided you didn't try to pet her. But all this is moot, because she wasn't fond of car rides. Only one of us would've survived the drive north, and my money isn't on me.

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Currently trying to convince my wife to part with one who's turning out to have the same personality. Already, the dogs aren't safe around here.

Odyssey said:

I was bound and determined not to be a cat person, until we were "donated" a feline rescue, 3 times. Frig. Hating them was impossible.
Being sentient creatures they had distinguishable characters just like all domestic animals. And I learned a great deal about myself and the world through being "an owner". Just like having children, there's a lot to learn and work out. I'm thankful for all that because I needed it.
But there was one psycho cat I would've loved to have taken tripping. She was already feral and weird beyond reasonable and would've certainly upset the delicate hierarchy in the wild woods. In the event that tabby enfant terrible chose to join the forest all the bad arsed Sasquatch/demons would've been usurped by a new hurricane of seething hate. Albeit she did purr with people, provided you didn't try to pet her. But all this is moot, because she wasn't fond of car rides. Only one of us would've survived the drive north, and my money isn't on me.

Click to expand...

sounds like our "Muffin"- we knew she hated both change and strangers, and barely tolerated us. We took her to the vet for a rabies shot one time- she literally chewed the plastic crate apart in less than 20 minutes, tore up both my arms through a heavy denim shirt, and traumatized every person and animal in the waiting room (ever seen a rotti cower under a chair, shaking and whining in fright from an 8 1/2 lb cat? I have...). they bumped her up on the schedule just to get her away from the other animals. the vet tried and gave up- she called BOTH large animal handlers (one of whom volunteered at the Toronto Zoo and worked with LARGE cats) who came prepared with moving blankets and heavy leather welding gauntlets for them and the vet- Muffin proceeded to shred the blankets and actually sliced the welding gloves that the vet was wearing wide open with her nails, and inflicted a wound on the back of her hand that required 3 stitches, eventually, with my wife and I holding the back legs, the two techs holding the front legs, and the vet maintaining a headlock, she finally got her shot. afterwards, when we paid the bill, the vet handed us 2 tranquilizers to be given before leaving home, requested we find another vet, and marked her file in red sharpie "DANGER, remarkably nasty, do not treat unless anesthetized"...
the thought of taking THAT in a canoe makes me shiver just thinking about it...

Wow, who needs a guard dog when you have "Muffins" I laughed till I cried.

My cats are very non threatening. They were my Moms and she had them declawed when kittens. I think not having those weapons made them more docile. Unfortunately I don’t think they kill any mice. I’ve caught many in traps since I’ve had the cats but never found a dead mouse.

I have seen videos of mules and donkeys being transported on rivers in dugout canoes and all kinds of other craft.
There is a jack donkey on the Snake River that makes his rounds in a jet boat mating with mares up and down the river and getting his owner paid for stud fees.

I've been re-thinking my previous goat post, where I described the benefits of taking a goat on a canoe trip. Endless hours of entertainment, putting panniers on the goat to carry stuff, not needing to bring food cause the goat will eat anything, and finally, being able to eat the goat toward the end of the trip.

I was comparing cats to goats, and I came up with a similar list. Cats can be entertaining. You can wiggle a string at it, and it will perform all kinds of acrobatics. If hungry enough, a cat could fend for itself, on the other hand, the amount of cat food needed for an extended trip would not be very heavy. Granted, a cat couldn't carry packs like a goat, but from personal experience I can tell you they are an excellent first line bear defence. And finally, and I know this will end all relations with cat lovers, but according to my chum from Guangdong, a province in China with 127 million people, apparently cats are quite palatable, even a delicacy.

I'm still undecided though, as both goats and cats can be a real pain in the @ss. I understand chimps are seven times as strong as humans, and up until about the age of two, they are quite friendly. I bet a chimp in the bow could really power a canoe in a head wind, no need for a dirty double blade ever.