LuLu the Kitty

The Adventures of LuLu the Kitty

July 2009

Meet our newest crew member! Tallulah Belle Wyatt "LuLu", age 7 weeks

Yes, we KNOW we said we weren't going to have any kitties on the boat! We spent a lot of time in Marathon, Florida, and met a lot of cruisers with kitties on their boats. We had worried that having an animal on board was going to cause us issues at foreign ports (quarantine, mainly). We discovered that since cats do not generally leave the boat, most officials don't make a big deal about them on board, as long as their vaccinations are up to date. Believe it or not, it was actually LA that brought up the subject and of course, being the kitty-lover I am, I pounced on it.... Actually, I didn't really pounce.. Once he gave the go-ahead to get a cat, I agonized over the decision. I wanted to make sure that this was really what we wanted to do and that our future travels outside the country would not be hampered. I wanted to make sure the kitty would be safe and happy on board. We had always had kitties in our land life and I knew a kitty would bring us a lot of joy. We decided to take the plunge. We knew we wanted a girl, and we even picked out her name in advance. Being a southern kitty, Tallulah Belle Wyatt (LuLu) was the perfect name. We visited the Marathon Animal Shelter on June 20, 2009 and there she was! She was 7 weeks old, weighed less than a pound, and had just been spayed that day. It was love at first sight! We took her back to the boat wrapped in a towel, and Genesis has been her home ever since!

What does "Miss LuLu" DO all day on a sailboat????

She hangs out in the cockpit...

She ventures (carefully, at first) out on deck....

Are we worried about her falling overboard?? You betcha. We have a big dip net in case the worst happens. Most cat owners said their cat had never fallen overboard, but of those that had, the cat swam and they were able to dip them back up. We keep a pretty close eye on LuLu when she's on deck. She has her sea legs, though. The motion of the boat doesn't seem to bother her, but we don't let her out on deck when we're underway. She usually stays down below and sleeps during passages, but she does come up late in the afternoon for a cockpit visit if we are underway all day.

She helps us check the internet on the computer and answer e-mails...

If any repairs need to be done, she's always around to lend a hand (or paw).........

Sometimes she hides in the dorade......

She checks out what is going on at sea, and hides behind the life raft...

Helps keep watch with the binoculars.....

She helps us read navigational charts....

She hides behind the windlass...

She likes to eat and drink lying down.....

She bites on anything and everything....

She LOVES to play "snork the shark" in the sheets! (Don't know what this game is?? It is hide and seek in the sheets.. a extraordinarily fun game designed by Sandra Wyatt, LA's sister, friend and lover of all cats worldwide)