Wet Kitty

The latest adventure in Quixote the boat cat's life involved a little swim. One night a couple days ago Jeremy decided to work in the cockpit for a change. This turned out to be very fortunate for our mischievous furball.

There are several duck-like birds that hang out on a nearby boat. Sometimes they will hang out temptingly close to the boat. temptation2.jpg On this particular evening one of the birds landed in the water very near to where our kitty was resting on the deck. This was too much for him to bear and he made the leap. He must have swallowed a lot of sea water when he fell because he didn't let out even a little meow. We would have never known that he was in the water if Jeremy hadn't heard the splash.

It turns out that he is a good little swimmer.rescue2.jpg Quixote swam around the entire boat trying to find a way back up while Jeremy climbed into the dinghy to fetch him. He came to Jeremy when we called him and he was rescued. He was a humble and miserable looking cat when we got him back on deck. unhappykitty2.jpg

Unfortunately for Quixote his torture was not over yet. He insisted on licking himself clean and I was concerned that all that salt would make him sick. I decided to give him a little bath in the cockpit. rinse2.jpg I heated some water in a pot and poured it over him much to his dismay. Then I scrubbed him dry with a towel and wrapped him up. The poor guy just sat in my lap defeated, wheezing like an old man.drying2.jpg

It took a few days before Quixote wanted to be outside without supervision. Now he is back to his usual obnoxious self. He has just figured out a technique to get him outside while we are sleeping. We recently purchased a board that we cut to fit the middle of vberth. Now we have a complete bed and are no longer separated from each other. Quixote has realized that if he takes a running leap onto the middle cushion in the vberth he bounces off of the cushion and shoots straight through the forward hatch. This new activity wakes me every time he does it, of course. He is lucky he is cute.

3 comments on Wet Kitty

  1. 1958buick
    Tue, 04/07/2009 - 19:17

    Jamie & Jeremy...
    We absolutely love reading your blogs... please don't stop. Your adventures and activities are incredibly exciting. You are both not only very intelligent (and in love) but you have a marvelous way with words!

    Just so you know... I now have one of Miramar's photos as my wallpaper and I just love it. So every time I turn this thing on I think of you both!

    Continue to have a grand time!
    Love,
    Mary Ann & Dave

  2. captain ron's picture
    captain ron
    Tue, 04/07/2009 - 13:58

    Hmm. Let me sit down and work up a look of surprise...

    THE CAT FELL IN?! IMPOSSIBLE!! :)

    I have told many stories about my adventures on the Miramar since I left, but the Quixote stories are always the most interesting to my landlubber guests. It is just much too hard for most folks to believe that a cat would be happy on a boat, much less fearless.

    I'm glad he's OK. And even happier to hear that neither crew member felt compelled to jump in the water to get him. ;)

    fair winds,

    Bill

  3. Jeremy's picture
    Jeremy
    Tue, 04/07/2009 - 15:24

    To be fair to the cat, he actually jumped into the water, he didn't fall. He was hunting a large bird, which, judging from the loud squawk that I heard at the same time of the splash, was quite startled by this fearless feline! Perhaps we don't feed him enough?