When your beloved dog or cat is part of the family, the last thing you want is to leave them at home while you sail off into the sunset on board your beautiful luxury yacht. Here’s what you need to know about pet safety on board, and how to keep your dog or cat safe and happy at sea.  

Taking a dog on a yachting adventure

Pet travel rules in the EU and North America are quite easy to handle. The type of paperwork, visas and vaccinations you’ll need depend on your circumstances, and it’s always best to plan ahead to avoid problems. Bear in mind that Brexit has made things more complicated for travellers to the EU, and begin the investigation process with a visit to your vet at least 4 months before you sail for expert advice – you never know, depending on your starting point and destination, you might have to put them in quarantine for a while.  

Most dogs love being on the water but if yours hasn’t encountered a yacht before they might find it stressful. You’ll want to acclimatise them, introducing them to the vessel before she sets sail. If you’ll be using a rib to get ashore, you’ll want to make sure your dog is happy in the rib as well as on the boat itself. 

Let them have a sniff around while the boat is at anchor. If it’s taking your dog a bit longer to get used to the new environment, give them the time they need to explore and smell everything at their own pace, on more than one occasion if you need to. Once your dog seems relaxed, turn on the engine to get them used to the sounds and the feel of the boat as it vibrates. Once they’re familiar with your yacht, take them out on a few short voyages so they get used to everything. Then, if they’re going  get seasick from the motion of the water, you’ll know in advance. 

Hopefully your dog is obedient, already trained to obey commands. You don’t want them hurling themselves into the water or deciding to drink it. Obviously this is very important for everyone’s safety. If not you’ll need to teach them to come, sit and stay at the very least. 

You might also want to prepare the boat for doggie life. Some owners bring along custom ‘puppy pads’, special grass patches for their dogs to poo on, which they might either do automatically or need to be toilet trained for. Other people add special low-height sensors to the doors so their pet can wander in and out at will. 

An international microchip is a must, of course, and you can get fitted doggie life jackets. The ultimate in gadgets is a GPS locator, which you attach to the dog’s collar. If they fall overboard you’ll be more likely to find them quickly and get them to safety. 

Dogs can get sunburn and like us, can get very ill through sunstroke. You’ll need ways to keep them cool, maybe a doggie bath or a spray, and let them swim whenever they like as long as it’s safe. You’ll want to think about ways for them to get in and out of the water safely, but it’s obviously important not to let them swim alone. You’ll need to keep an eye on them. Shade is also a must. Bring dog sunscreen with you, either a spray or convenient wipes. Then there’s water. When it’s hot and sunny they’ll need a constant supply of fresh, cool water to lap.  

If your dog has long fur, have a trim before you set sail so they’re fresh, cool and their coat is easier to brush and clean. When you’re planning a long voyage, bring their nail clippers along just in case. 

When sailing with crew, make sure they’ve met your dog first, and are not allergic to dogs or scared of them. Some people give their crew basic first aid training for pets so if something goes wrong they know what to do. It also makes sense to prepare a plan just in case you need to get your dog home quickly because of an injury or illness. 

A lead might be a good idea if your dog tends to get eover-xcited. A dog running wildly around the decks can be  dangerous for the dog and for its humans, potentially knocking people over, causing damage or going overboard.  

Bringing cats on board a yacht  

Cats and boats go back to ancient Egyptian times. The Vikings took cats on their epic seafaring adventures, and Navy cats have been decorated for bravery. In the old days they were thought to bring good luck and good weather at sea. But as a rule, domestic cats don’t like new and unfamiliar places much. Kittens, on the other hand, can be brought up to enjoy time on board as a normal part of everyday life. 

The common sense side of bringing cats on board is the same as for dogs around things like visas, vet advice, quarantine and the rest. Start the investigation and planning process early, then you won’t get caught out.  

Some cats love being on board a boat, natural ship’s cats, others find it totally terrifying, so it’ll depend on your cat’s personality. You won’t know for sure until you try so, just like with a dog, bring the cat on board when the boat’s tied up at anchor, with the engine off, and see how they react. Give them lots of time to acclimatise, important because a cat’s sense of smell is particularly important and they’ll want to get familiar with every new smell they come across before they can relax.  Bring along food, water and a covered cat litter box to help them feel at home. 

You’ll need to keep the cat safely inside its carrier box until you know the score, simply because cats have a habit of running off when scared and probably won’t obey your pleas to come back. A soft cat carrier that folds down flat and small is a good option because it’ll take up less of your precious storage space.  

You might also want to cover your hatches with netting, at least at first, so your cat can’t escape. A litter tray with a lid is best, to keep the litter inside if the weather gets rough.

If all is well and your cat is happy to be on board with the engine running, you’re OK to go. Some cats don’t mind wearing a harness, in which case you can attach a long lead so they can spend safe time on deck without going overboard. And, of course, you can buy cat life jackets. 

Whatever they’re like personality-wise, it’s good to always know exactly where your cat is, which means sealing off places they could crawl into and hide, for example making sure they can’t actually get into the bilges. 

Cats who are well socialised as kittens are fine around strangers, others are terrified of new faces and will just want to hide. A sociable type of cat is probably the best ship’s cat. But if your cat is miserable or seasick, you might want to think again and leave them at home. 

Bringing your beloved pet on your adventures adds an extra dimension to the experience for everyone concerned. Once they’re used to the boat, know where everything is and feel confident, they’ll soon become a valued member of the crew!