Jelly, the Ship's Cat
Magellan Louise Lemay Lynn, aka Jelly, was born March 24, 2000 and adopted at the street-legal age of six weeks from the local SPCA in League City, TX.
Gata bonita - Ecuador 2003
Jelly served faithfully as ship's cat for seven years aboard Nine of Cups until 2007 when she went to live with Marcie's mom back in the USA, a decision with which she agreed wholeheartedly. In her cushy new land life, we're sure that thoughts of returning to the sea never entered her mind! Jelly went to cat heaven in September 2014. She's fondly remembered as a great crew mate and the best ship's cat ever and as such, she still deserves her own page.
Mother's Day 2000 - Jelly moved aboard Nine of Cups as ship's cat
Small, fierce and feisty
“It’s important to establish rules for your people early to insure they are properly trained to handle all of your needs ... immediately. ”
Exercise is highly overrated, but exercise equipment can be useful. Never miss the opportunity for a nap.
Jelly learned quickly and was particularly good at trimming the sails.
If they sneak up on you and want affection , but you're clearly not in the mood, throw a hissy fit. Only the cat shall determine when it’s time for affection.
If the captain should put anything at all on his nav station that makes a good noise or fits into a cat’s mouth, it should be removed to the floor immediately, swatted, then hidden. Remove, swat, hide!
Be vigilant! You never know when an island will appear and God knows if the rest of the crew will even notice. Land ho...St. Helena Island
Join in games if you feel like it, but NEVER let them win just because they’re human. They’ll respect you for it. Please note that without any help from humans, I have thrown a 5-dice yahtzee long straight ... rack up the points!
Make sure you always have a way in and a way out. Insist on your own cat door.
Take time to smell the roses (or the pineapple)
Christmas 2005 in Talcahuano, Chile.
Act like a tiger when appropriate. It'll keep the birds off the boat and the humans on their toes.
If the food dish is empty and biting the first mate’s ankles does not remedy the situation, then throw back your ears and knock over the water bottle.
When she comes to mop up all the water, she’ll fill the bowl. Take direct action.
This sort of behavior should never, never be tolerated, but the family resemblance is uncanny.
Pets Aboard?
If you already have a pet and are planning to move aboard your boat, the decision to include your pet or leave it behind is a hard one. We've known cruisers with cats, dogs, birds, sloths, turtles and monkeys. There's lots to consider. Each country we visited had its own rules regarding pets. Some animals, like cats and dogs, are relatively easy in most countries. Other, more exotic pets, may require a bit more planning. Read more here.
Humans needs constant supervision and advice. Time-consuming, but necessary.
Cat Games
In addition to playing with string and feathers and jumping on our heads from the bimini, one of Jelly’s favorite games was to try to catch a line poking from the scupper drain. She was bright enough to know that it originated from the other side of the scupper and usually checked out both sides of the hole to determine her best vantage point. We think she realizes it’s a game though because she’ll never try to take it from our hands, just from the end of the scupper.
If you teach a man to fish ...
Exhausted from the carnival festivities, Jelly went to sleep with her costume on. Never miss the opportunity for a nap. Some rules bear repeating!
Always watch for that elusive green flash.
explore, explore, explore!
Take a look at this oh so typical cat behavior.
Simon's Cat-Man-Do
Did I mention that naps were very, very important?
Jelly may sleep all the day long, but she’s usually awake when the sun comes up. Here she is waiting on the solar panels for the sun to start working its magic and warm her butt.