# Has anyone brought their cat to the beach? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386 "2014-08-24T16:56:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrDewiggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@MrDewiggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDewiggins)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/1 "2014-08-24T16:56:55Z")
The beaches near me have signs posted that say “No Pets”. I’m sure they are referring mainly to dogs, but I wonder how cats would act on the beach. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/2 "2014-08-24T18:03:59Z")
I have had the same thought. Here is a video of some people taking their [gang of ferrets](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3Lje2hP7hA) to the beach. This video made the rounds a while back, it’s a dude taking [12 dogs and 1 cat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DePFiF-nNoE#t=21) to the beach, set to the ubiquitous “Happy” song. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/3 "2014-08-24T19:11:43Z")
I live on the beach, though not a sandy one. Our cats dart in and out of the bushes and mostly ignore the water. Occasionally, on a particularly calm day, one cat will get right down to the waterline and stare into the water. They do like to find the sandy patches between the stones and flip over on their backs and rub against the ground. Otherwise they prefer chasing geckos, occasionally bring us a prize catch. Uh, thanks? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/4 "2014-08-24T20:22:48Z")
I briefly wondered if merging this thread with the **Has anyone taken a cat to get spayed, only to find the cat is male?** would be a good idea. Eh, probably not. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/5 "2014-08-24T20:47:47Z")
Cats are pets, so don’t take them to beaches posted with _No Pets Allowed_. I’ve taken cats camping, taken them on canoe trips, and taken them to beaches. They’ve loved it (particularly the peninsulas on the north shore of Lake Erie during the spring bird migration). Being leash trained made it easy. They prefered the land side of the littoral area rather than being in the open. As with people, cats should wear PFDs when falling out of the boat is possible, for although they can swim, they can’t swim well in waves. [Ships Cat](http://my.tbaytel.net/culpeper/ShipsCat.html) The only reason I don’t take my present cat paddling is that he despises travelling by car. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/6 "2014-08-25T03:06:54Z")
… the sign should read " No poop in the sand"… I like how the sign would allow a circus animal… “its a tiger, its not a pet, here’s my dangerous animals permit !” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/7 "2014-08-25T03:13:57Z")
No, but I took my dog to the Fire Hydrant Foundry. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/8 "2014-08-25T04:06:08Z")
1.) You don’t need to bring cats to Seaside Heights, NJ – it’s already got a large population of feral cats. 2.) So, for that matter, do the beaches at Aruba. The cats there have learned to beg for food from the ever-changing tourist population, and I;'ve seen them stalk and catch fish from the stocked ponds at the hotels. 3.) When I was a kid we brought our cat to a Seaside community that wasn’t _quite_ on the beach. 4.) In any case, I’ve brought the beach to my cat – I used to take beach sand to use for his litter box (in those largely pre-cat litter for sale days) How do cats act on the beach? It’s The World’s Largest Sandbox, and it’s got lots of interesting creatures to stalk and try to catch. And lots of natural and man-made objects to hide in, under, and behind for cover. In short, it’s heaven for cats. They can avoid people if they want, or they can brazen go up to them and beg for food. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/9 "2014-08-25T05:57:19Z")
I don’t know but I’d love to see my cats’ reactions. Only one of them has ever even been outside the house. I can imagine they’d see it as the biggest damned litterbox EVER. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/10 "2014-08-27T00:29:30Z")
Does anyone ever permanently lose their cat by letting it on the beach? I’ve never taken a cat to the beach, but had a bad dream once about not being able to round up some kittens there. In the dream the cats were all more or less sand-colored, and I wasn’t having too much success. A dog will come back, but a cat on the beach? It sounds rather foolish if you’re any more attached to your cat than Holly Golightly was in the taxicab scene. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/11 "2014-08-27T00:39:54Z")
> [@MrDewiggins](#): > > … I wonder how cats would act on the beach. Giant litter box. I used to take my ferret to the beach (he was leash-trained). He liked to dig in the sand. ---
**Author:** ![Wednesday\_Evening](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Wednesday\_Evening](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wednesday_Evening)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/12 "2014-08-27T04:43:17Z")
[Buzzfeed: 23 People Who Should Stay Away From The Beach For A While - #21](http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjkiebus/23-people-who-should-stay-away-from-the-beach-for-a-while?sub=3386885_3393811) (gifs). While I think the actions of that cat are probably atypical, I admire the cat’s attitude. And I like the little paw-wave. ---
**Author:** ![Timetrvlr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Timetrvlr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timetrvlr)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/13 "2014-08-27T04:51:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Has anyone brought their cat to the beach? No, but I’ve taken our ducks to the lake when we went camping. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MrsTime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@MrsTime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrsTime)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/14 "2014-08-27T05:15:43Z")
> [@Timetrvlr](#): > > No, but I’ve taken our ducks to the lake when we went camping. 😃 And took them home again. They loved it. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/15 "2014-08-27T15:13:46Z")
I think my cats would plot to kill me if I brought them to the beach. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-brought-their-cat-to-the-beach/696386/16 "2014-08-27T17:10:12Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > I think my cats would plot to kill me if I brought them to the beach. At the behest of our daughter, we took two of our cats to the beach. When we arrived they took one sniff and then went under the seats. Any attempt on our part to coax them out was met with hisses and low, guttural yowls. When we got back to the house they headed quickly inside and quite forcefully, refused any contact with us until the next day.