In this article
Greetings from Spain
Hi everyone! I’m Olga, my husband’s name is Jorge, and we live in Spain. About a year ago, we turned our lives around drastically and traded our house for life on a boat. I’m a huge cat lover and one day, my husband surprised me with the best news ever: we were going to be cat parents!
What’s in a name
When we went to pick up the kitten, we decided we would name her Darya, which means “sea” or “water”. To make sure Darya stayed safe in her new nautical environment, we constantly followed her around, making sure she learned where to go and where not to, but never punishing her. We wanted her to be able to explore, but without becoming fearful of the water.
Darya’s life on the boat
In the mornings, when temperatures aren’t too high yet, Darya is free to roam the deck. She will often sit and relax on the bow while listening to the birds, feeling the breeze, and observing her surroundings. She loves to watch the fish swim around the boat, and to look at the countless boats that enter or leave port. At the hottest hours of the day, our little kitty isn’t allowed outside as she could get a heatstroke.
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Taking a plunge
We have to admit, Darya did fall into the water once. It was waaaay more traumatic for us than it was for her, haha. Turns out Darya is an excellent swimmer! She even knew immediately where to swim to in order to be able to get out of the water. We ran towards her, dried her off and learned right away that the water didn’t bother her at all. She didn’t shiver, complain, or cry and was right back to her normal self. After all, Darya is a Norwegian Forest Cat, a breed that’s known for its affinity with water. We’d love to put a life jacket on her, but unfortunately her vest doesn’t fit yet as she’s still so tiny!
Darya the cuddle bug
Raising Darya, we’re still learning new things every day. We are always very aware of where she is, and at times she wears a harness to be extra safe. Darya is a very social kitten that loves the children who come over from other boats to meet her. Her favorite place for a nap is the captain’s cabin, where she takes on the weirdest sleeping positions, which always makes us laugh. She’s a true cuddle bug and we hope you love her just as much as we do!
