Sailing cat becomes Instagram sensation

Miss Rigby lives on a boat with her owners who sail around the US and Caribbean. Photo / @miss_rigby_boatkitty , Instagram

Drink up, me 'earties, there's a furrmidable force at sea.

A seafaring moggy is making waves across social media with tales and pictures of her nautical adventures.

Miss Rigby is an American Burmese cat who lives on a 15-metre sailboat with her owners Shane La Peyre and his wife, Maryvonne.

While most cat-parents would risk losing an eye if they brought their feline friend anywhere remotely near the ocean, Miss Rigby seems to have found peace as 'puss in boats.'

With an Instagram following of over 38,000, the feline First Mate has become an internet sensation with photos and videos of her leaping between boats and scanning the seas.

View this post on Instagram

Showing my true boat skills this morning .... 😻🙀❤️😝 . . . #hurryup #goquicker #iseethebeach #whatstherush #justhurryokay #okok #imeanit #hurrythefuckup #rigby!!!! #sorry #iseesand #sowhat #soooooo #ineedtopoop #nowwwww #🙄 #💩 #shedidpoop #wepickeditup #cats #catsofinstagram #catloversclub #boatcat #beachkitty #catexplorer #adventurecats #burmeseworlddomination

A post shared by Miss Rigby (@miss_rigby_boatkitty) on Jan 12, 2020 at 8:13am PST

Maryvonne told the Daily Mail Miss Rigby, also known as Rigs, has lived on a boat since she was an 11-week-old kitten.

"The boat is her home and she loves it," she said. "She joined us on the boat in Long Island, New York, and since then we have sailed up and down the East Coast and into the Bahamas numerous times.

"We have been through the Caribbean with her down to Grenada stopping at most islands. She has travelled on our 50ft (15m) sailboat as well as larger powerboats that we have worked on and delivered up and down the US East Coast."

According to her Instagram feed, Miss Rigby can swim, is sure-footed, aware of the water, and very relaxed when sailing.

She also wears a GPS tracking device in case she gets lost while on land.

And if the weather gets rough while out at sea, safety is the number one priority so she doesn't fall overboard.

"We take every precaution possible that this will never happen! It's our worst nightmare," said Maryvonne. "She's not allowed on deck at night or in rough seas. She is supervised when travelling and we have a net for her to climb out of the water when anchored."

Best steer clear of any 'cat-abatic' winds.