Although there are certain breeds that love water, in most cases, cats and water do not mix. But why are cats afraid of water?
There are actually a number of different reasons for this with some reasons you probably would have never thought of which will be covered inside of this article.
Behaviorists believe that cats are fascinated by water because the sound and movement of the water can stimulate a cat which can lead them to think there may be food involved.
The problem is, should a cat fall into the water, they will quickly show an emotional outburst of fear as you may have saw in all of the funny, viral cat videos that float around on the internet.
So let’s jump in and look at why cats are afraid of water.
Why Are Cats Afraid Of Water?
#1 A Cat Is Not Built For Water
First of all, cats are built for land and not water. Should a cat get wet, not only will this make their coat more heavy and weighted, an oily coat also doesn’t shed water easily as it isn’t water-resistant which means it takes a long time to dry out.
This means not only is a cat less nimble and agile than usual due to their wet coat weighing them down, it can also cool them down and take a while before they return to a warm state.
#2 A Cats Evolutionary History
The fear of water may have been passed to a domestic cat from their wild ancestors. Their ancestors originated from places such as Egypt and the Middle East in areas with very few large bodies of water.
As there were no advantage in swimming, cats didn’t learn to swim and therefore had very little contact with water. As cats are notoriously clean creatures who self-clean, they do not even use water for keeping clean.
To put this into more perspective, the Bengal Tiger from India use water as an effective hunting tool to catch prey, as well as to cool down. This goes to show how living in a different environment where this is water can completely change their behavior.
#3 Sensitive To Odours
As cats have a very strong sense of smell, any kind of chemicals in the water will put your cat off going anywhere near it. In tap water that may seem perfectly fine and clean to us humans may deter a cat due to chemicals that only they can smell.
#4 Negative Experiences
If at some point in their life a cat has for example, accidentally fallen into a bath tub, this stressful experience can mentally scar a cat and make them fear water for the rest of their life.
#5 Lack Of Control
We briefly touched on this above in the section titled “a cat is not built for water”. Cats are very quick and agile creatures who can jump very high and love climbing. A cat is very much in control of where they go and what they do.
If a cat enters water, they are not as agile and completely lose this control. The added weight that the water brings to their coat makes them slower, more sluggish, and is enough to make a cats instincts go haywire.
Breeds Of Cat That Like water
Although most cats hate water, there are certain breeds that enjoy playing in water. Let’s take a look at the breeds of cat that like water.
- Maine Coon: Being one of the biggest domestic breeds, their robust bodies and water-resistant coat means they are better built for water than most other cat breeds.
- Bengal Cat: Bengals are energetic, playful creatures and often referred to as having dog-like personalities. They are curious and get excited when they see water and love to play in it.
- Turkish Van: Often referred to as ‘swimming cat’ their long frames, rounded paws and waterproof coat means they are better built for water than most other cat breeds.
- Abyssinian: They have a love for water and will often dip their paws in first before eventually entering a bath tub.
The Dangers Of Water To A Cat
A cat being in water can bring about the following risks:
- Infection Of The Ears: In comparison to their head and body, cats have relatively large ears with large openings. This means water can get trapped inside and potentially cause an infection that can spread to their brain.
- Hypothermia: Most cat breeds do not have water-resistant coats. This means that once it gets wet, it holds onto the water for a very long period of time and can cause a cats body temperature to drastically drop and potentially lead to hypothermia.
Cats And Water Safety Tips
If you are going to bathe your cat, or even if they accidentally fall into water, here are some tips and guidelines you need to follow:
- Always supervise your cat in the water and never leave them unattended. Your cat could potentially get in trouble in the water.
- Clean and dry out your cats ears to prevent infection.
- Make sure your cat doesn’t drink from a swimming pool or bath water as this can cause an upset stomach. Going back to the first point, this is why they should always be supervised.
It’s important to never force a cat to swim or go in the water. If you have a breed of cat that loves water, then that’s great. It may also be a good idea to get cat insurance which will protect you if your cat does get an illness or injury.
Can I Give My Cat A Bath?
Cats are well known for keeping themselves clean and they spend a lot of time grooming themselves. You should only really bathe your cat in special circumstances, if they have happened to get themselves in an state where they are unable to clean themselves
Conclusion
Always remember that most cat breeds are built for land and not water. Never force you cat to go on the water if they do not want to. If you have ever asked yourself “why are cats afraid of water?” You should now have a greater understanding.
Do you have a cat that loves to play in water? Let us know in the comments below.
