Just because your own pet hates getting the tiniest droplet on their coat doesn't mean that all cats don't like water. Some breeds have no particular aversion to this element and there are even cats that like to swim!
The Turks of Van, for example, love to bathe and are fascinated by water. They are also called “swimming cats”. Siberians and Maine Coons also enjoy water and don't mind bathing in cat shampoo .
WHAT CAUSES CATS TO FEAR WATER?
Their origins
To explain why cats don't like water , many people hypothesize their origins. Indeed, most cat breeds today were born in the Middle East, in desert regions. However, in the desert, it is difficult to find water! From a genetic point of view, cats would simply not be made to like water. However, most cats can naturally swim.
We also note that cats from regions with more large lakes are accustomed to water: cat curls
we can for example mention the Norwegian, who comes from the forests of Norway and who likes to splash around in the water!
Cats don't like wet coats
Another explanation often put forward to explain why cats don't like water is that they simply can't stand having their coat wet! Hence the fact that your cat looks gray when it comes to going out in rainy weather.
The water will indeed weigh down the cat's coat, which hinders its movements and makes it less fast and agile. A feeling that felines hate above all! In addition, a wet coat in cool weather can be very unpleasant for a cat, since its hair sometimes takes quite a long time to dry.
Their movements are hampered in the water
All cat owners have noticed it: a cat can sneak or climb where it wants, no cupboard is ever too high for it! Our feline friends are indeed incredibly flexible and agile, and know how to be clever when it comes to moving around.
Even if they know how to swim, cats do not like to evolve in such a difficult way in the water: cutest cats breed
their movements are slower and they cannot flee quickly in case of danger.
A relationship with water between fear and fascination
A relationship with water between fear and fascination
Yet, even though most cats don't like water, they remain fascinated by it. Have you ever caught your cat staring at the trickle of tap water? Cats like to understand what is happening in their environment, which is why, even if they fear water, they end up being irremediably attracted to it.
Take care, moreover, never to leave a full bathtub unattended: your cat might want to approach it to observe the surface of the water, slip, panic and get tired trying to get out, to end up in it. walnut…
CAN A CAT BE USED TO WATER?
Those who have already tried it know well, washing a cat can be a particularly complicated exercise! If a cat has never been accustomed to water, it may indeed be very refractory to this idea. It is better to start getting used to it when it is still a kitten: wet a glove with a little warm water and apply it to your little cat, while talking to it to reassure it, or giving it treats . By proceeding in stages, you should be able to get your cat used to water.
The origin of this fear of water
The origin of this fear is found in the evolution of this little feline. The domestic cat has for ancestors the Arabian wild cat, as you know it is a region of the globe without large bodies of water. It is therefore easy to understand that learning to swim has never been an advantage from the point of view of the evolution of this species.
But evolution does not explain everything. Indeed, he makes it known that the sensation on them of water is very unpleasant to them.
First of all, their coat, waterlogged, becomes heavy, which has unfortunate consequences on their agility. Then their coat contains a certain amount of sebum (like humans), more oily, which causes the water to dry out more slowly.
But also, the water slows down their movements. If a cat finds itself submerged, its movements are no longer lively as it wishes and it does not like it at all.
The exception confirms the rule, some cats like water, swim and feel good in it. They like to drink from the tap water, play in it or even put their head in it. The origin of this behavior, which seems paradoxical given the disinterest of cats for water, could be explained by the appearance of the trickle of water. It moves, it makes noise, it emits a flickering light, all things that fascinate cats and make them believe that there may be prey there to catch!
