My dog, Griffin, views being sprayed by the backyard hose as the greatest game of all. I can’t water my flowers without spending at least 10 minutes allowing Griffin to run back and forth through the water spray. Try that with a cat? I don’t think so!
Cats are known for their dislike of getting wet. For many cats, their only exposure to water comes in the form of drinking it from a bowl or being stuck outdoors in the rain. If you ever tried to bathe an adult cat without having spent time acclimating him to the process when he was younger, you know it’s not a positive experience for the cat or for you. Based on that negative memory or maybe due to all the cat bathing horror stories you may have heard, you might’ve concluded that cats just hate water. That wouldn’t be accurate though. It’s just that a cat’s relationship with water isn’t so simple.
Not all cats dislike water. Large cats who live in warmer climates, like lions, leopards, tigers, jaguars, and ocelots, will often go into bodies of water to cool off. They have also become good at swimming in order to hunt in water or cross it to access prey. Tigers are particularly known for being excellent swimmers. Domestic cats though, don’t typically have to face such water challenges in daily life.
Photo byFrida Lannerstrom for Unsplash
So, why do so many cats dislike getting wet? There are some sound reasons that make sense when you consider them from a cat’s point of view.
Evolution
Even though the large cats in warm regions may use water to stay cool, the ancestors of domestic cats came from arid climates. They had no practical reason to be swimmers.
Safety and Survival
Water can weigh the cat down as the coat gets saturated. This could inhibit a cat’s flexibility and agility. In addition to being predators, cats are also prey. A waterlogged coat could seriously limit a cat’s ability to escape danger.
Scent Issues
Water can strip a cat’s familiar scent. Cats rely heavily on scent identification. Being in water creates more work for the cat to re-establish personal scent through grooming.
Having such a sensitive sense of smell, a cat may strongly dislike chemicals in the water.
Negative Associations
Some cats, especially those who weren’t gently trained to water and bathing, may find the sudden sensation to be jarring and stressful. Remember, abrupt change is not a cat-friendly experience.
Cats whose first exposure to water was being restrained for a flea bath or an urgent dunk in the tub for other medical reasons, are not likely too keen on repeating another water encounter.
Cats whose unwanted behaviors resulted in being corrected by getting sprayed with a squirt bottle may view bathing negatively. Cats allowed outdoors may have been chased out of a neighbor’s yard by means of a spray from the garden hose. Even being in the wrong place at the wrong time when the lawn sprinklers turn on may create a dislike of water.
Can Cats be Trained to Accept Bathing?
If cats are trained as kittens to being bathed, it is possible they’ll tolerate the process when grown. If starting with an adult cat, it will take being gentle, patient, and completely prepared for the process. Most cats don’t ever need to be bathed though and if done unnecessarily, it can dry out the cat’s skin, strip the personal scent and create needless stress. Bathing may be needed for medical reasons, if the cat got into something, as well as certain breeds may require baths.
Photo by Brad Pearson for Unsplash
If your cat does need bathing and you’ve never done it before, you’d be better off leaving it to the professionals. Contact your veterinarian or a reputable cat groomer who focuses on gentle handling.
Are There Cats That Like Water?
Many cats, even those who would vehemently object to be being bathed, love playing with water. Whether it’s batting at or licking the drips from a faucet, or dunking a paw in the water bowl, water can prove to be quite fascinating to felines. Some cats may even go so far as to hop in the shower with you.
There are actually some cat breeds known for their love of water, such as the Maine Coon, Turkish Van, Bengal, and Savannah. The Turkish Van, with a water-repellant coat, is even nicknamed The Swimming Cat.
Looking for More Information?
For more information on cat behavior and training, refer to the books by best-selling author Pam Johnson-Bennett. Pam’s books are available through your favorite online book retail site, such as Amazon, and in book stores everywhere. We’ve included links to Amazon here on our website.