If you are the owner of a pet cat owner or have recently gotten yourself a cat, you will be well aware that cats are incredibly choosy creatures. They are known to like being in control and stay close to familiar things. You must also have heard of or seen yourself their love-hate relationship with water. In this post, we will be glancing at the relationship between cats and water and the answer to the frequently asked question of ‘can cats swim?’ to help you better understand and deal with your feline friend.
Why do cats loathe water?
It’s a commonly known fact, shown in cartoons as well, that cats hate water. The question arises ‘why?’. Let’s take a glance at some reasons so you can understand why your cat doesn’t like water.
- Their fur becomes heavy: One of the primary reasons why cats loathe water is that it causes their furs to become waterlogged, therefore, making it heavy. A cat’s fur is not designed to sustain anything more than a slight shower. With being submerged in water, their fur becomes heavy, which reduces their speed and efficiency in movement. Moreover, the weighted fur can result in them panicking as it means they can’t swim properly.
- The smell of water: If you are a cat owner, you must have seen their tiny, pink noses move about every time they are introduced to something new. Cats are known for being curious and going towards things that are familiar to them. They use their sense of smell to make sense of their surroundings and to communicate as well. According to research, their sense of smell is 16 times stronger than that of humans. Hence, cats can smell the various chemicals present in the water, unlike us. As familiarity is essential to them, a cat won’t like water consisting of the unfamiliar smell of a chemical coating their fur.
- Water makes them feel out of control: As mentioned, cats like to feel in control all the time. They would rather sit on dry land where it is easier for them to battle threats than in the water, compromising their agility.
Even though the common fact is that cats hate water, if you are the owner of one of these breeds, you are in luck as the felines from these breeds love water. Therefore, the answer to the question of ‘can cats swim?’, specifically for these breeds, is ‘they would love to’:
- Bengal:
The Bengal breed of cats is the cross product of an Asian Leopard Cat and a domestic cat, and therefore it doesn’t shy around water.
- Turkish van:
The Turkish van is an uncommon breed of cat and is known as the ‘swimming cat’ because of its affection for water. Their coat is also somewhat waterproof, making it easier for them to enjoy their time swimming.
- Maine Coon:
The Maine Coon love water so much that they try to open up taps in your house to be close to the water. Their coat is relatively thicker and shaggier, giving it the water-resistant properties needed for them to enjoy their water experience.
How to make your cat swim?
Now that you are well aware of why your feline friend hates water and the few breeds that enjoy being in the water, we sometimes understand you might want to introduce your cat to the world of swimming for its safety and enjoyment. Therefore, let us talk about the basics to employ when you want to teach your cat how to swim.
Firstly, start with introducing them to the water. Let them explore on their own. If it is your bath time, bring them in with you and let them hang around. The only way they will get comfortable with the water is to become familiar with it at their own pace. When they see their favorite human hanging around in the bathtub, they will realize it is not a threat, and that will help them trust the water area more. Secondly, when you see your cat getting comfortable around the water area, please pick them up and bring them with you into the water. Gradually dip their tails, paws, then bellies into the water. If they resist, don’t force it on them; instead, let them go immediately. Like we said, your cat needs to become accustomed to the water at its own pace. If your force the process, they will never want to swim. These two steps are the fundamentals when you want to teach your cat to swim. Don’t forget: the teaching process should be at the pace of the cat!
Safety tips for your cat when swimming:
As stressed previously, cats do not like water. However, that does not mean the answer to the question of ‘can cats swim?’ is a no. When introducing your cat to swimming, the basic fundamental steps are already stated above. But there are also some safety precautions and measures you should take to make sure your cat doesn’t fall into an ‘accident’ when in water.
- Always make sure there are exit points for your cat near your pool or wherever they are in the water. These can be stairs or ramps that your feline creature can quickly jump on when they get uncomfortable instead of panicking.
- Regulate the chemicals in your pool if that is what you are using; chlorine in large amounts can adversely affect your cat’s health. Moreover, the smell of the chemicals can throw your cat off guard, and they won’t want to go in the water.
- Dry their ears after they come out of the water. Cats can get infections if water is left inside their ears.
- For example, in difficult situations, like your cat drowning, do not waste time taking them to a vet to check out thoroughly.
As you can see, cats are not the biggest fan of water; in fact, they would instead never set foot into the water for multiple reasons. It is your job to follow the steps to help your cat swim and make sure it is safe while doing so.
