Why Do Cats Hate Water?

There are many different reasons why cats don’t like water and every cat that avoids getting wet may have a different reason or sometimes even multiple reasons for avoiding it.

It can be strange to watch your feline friend be comfortable drinking out of their bowl, a puddle or anywhere else they can find water. But the second their toes to tail encounter it, they behave like its acid and not something they were just seconds ago enjoying the refreshing taste of!

Cats are always learning which means that from the moment they are born, they’re building connections between different things. One negative experience can have your moggy’s opinion change for good, like the vet or, you’ve guessed it, water. Kittens are clumsy and many experience water in the worst viable way when they’re young. Be it slipping into the bath while they are wondering what you’re doing in there or investigating the toilet and falling in. They could be sniffing around your neighbour’s pond trying to figure out what the moving things are and wind up taking a dip with them. Curiosity might not kill a cat, but it will put them off water for life.

Getting caught in the rain, having to take a bath when they don’t want to, all of these experiences can be factors to the reason why cats hate water.

Cats rely on being very agile and quick moving for hunting and avoiding predators. When they’re caught in the rain or somehow find themselves soaked down to the skin, they won’t be able to react as quickly because of all that added weight.

When cats are wet it can cause them to become stressed since they can’t react as quickly as they may want to. Any period of prolonged anxiety will cause a cat to associate it with being a negative experience. With the memory of being soaked and anxious they won’t want to even dip a toe in water for fear of it happening again.

Every animal’s behaviour's is conditioned through thousands of years of evolution. There are behaviours that all our pets no longer need to do, but still perform because of this. Dogs still dig in their beds because their ancestors used to have to make dens to sleep in, so when cats avoid water, it tells us that through evolution, as they have had no reason to swim or develop a positive relationship with it.

The domestic cat’s ancestor lived on dry land and would rarely need to meet any large bodies of water unless it was to drink. They’ve never had any reason to need to swim, they hunt, sleep and do everything they need to do on land so water can be scary.

Our domestic cats have no history of enjoying water throughout their evolutionary history which makes them far more likely to have a good reaction to it.

Not all cats will hate being around water. You might find your moggy playing with the tap or being partial to having a little splash in a puddle but that doesn’t mean they will enjoy all contact with water. If you think you’re going to have an easy ride because your feline friend doesn’t run at the right of some drizzle, you may need to think again. When it comes to things like bathing your cat, they might still hate the thought of it.

When giving pets a bath, you take away the element of control which may not be a bother to many of them, but it can make some cats very anxious. Sometimes you will need to bathe your cat and there are ways you can make it less stressful for them, but the lack of choice will make some always take a dislike to it.

Not all cats hate water. You may see some of their wild cousins like Tigers enjoying a cooling dip and some breeds of cats are also more likely to enjoy a paddle. These breeds tend to be the more adventurous and curious types of cats who would sooner venture into the bathroom with you than stay far away from it. Breeds that may like to take a dip with you include:

While breed may indicate the likelihood of them enjoying the water, any cat that likes to paddle may still hate baths just like any breed of cat can take a shine to splash in shallow water. They’re all individuals and your feline friend might even surprise you.

For all of your cat essentials to keep your domesticated tiger happy and healthy, take a look at our wide range in-store and online.