Here are a few pointers for making sure your feline pet stays out of danger. You might be surprised by the answer. So what happens is that people bring home Turkish Van cats expecting them to like water. Although most domestic cats don't like water, their wild cousins, such as tigers, happily use it to cool off or hunt their next meal. If you’re lucky enough to have a pool, keeping your pet cat safe around it will be top priority when you bring them home. Now, can cats swim? Some cat breeds are more prone to enjoying the water, but most prefer not to take a dip or plunge. That may be more to do with the way we tend to exclude cats from water based activities, rather than any instinctive aversion to water in cats. Stagnant bodies of water can contain bacteria that are dangerous for dogs and cats. Is It Safe for Cats? Such as a less muscular physique, or a particular type of coat. Let’s look at the way that cats that love water are built. Johnson says that Maine Coonsare especially known to like water, but she says it really depends on the cat. Some types of algae and chemicals are also harmful for your pet to consume. A pet cat in Pennsylvania is disproving the notion that all felines hate water: Not only does Tissy, a 5-year-old Maine Coon, love the water, she goes swimming at least once a week in the family pool. Some cat lovers I know say that you can train your cat to have regular baths, especially if you start when they're just kittens. Firstly, being born knowing how to do something doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be good at it. The confident and playful Bengal cat is one of the few shorthaired breeds noted for their love of water. Bengal cats for example have been known to join their owners in the bathtub. Bengal cats are descended from asian leopard cats, which prefer to hunt in trees than in water. Many terrestrial mammals are capable swimmers too; dogs of course, but … Next is the Manx. While swimming only really occurs in warmer climates as a way of cooling down, you may see your cat playing in water. First off, the Norwegian Forest Cat is adept at fishing and might swipe fish right out of your aquarium. Whatever breed of cat you have, and whatever their age, it’s never too late to try using water to widen their repertoire of fun games. Your email address will not be published. If they could speak your language, they’d probably tell you that water makes them miserable. If your cat doesn’t love the water, you might still ask the question, “Can I teach my cat to swim?” If you start early and encourage your kitty enough, you might be able to get him accustomed to water. 10 Cat Breeds That Actually Like Swimming (As Told in GIFs) Most of the big cats tend to avoid water as they are adapted to hunt on land. Bobcats can swim quite well. Point her towards the edge, but lightly hold on so she can swim, but not get away. They might have only experienced water as a drenching rainstorm that left them cold and wet. Graceful, competent swimming won’t come easily to a cat who’s gone their whole life without being submerged in water. For example, tigers have no fear of the water, another example; the Fishing Cat. The Cheetoh cat is a relatively new cat breed … More... How well do you know your cat? Cats that love water. She may shake her paw once it gets wet, but that’s just because it’s a new sensation. Finally if a cat never has never had to go in water, they can simply lose their confidence. I accidentally kicked a cat into a canal from a bridge, it was struggling to swim, I didn't check to see if it made it to the other side. Both Bengal and Savannah cats are more directly related to wild cats than many other breeds. However, whether he really enjoys it is a secret that he might keep forever just to maintain the illusion that cats hate water alive. If you find yourself in a situation where you’re running from a feline though, don’t expect water to be your escape. It doesn’t seem like it would be very streamlined in the water. Some breeds are known to like water more than others. Discover the secret world of cats. They are white and fluffy, and great swimmers! Try fashioning a cat swimming pool from a shallow tray with a small amount of water in the bottom. Have you ever seen your kitty play with a dripping faucet? Seeing a cat swimming is very rare because most cats simply hate the water and everybody knows this. Cats are … All cats are capable of swimming, but compared with dogs for example, most cats prefer not to. She is obsessed with “catching” the spot where the water hits the ground, and chases it round like a loon. Here’s some footage of a Van cat swimming taken from a documentary made for the UK in 2013 called the Secret Life of Cats: Plenty of Turkish Van owners report that their pet has an unusual fondness for water. You must admit that Bengal cats are definitely one of the more fascinating and entertaining cats in the domestic cat kingdom. Additionally, the Savannah cat is one of the other breeds that loves to be bathed. And also because of some helpful physical attributes. Swimming is a survival instinct that will kick in when a cat is in the water. Teach Her to Swim Granted, not all cats will even get in the water, much less want to swim. This could be a bath tub or a pool. Did you know that thousands of research papers have been published on cat behavior and health? The Happy Cat Site is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk, The Happy Cat Site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Pets can only teleport to land, so if you cross a large enough body of water and they can't keep up by swimming, they will be unloaded and will be unable to teleport to you when you come to land. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It would be a huge shock to your cat if the first time they had to swim with the life jacket on, was when they accidentally fell off the boat. This affinity is often attributed to their wild cat ancestry, but this is yet another myth! 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