Although some cats may be curious about water, dipping its paw into the slight trickle from the tap or sniffing at it is completely different from your cat actually becoming wet.

Domestic cats are simply not used to dealing with water, so, therefore, may be scared of it.  Many domestic cats are descended from cats that lived in the Arabian Peninsula and so have just never had much to do with water because they lived in dry, arid areas.

Cats are not used to the feeling of water

Unlike dogs, you do not have to take a cat for a walk, so over the years, cat owners have protected their cat from the elements.  You would never walk your cat in the rain, so cats choose to avoid becoming wet, and as such, are not used to the feeling of water on their fur.

Some cats may hate water because they are not used to the feeling of getting wet – cats can become worried by things they have never experienced before and will shy away from it.  If a cat was introduced to the feeling of water when it was a kitten, it may be less likely to be scared of it.

 

Cats dislike the smell of water

Cats have a very strong sense of smell, being able to tell the difference between fresh water and water that has been chemically processed.

Although a cat may enjoy lapping up water from a fresh water spring, it may stay away from water you place in its water bowl because it dislikes the smell of tap water because of all the chemicals present in it.

 

Cats’ ears are very sensitive

Some cats hate water because should water get into their ears, it would be very difficult for them to get it out, which could lead to their ear becoming infected.  Cats try very hard to avoid water entering their ears, positioning themselves to prevent this occurrence.

 

Cats hate getting their whiskers wet

A cat hates getting its whiskers wet because its touch receptors are located in this area and it does not want them to be affected by dirt or water.

 

A cat’s fur may weigh it down

If a cat was to become submerged in water, it will begin to feel very cold because a cat’s fur takes a long time to completely dry once wet.  A cat’s temperature is higher than a human’s, the cat finding it more difficult to stay warm if its coat becomes wet, and there is a danger it could begin to suffer from hypothermia.

Being submerged in water will also lead to your cat’s fur becoming heavier, which will weigh it down and make the cat feel very uncomfortable because the extra weight on its fur will make it difficult for it to move, thus making it feel very vulnerable because it is less able to escape if needed.

If your cat’s only experience with water was being caught in a downpour, it is hardly surprising that it does not like it – after all, we hate being caught in a downpour, so why should it be so surprising that our cat does not like it either?

 

A cat does not like a foreign scent on its fur

A cat will spend many hours grooming itself and does not like to have a ‘foreign’ scent on its fur.  If you were to bathe your cat, it will feel that you are creating more work for it because tap water contains chemicals cats hate the smell of, so it would have to work hard to eradicate this strange scent from its body.

A cat likes to feel independent, living life on its own terms, so it would feel that it had lost that independence if you took it into the bathroom to be bathed.

 

It depends on the climate

Some cats living in a warmer climate do not mind water as much as cats living in colder climates because swimming is a good way for them to cool off.  Some bigger cats such as tigers and lions are in fact good swimmers.  Cats living in colder climates do not like to become wet because they can lose body heat and begin to feel uncomfortable.

Some cats living in the wild rely on fish as a source of food so have to swim to catch their prey.

 

Some domestic cats actually enjoy swimming

Although most domestic cats hate the water and would never swim in it, the Turkish Van Cat, originating in Turkey, is fascinated by water, and is known as the ‘Swimming Cat’.  This cat has a semi-longhaired coat which makes it easier for it to dry itself after becoming wet and it does not become weighed down whilst swimming.

Some other breeds, such as the Norwegian Forest Cat, have denser coats because of the cold winters they have to endure so are not so averse to water because they do not lose so much of their body heat.

 

Getting your cat used to the bath

If you have to bathe your cat, you will find it that much more difficult if it is an older cat, who has never become used to the feeling of water.  The best time to try and acclimatise your cat to water is when it is a kitten.  If you wish to attempt to do this, please do not force it to do anything it does not want to do – you could ruin the element of trust you have built up between you and your kitten, and could end up with you inadvertently hurting it. 

If your cat’s first introduction to water has a negative conclusion, it could forever associate water with a bad experience, whereas if the first experience is good, it will make it easier for the cat to accept water in the future. 

One of the main things to remember is that your cat can sense your mood; if you feel tense and stressed, your cat will be able to pick up on that.  If you then take a towel and sponge, your cat will learn to know what these actions mean, which could lead to it running away and hiding under the bed.

You should place your cat into the tub a few weeks before you wish to bathe it, if possible, so that it can become acclimatised to the sink or bath.  Once your cat has become more relaxed, you should then try filling it with some water to gently ease the cat into the feeling of water, and place some of its toys into the space so that it can have some fun, and hopefully not associate the place with a bad experience.

You should then comb out your cat’s fur if you have a long-haired cat and you should place cotton wool balls into the ears so that there is no danger of water getting into them.

If you have to bathe your cat because they have rubbed against wet paint, have glue on their fur, or for any other reason, please remember that this is going to be a stressful experience for your cat.

You should ensure that you have planned everything ahead of time so that your cat is not in the stressful situation for any longer than necessary.  It is prudent to fill up the bath or sink with warm water before you actually bathe your cat so that it does not become more scared.

It is best that you use your sink if you are bathing a kitten or small cat, and your bath for a larger cat.  It is also prudent to ensure you have the necessary items such as sponges, cat shampoo and towels ready so that your cat does not remain wet longer than necessary.

Gently place your cat into the warm water, gently adding special cat shampoo, which does not dry out its fur like human shampoo.  You must ensure that no shampoo goes onto its face or ears because shampoo can cause irritation and in some cases, infection.  If your cat’s face is dirty, you should gently wipe it with a warm cloth.

Carefully rinse all the shampoo off your cat, making sure that no shampoo remains that it could lick off later.  You should then gently dry off your cat, sometimes even using a hair dryer on its lowest setting if your cat does not mind the noise.  My cat, Bess, hates the sound of the hairdryer, so I have never been able to do this.