A universally held truth that all pet-owners know is that cats hate water. Sure, they may splash the kitchen faucet with their paws and lick from their water bowl, but many house-cats will act hysterical if their body comes into contact with moisture. In reality, certain feline breeds actually enjoy getting wet while most breeds have a natural aversion to it. Below we explain common reasons as to why cats loathe water and what you can do to slowly get them used to submerging under a running faucet.

Why Do Cats Hate Water?

Interestingly enough, wild big cats such as tigers, jaguars, and leopards are all often seen swimming in rivers. Which arises the question, why do most house-cats despise getting wet when their evolutionary cousins have no problem with it? Feline experts have deduced that house-cats hate getting in water for reasons such as:

• They Dislike the Feeling: A cat’s fur is not designed to repel water, therefore it becomes heavy and takes a while to dry. By nature, cats like to be able to flee if a situation is perceived to be dangerous, although when their coat is wet and heavy, this makes running away more difficult.
• Cat’s Don’t Like the Smell: Feline’s can smell the world around them extremely well, and they may not like water that emits any unfamiliar scents. Especially when it comes to chlorine in swimming pools, cats are known to avoid bodies of water so that their fur doesn’t smell bad.
• Past Experiences: If a cat has had traumatic experiences with water, such as being sprayed with a bottle or forcefully submerged, this fear may linger and cause them to hate water.
• They Don’t Drink Much Water: In the wild, cats get most of their hydration through the food they eat. House-cats took this evolutionary trait and usually only resorts to drinking water when they are dehydrated. This natural aversion to drinking water may permeate into their disinterest to getting drenched.
• Desert-Dwellers: Evolutionarily, felines have commonly lived in dry deserts, meaning that they’d rather bathe in the sun than bathe in water.

How Can I Train My Cat to Like Water?

Contrary to popular belief, some cat breeds such as the Sphynx, Bengal, Maine Coon, and Turkish Van all enjoy swimming in water. While most cats don’t need baths as they do an adequate job at cleaning themselves, some house-cats will occasionally need to bathe if they get into something dirty or toxic. If your furry friend acts out whenever it’s time to bathe, is smart to slowly acclimate them to water by only dribbling some drops on their paws and body first. It’s important to not traumatize them with water so that they don’t develop an aversion to getting wet. Once you think they’ve gotten used to sparse drops of water, place their paws in a shallow tub of water and observe their reaction. Training a cat to like water is possible, just take the process step by step.

Reduce Your Cat’s Aversion to Water with Dr. Bill’s Feline Cognitive Support

If you’re slowly acclimating your furry friend to accept water, sprinkling Dr. Bill’s Feline Cognitive Support on their food will undoubtedly ease the process. To help lessen your cats overall anxiety, Dr. Bill’s Feline Cognitive Support provides 36 essential ingredients that aid in the maintenance of their healthy brain and nervous system functions. Dr. Bill’s Feline Cognitive Support has proven to be superior in slowing the progress of and potentially even reversing the signs of cognitive dysfunction.