Why Are Cats Afraid Of Water?

This misconception makes less sense the more you think about how wild cats spend a lot of time in water, swimming, hunting, and colling off.

Researchers have several theories for why cats dislike water, including evolution, feline coat structure, and grooming habits.

After all, each cat is an individual, and like humans, cats can have traumatic experiences that lead to phobia development.

Many domestic cats simply aren’t accustomed to water, and owners can teach their pets to tolerate bathing if they are dedicated enough.

Do All Cats Hate Water?

Contrary to a widespread belief that all cats hate water, some cats don’t mind water and may even love it.

Each cat is unique, and its attitude to water depends on many factors, including genetics, personality traits, and previous experiences.

Some cat breeds love water, finding bathing and swimming highly amusing. Such cats are entertained by dripping faucets, always attempt to jump in the bathtub, and don’t mind getting under the rain.

Many cats are fascinated by water even if they don’t like getting wet but only observe it from a distance. They associate the flickering pattern of dripping water with prey movements.

Cats that love water include Sphynx, who need to be regularly bathed because they lack hair, Maine Coons, the dogs of the cat world, and Burmese, perhaps, the most curious and goofiest of all felines.

However, some Sphynx, Maine Coons, and Burmese cats may be afraid of water, and cats of other breeds may love it. Cats that got used to regular bathing from kittenhood are more likely to tolerate or enjoy the water in adulthood.

Show cats tend to be more tolerant to water because they must be bathed and groomed before every show to appeal to judges.

But if you decide to introduce a cat to a bath when it’s five years old, it likely won’t like the idea.

Are They Actually Afraid Of Water?

Cats aren’t afraid of water. They simply aren’t fans of it. Sure, some felines have a diagnosed water phobia, prevalently those with a traumatic experience related to water or those who are generally easy to scare.

Cats perceive water similarly to how humans perceive insects. Most people aren’t afraid of caterpillars or flies – they just find them disgusting. Cats also aren’t scared of getting wet but don’t find it particularly pleasant.

However, if your cat’s reaction to water is extreme, you should watch out for symptoms of water phobia.

If your cat hides, attempts to maul you, has dilated pupils, arches its back, puffs its tail, and growls from seeing water, the problem may require veterinary attention.

What Water Does To Cat Fur

Now, let’s get to the reasons cats hate water, or, more specifically, why they don’t like getting wet. Water weighs a cat down. Imagine swimming wrapped in a fuzzy blanket and having to walk in it until it becomes dry again.

Cats feel about the same. Water drenches their fur, making a cat feel heavy and unable to move with its usual agility. It’s an uncomfortable experience that hinders a cat’s natural lifestyle.

Furthermore, cats are fastidious creatures that spend nearly half of their day grooming themselves. Cleaning wet fur requires extra effort, and some cats may not like the taste of water on their hair.

Another factor in feline dislike for water is that they have little oil buildup on the fur. Because cats lick themselves regularly and their tongues are rough, they effectively remove natural oils and dirt without human help.

Oils repel water, so when a cat gets wet, the water soaks down to its skin due to a lack of barrier. In other words, cats feel wetter than dogs or humans, although wetness may be hard to evaluate.

Longhaired cats usually have a worse dislike of water than shorthaired cats because their fur takes longer to dry. Cats without an undercoat, such as Burmese, get dry very fast.

Unpleasant Experiences

Cats that had an unpleasant experience with water will despise it no matter what. If a kitten was physically forced to get a bath or was drowning, it might be afraid of water its whole life.

Many cat owners use water as a punishment. The spray bottle disciplining method has its pros – it’s effective in keeping cats from jumping on counters, scratching furniture, and chewing cords.

But by using a spray bottle as punishment, owners create negative associations with water in their cat’s head. Consequently, a cat starts to despise water in any form apart from drinking.

Interestingly, our use of water as punishment reinforces the stereotype of cats hating water. Perhaps, many cats that hate water would be much more tolerant of it if their owners didn’t think that water is the best punishment.

If your cat refuses to take a bath because of unpleasant experiences, you will need to put a lot of effort into building new, positive associations with water. It isn’t impossible, but it requires time and dedication.

Genetics

Scholars often explain feline dislike of water by evolution. Domestic cat ancestors, Arabian wild cats, lived in dry, arid environments and only used water for drinking. Although they embraced fishing once in a while, they never had to swim.

As a result, domestic cats evolved without knowledge of how to swim or how water can be beneficial. There weren’t many reasons for cats to learn it – swimming wasn’t an evolutionary advantage.

Interestingly, Sphynx, Tonkinese, Norwegian Forest cats, Burmese, and Siamese cat breeds that originated in countries with a moderately humid climate have higher water tolerance than Egyptian Maus or Persians that originated in arid climates.

Cats became domesticated about 12,000-8,000 years ago, but ancient people didn’t bathe their cats. The practice of bathing cats is a relatively recent one, so domestic cats didn’t yet have time to evolve to like water.

As opposed to Arabian wild acts, many other wild cat species often go for a dip. Tigers, leopards, jaguars, lions, and ocelots use water to cool off and hunt for prey.

The Sound Of Running Water

Some cat owners report that their pets don’t dislike water in general but display irrational fear of running water, be it tap water or shower. A cat scared of running water likely doesn’t mind getting wet but is anxious about the sound.

Noise phobia is a widespread problem among felines. Usually, it stems from kittenhood due to a lack of socialization. If a kitten was never exposed to everyday sounds of people and other animals, it might grow up fearful of noises.

Cats may also become fearful of noises later in life because of unpleasant experiences, hearing problems, and neurological diseases, such as cognitive dysfunction disorder, the feline equivalent of dementia.

If your cat is afraid of running water but not stagnant water, it may also display fear of fireworks, barking, thunder, hairdryers, vacuum cleaners, and kitchen appliances such as mixers.

Unfortunately, owners are often unaware of the problem because scared cats disappear with lightning speed. If your cat appears to be noise phobic and you need to bathe it, don’t pour water into the bath while your cat is around.

Make the bath while your cat doesn’t hear the water, then bring it to the bathroom. Don’t wash it under the shower, and don’t use a hairdryer. Instead, blot your cat with towels and let it air-dry.

Unfamiliar Water Source

Cats are naturally curious creatures, but they are also highly cautious and suspicious of everything unfamiliar. Every cat is used to seeing water in a bowl, but not every cat is accustomed to a bathtub, pool, or lake.

Like with everything unfamiliar, the cat’s initial reaction to a new water source may be fear. Such reaction is prevalent in indoor cats who never walk outdoors and have never seen a body of water larger than a dish.

If the first encounter with a bathtub or lake goes well for the cat, it likely won’t be afraid the next time. But if the cat has an unpleasant experience, it can develop feline hydrophobia.

Can Cats Swim?

Being washed in a bathtub is one thing, and swimming in a deep body of water is a whole different experience. Cats tend to avoid swimming, but can cats swim if they have to?

Despite a common misconception, cats can swim and do it instinctively.

Felines aren’t always good swimmers, but if a cat accidentally falls into the water, it likely won’t drown unless it starts panicking and can’t control its movements.

In fact, cats swim better than some dogs, such as bulldogs and dachshunds. Some domestic cats find swimming highly amusing and try to jump into the bathtub while the owner is taking a bath.

However, just because cats can swim doesn’t mean they should. Don’t teach your cat to swim if it doesn’t express any interest in it to avoid drawing negative associations with water.

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