FunNature & AnimalAre cats afraid of water? (Myth or Reality)

Are cats afraid of water? (Myth or Reality)

Most domestic cats have an aversion to water. Some may have tried it if they fell into a bathtub full of water. But others may never have had contact with her.

It is assumed that this fear and/or aversion to water is due to the fact that they are animals that have evolved in dry and arid climates , and without contact with rivers or lakes. So water is only related to drinking.

On the other hand, cats spend much of their time grooming and taking care of their hair, so another hypothesis would be that they don’t want to get wet to prevent the water from weighing down their hair. In fact, we can see how a cat begins to lick its fur the moment it gets dirty or wet with something.

Also, cats that love to be in control of the situation and feel unprotected in the water.

Although, on the other hand, we can also see cats that play with their paws with the tap water, so it can be suspected that in this case , by getting only their paws wet, it is something tolerated.

Apart from all this, we may have acquaintances who explain to us, and even show us videos of how they bathe their cats. This is due to the fact that if they are educated from a young age that bathing is something pleasant, and that it does not cause stress, there are some cats that are going to have a great time taking a good bath.

How do I get my cat used to bathing?

The first thing we should know is that it is not necessary to bathe our cat. They are very clean animals that carry out their daily hygiene by grooming themselves.

If despite this, we have decided that we want to teach our kitten to bathe, we must bear in mind that it must be him, and not us, who decides to enter the water of his own free will. We can offer you to enter an area with very little water so that you can feel the water on your legs and decide if you want to go further or not. The main thing at this time is to respect their decisions.

If we force him, and we see that he does not move, we can fall into the trap of thinking that he is enjoying the bath, and this is not the case. Cats have a learned helplessness response, in which they sit still to try to make the stressful moment pass as quickly as possible.

This stillness does not indicate that the cat is enjoying herself, but rather that she prefers not to move. And this behavior is learned over time.

At the slightest suspicion that your cat is having a hard time, it is best to stop and stop trying. But if you have doubts, you can make a video and show it to a veterinarian with knowledge in feline behavior, who will tell you if he is enjoying it or, on the contrary, if it is an ordeal for your cat.

What do I do if my vet has prescribed a shampoo for my cat and it won’t go away?

There are some skin diseases in which it is necessary to resort to shampoo therapy. Veterinarians, aware of the cat’s aversion to water, usually avoid these situations. But, there are times when it may be essential for the well-being of the cat. For example, a cat with diarrhea that stains the whole thing, and you want to wash it to prevent it from staining the whole house.

In this case, the ideal is to take a whole morning or afternoon. Yes, yes, whole, to go slowly . The more relaxed we are, the more relaxed our cat will be.

If the cat is small, you can take advantage of a basin of water and start by just wetting it with a damp cloth. To go little by little wetting with water. This may not be achieved, in fact the most frequent thing is that it is not achieved in the first afternoon, but rather it is a training job several times.

Rinsing is usually one of the most critical points, since we are going to use much more water to drag the soap that we have used. It is essential to avoid using the shower at first, because running water can scare our cat. So we will go, again, little by little, wetting our cat, until it is completely clear.

As we have mentioned before, there are cats that eventually end up enjoying this type of bath. Of course, they are cats that since they were little have been allowed to investigate at their own pace and thus get used to it.

Why am I afraid of dogs?

Have you ever wondered why there are people who are afraid of dogs even though they have never had a bad experience with a dog?

Find out if you are more of a dog or a cat

Are there really differences between people who prefer dogs to cats? Find out.

Teach your puppy not to bite your hands in a simple and practical way

We all have assumed that a puppy will chew furniture and shoes. But when those needle-like teeth stick into our skin, it's not so much fun. It can be avoided?

I am going to be a mother and I have a dog. How do...

It is usually a very common question: What can we do when we have a dog and a baby is coming home?

Can a dog help me with depression?

My dog arrived at the time I needed it most. Have you ever heard this phrase? In this article we explore whether living with a dog can help us get out of depression and improve our mood.

More