Do cats like water?

Do cats love water? There's a lot of discussion about the relationship between cats and water , often leading to confusion and incorrect conclusions that harm the animal. Let's start with two premises: cats have a complicated relationship with water, but that doesn't mean they hate it. Second, cats need to drink plenty of water, like dogs, to maintain proper fluid balance in their bodies.

Cats have a love-hate relationship with water. The fundamental reason why cats tend to stay away from water, almost to avoid it, is a sort of genetic inheritance, a primal instinct that dates back to the early days of feline domestication. Added to this is the fact that contact with water, from a cat's perspective , is likely unpleasant, both tactilely and sensorially.

Index of topics

Why cats don't like water

In ancient times, cats have always lived in arid and dry places: forests, steppes, prairies, and savannas. However, far from the sea and water. Most of the cats we have in our homes descend from those felines that lived far from water, which has thus never been part of the evolutionary consciousness of cats.

Why cats don't like to take baths

To this ancestral question, there's also a very practical aspect: cats, unlike dogs , don't like bathing in water. A cat's coat is resistant, but if it gets wet, it becomes very heavy. The cat then feels inflexible and slow, and is no longer insulated from the cold. It's uncomfortable, as Kelley Bollen, one of America's leading experts on animal behavior, has well explained. Finally, according to Bollen's studies, cats know how to wash themselves, and spend a lot of time cleaning their coats with their tongues. This releases odors onto their coats that serve to mark their territory and communicate with other cats. If water gets in , these odors disappear from the body, which annoys and disorients the cat.

How much does a cat drink?

On the other hand, cats do enjoy drinking: it's best to always leave water available in a large bowl, separate from the food bowl. Ceramic or stainless steel is best, as plastic alters the taste of the water, which cats dislike. The amount depends on several factors: the ambient temperature, the type of food the cat eats, its physical activity, and its nutritional status. Cats, contrary to popular belief, have evolved to need a lot of water every day, more than dogs . They are also very sensitive to the taste of water: to us, it has no flavor, but to them, it's a tasty drink . In any case, keeping your cat hydrated is essential for several aspects of their health:

Prevents urinary tract infections and kidney stones in cats
Ensures the proper functioning of vital organs, such as the kidneys and liver
Ensures good digestion
Regulates the cat's body temperature, especially in the warmer months
Makes urine fluid

Breeds that love water

Some cat breeds not only aren't afraid of water, but actually seek it out. These include:

The Turk Van, a cat of Turkish origin who loves swimming and playing in the water.
Il Maine Coon It is a large dog, weighing between 6 and 10 kilos. It loves water and snow, where it is perfectly at ease, even for playing.
The Norwegian Forest Cat It is a breed of cats with shiny, heavy coats, even accustomed to accompany hunters when fishing in rivers: hence their peculiar passion for water.
The Siberian, the Abyssinian, the Japanese Bobtail, the Manx, and the Bengal they are all considered cats aquatic.

How to bathe your cat

Considering all the necessary premises, and after examining in detail the relationship between cats and water, we can conclude that cats can be bathed . Without exaggeration or obsession, and without wasting unnecessary industrial products. But simply with warm water, as we explain here.