If I am not mistaken, all wild cats love water. It also seems to me the more wild genes the cat has, the more it likes water. I have seen videos of cats catching fish from stream.
My favorite cat breed is Savannah cat, it is also known to love water because they are a cross between wild African cat and domestic cat.
Does anyone know why cat become hating water after generations of being a domestic animal? Their wild counterparts love water so much.
I would love to have a Bengal! They are so beautiful and have the prettiest coloring and spots. My animal board on Pinterest is full of pictures of them. I will probably never have one because I always come across a friend with kittens or something and get cats that way.
I remember as a kid, the neighbors had a pool and when they had some kittens one of the neighbor girls would toss one on to the tarp that was covering half of the pool and the kitten would swim back. It was quite a site, but I don't know if it really "liked" it. Probably not.
It's frustrating because our cats do not drink enough water. We leave a bowl of fresh water out every time next to the cat food. However, one prefers the shower water, while the other one will only drink water from the kitchen tap.
My cats never liked water.. they were Persian. They hated to have bath and would go into hiding the moment the word was mentioned. The easiest way to change their behavior was to spray a gun of water on them while they were at it.. They hated water so much.. I am amazed that you cats like water...Of course I have only had Persians.. never Bengals or Manx.
That's definitely excellent traits to have. Wolfy, my Russian Blue/Blue Tabby is a fan of water as well. We didn't know until we realized how excited he gets when we wash our hands in the sink, flush the toilet, or even take a shower. He was in love with the sounds. We have yet to put him in a small layer of water in the tub with toys to see what he does, but he definitely enjoys the sink water.
@CinnamonBear - That must be very cute to have your cat showering with you. Very odd, because you don't see that happen often, but very cute! How long until you knew that your cats were fans of water? Was when you first got them or was it later on when you began to put signs together?
@andrew320 - That's really inspiring. Maybe we should all drink from the kitchen tap. Less chemicals and more flavor, right? Hahaha! My neighbor had a cat that would only drink Arrowhead water. Any tap or other brand he wouldn't like. I didn't believe him until he showed us a "Water Test" with multiple bowls. It's quite fascinating.
My domestic cats hate water for the most part too. My 14 year old mutt cat (I have no idea what kind of cat he is), will sit under the facet in the bathtub and let the water drip on his head. I don't understand that at all. Especially considering he will freak out if we try to give him a bath. That is really interesting that wild cats love water though. I never knew that.
He meows like crazy if you dare run a bath or shower without letting him in - and jumps right in if you let him! When I first got him, I ran a bath - assuming it would be safe bc cats hate water, right? - wrong! I came back a minute later and he was in the bath playing with the ripples! Oh my goodness, it is so cute!, and now I know better than to leave him and watch him when we have water running anywhere!
He loves anything with water - he loves when I wash the floors so he can slide on the wet floor - loves the dishwasher? ( now if only I can get him to empty it? ;-)) - and any time he hears running water, he has to be right there checking it out - It is the cutest thing ever :-)
My cat sleeps in the sink. I'm not sure if he's waiting for me to turn on the faucet or if it's just a cool place to nap.
But he does love baths. I can fill the water up to about his chest and he'll just stand there while I shampoo him. Of course, the cat doesn't get a bath too often! So far, one in six months. Mostly because I'm sure it's not needed and I don't want to dry out his skin with frequent washings. But yeah, he plays in the water dishes, flicking water at the dog or at me!
I recently read, somewhere, that there are water cats and "non-water" cats - all having to do with breed and genetic history. In other words, some cats derive from wild cats that live or lived in a desert climate and will not be so attracted to water whereas other cats love it. With modern domestic felines unless you have purebred cats, well, you have to learn by discovery what the cat likes and doesn't like.
As for the drinking water, my theory is that in the wild cats go to multiple water sources in order to ensure they get enough minerals. Different places would have different mineral composition. So cats drinking out of every potential source (such as an uncovered toilet bowl!) makes a kind of sense.
I know there is a kind of cat fountain on the market that aerates the water and pours it into the bowl fresh but I don't know what it's called.
You are so lucky! My cats HATE HATE HATE WATER!! They are a docile breed that let me do pretty much anything too them, but they will not allow me to bathe them. They are Ragdoll cross / Ragamuffin cats (so I think, I got them from Craigslist) so maybe that breed is a non-water breed?
The funny thing is, if I am in the shower, my cats will follow me in and jump in with me and sit, but after ten minutes once they realise there is water they get out.
I have heard people say the reason cats don't like water is because they are "clean animals" and if they get covered in water, they basically have to re-clean their whole bodies with their tongue. Any thoughts on this?
My orange cat loves taking baths and will sometime jump in the shower with me when I am not looking. He is the very first cat I have owned who does that. My white Siamese cat however, hates baths but she will sit at the side of the tub to watch me every time I take one. And she likes to paw at the water.
