Why Do Cats Hate Water So Much?

You Might Remember The Last Time You Gave Your Cat A Bath Due To The Traumatic Fight And Struggle You Endured.

A lot of cats hate water so much that the old expression was made: cats and water don’t mix.

So, why do cats hate water so much? To start off, not all cats hate water. Nevertheless, there are those cats that will move heaven and earth not to have to touch one drop of water.

For those cats who do hate water, what could be the reason behind their actions? Are you curious to know the answer? Thankfully, you’re on the right page. In this post, you’ll learn some of the reasons why cats hate water.

They Already Clean Themselves

Under normal circumstances, cats are known to be clean animals. They know proper hygiene and spend even a third of their day grooming themselves. Licking and fluffing their coat is one way for them to stop skin oils from building up on their fur.

For this reason, they really don’t need to take a bath. In fact, if you see your cat relatively clean, you can simply bathe them only once a week.

Cats Don’t Want To Lose Their Scent

Most people don’t realize this, but cats have numerous scent glands all over their body. These glands produce pheromones, which in turn, cats use to mark places, objects, and people. They also use pheromones for communication.

Frequent baths cause these pheromones to be washed away and cause a disruption in their natural way of interacting with the environment.

Water And Bath Make Can Cause Stress

Cats don’t generally understand why you are giving them a bath. They might perceive it as a threat to their well-being. The feeling of water rushing through their body could be mistaken as a way to drown them.

This experience is no doubt stressful for your cat. It makes them uncomfortable and nervous. No wonder they don’t like the water and they hate to take a bath.

Water Weighs Them Down

Feline’s fur is fluffier and less waterproof than a dog’s fur. Because of this, their wet fur traps a lot of water and this can weigh them down.

As you may have observed, felines are like soldiers who are always on the lookout for potential danger. They want to be in their top shape, ready to fight or run away at any moment.

This is something difficult to achieve if their fur gets heavy when it is drenched with water. It can take a long time for their fur to dry.

Chemical Sensitivity

Interestingly, cats are sensitive to odors. Researchers theorize that felines may not like the scent of chemicals from tap water. The situation can easily get worse once you bring out scented shampoos and cleaning agents.

Makes Them Cold

Cats want to stay dry and warm, as much as possible, not wet and clammy. Thick fur doesn’t dry easily when it’s wet. The wet feeling makes them feel cold and this is made worse as it takes quite a while for wet fur to get dried.

The Love And Hate Relationship

So, there you have it; the reasons that cats hate water.

Of course, like what was mentioned above, not all cats hate water. There are even cats who love to swim and get into the water.

With this in mind, you might need to readjust how you handle your feline friend. If they hate water, respect that and give them a bath only when necessary. If they love water, then good for them. You can both enjoy a good swim during the day.

If you need advice on how to take care of your cat, speak to your vet. Further research could also help.