Cats and dogs. They have fur, four legs, a tail, eyes, a nose, a mouth, and the ability to wake you from the best night’s sleep. So, how can we tell the two apart? Well, while the dog is friendly and dependent, the cat is moody and independent. And if you’re asking if there is another way to tell them apart? Yes, there is! Put them in the pool.
Dogs take to swimming like a fish to water. Most dogs love to swim. There is even a swim stroke called the Doggy Paddle. Ever hear of a cat paddle? Maybe kitty cat paddle or feline paddle? Nope. Cats don’t go in the water. That’s how we can tell them apart from dogs – that and a cat’s default personality is set on secretly plotting an end to humans.
So, according to experts in felines, there are three reasons why cats don’t like to swim, and should not put them in a swimming pool:
3 Reasons Cats Don’t Like to Swim
- Behaviorally cats are less tolerant of change and new experiences than, say, the dog. A cat who doesn’t get exposed to water will not like the feeling of having their body drenched. On the other hand, if a cat gets trained with water as a kitten, it will be more receptive to it.
- Cats are fastidious creatures. Grooming is their pastime, and they don’t like to get involved with anything that doesn’t smell normal on their coat. So, don’t even think of bathing them. They will be mad at you for creating double the work for them.
- Cats are not an ocean or river-dwelling creatures.
Although they love the smell and taste of fish, they are creatures of dry arid areas. Unless a situation happens where they go into a survival mode, most cats will not swim.
Some Cats Love the Water
But not so fast! There are those felines that hang out in the jungle and love the water. Tigers and Jaguars love to swim, and they take a dip in the lake to refresh themselves. Just when Siegfried and Roy had their white tiger show in Las Vegas, they made sure they had a swimming pool just for them.
And some cats love the water, but there is only one that takes the prize; the Turkish Van.
According to a Turkish legend, the cat swam ashore from Noah’s Ark after the vessel came to rest in Mount Aranat. This creature, also known as “the swimming cat,” loves to play in the water, and the Turkish Van will take any body of water available; this means from your toilet bowl to your swimming pool. But this breed can be a bit not-so-intelligent, so make sure it swims.
As a pool owner, make your pet cat’s safety a top priority when you bring them home. All cats are capable of swimming, but compared with dogs, for example, most prefer not to. Just because cats have some innate swimming ability doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take precautions. Graceful, competent swimming won’t come easily to a cat who’s gone their whole life without being submerged in water.
Although they can swim if they fall in, cats that are unaccustomed to water may be weak swimmers, and at risk of drowning, so water safety is imperative. If your cat does like to go for a paddle, or even a swim, make sure there are plenty of places where they can easily climb out of the water.