Why Do Cats Hate Water So Much? The Real Answer
2024 ж. 5 Қаң.
38 866 Рет қаралды
Why do cats hate water? In this video, we break down the main reasons why cats and water tend to be such a challenging match. You're going to want to watch this before you try giving your cat a bath! Read the complete guide on Cats.com: cats.com/why-do-cats-hate-water
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How does your cat feel about water? Do they hate it just as much as most other cats, or do they enjoy it?
My cat is about 14 years old and I have 2 bowls of water out for her. She drinks a lot of water. When I adapted her from outside on January 20 2011 she spent days sitting or sleeping by her water bowl.
Excellent video, awesome resource for correct info. Thank you so much! I've had my cat show up one day about a year ago, about this time of year. He was a kitten with his momma, and they decided they liked my home, and hopefully my being around too, which is when we became roomies. His mom decided she needed more space and went her own way, but the boy... My buddy, he's right here... And he's the sweetest guy ever, I swear! ❤ He's had one washing during the summer months, but otherwise he's got it covered. (P.s. it's amazing how much disinformation I soaked up from pop culture about cats! They like créme in a bowl, or they're very looft, and so on... My little guy defied a lot of those generalities... Except for the water thing... That one actually holds water, oddly enough.)
If it's really hot then my cat, Hammy, likes to have a cooling shower with luke-warm water. He happily stands in the shower while I lightly hose him down. As long as I don't get it on his face/head he seems to enjoy it
@@onyxstewart9587 Hammy is such a cute name! 😻
@@onyxstewart9587this makes sense because it's not the water thats the problem - cats get wet all the time when it rains! The problem is the AMOUNT of water people use to bath a cat is enough to drown one. Most cats don't know how to swim - and will thus panic just like a child would if they were suddenly tossed into a deep swimming pool by a adult with no clue how to keep themselves above water.
Two of mine hate water, but the third likes to go outdoors in the rain, get wet and then come back indoors, at which point he demands to be dried with his personal fluffy towel. I don’t think he particularly likes water, but he really loves the Fluffy Towel of Bliss❣️ 😂😂
Dang I need a fluffy towel of bliss XD I hate the rain I only wanna be wet when I wanna be wet. My friend calls it cat syndrome....
@@nervousbabbs2769 🤣🤣🤣
Same, my silly boy will always go out in the rain.
lol, my black cat likes to get rained on and then lick himself clean. His coat is very dense, so it takes a lot to actually reach his skin. Sometimes I try to dry him with a towel if he's really soaked and cold, but he doesn't like it. I once had an orange female with very little undercoat, so any drop of water would go straight to her skin and she hated it.
I gave my late cat named Puddy a bath, ONCE. Being a Siamese the neighbors heard her screaming across the street!! She grabbed the soap dish for dear life and my arms were quite bloody. After I took her out she looked so tiny all wet. She got out of the bathroom and disappeared before I could dry her off and did not appear until her coat was all dry and fluffed up. It was the last time we tried that!!
my kitten was covered in ants so we had to bathe her.
Please don't bathe your cat. It's not necessary at all. Cats are really clean animals. You only bathe them when they can not do it by themselfes anymore because they are too old, or too sick or depressed. And better way would be to take a wet rag instead of putting them in a full bowl of water. (Unless they have fleas or stuff like that) If they have a lot of dirt in their fur try to brush it out instead, only bathe them if it's really really necessary. I never understood people who bathe their cats. It got known because an awful internet thing to get clicks.
@@userbunny How to bath a cat without excessive blood loss. Mine was sick and couldn't take care of himself so I took a pan of warm water and a terry cloth. Dip a corner of the cloth in the water and wring it out as dry as possible then start on the face and head, gently rubbing with the cloth and petting them all the while telling them it's like mommies tongue. Dip, wring, rub... repeat... and leave more in each time as the hair gets fuller and dirtier as you go down.
There's viral video last year about vietnamese Lady showering her cat like she showering her kid. When that cat meow, she will start talking like a mom talking to her kid.
“My owner gave me a bath once. ONCE.”
I'm not sure if I accidentally trained my cat to like showers or if he genuinely thinks he has to watch me shower to make sure I don't drown lol but he's 15 now and enjoys me using the pulse on the shower head on him when I'm clean lol he also is infatuated with getting his ears cleaned he jumps on the bathroom counter when I clean my ears every 3 days haha we have a whole pampering routine. He's the sweetest big boy, his little sister panics when you turn a sink faucet on HAHA.
When I think of how sensitive my cats are to being petted in certain areas, I can only assume that a full-body bath would be overstimulating in the extreme! I never bathe my cats.
I never bathe my cats!
I had to give my cat a bath once when he was a kitten and got some flypaper stuck to him. He acted really freaked out and overstimulated at first, but after a minute he just shut down and stopped resisting. It was a little heartbreaking, like his spirit was crushed or something :P
I have two young cats who are OBSESSED with water. They will come running into the bathroom any time they hear running water, and stand on their back legs side by side at the tub, playing with the water that they can reach. One of them is particularly interested in showers and will perch on the edge of the tub between the shower curtain liner and the shower curtain. They have both tried to join me in the bath on numerous occasions, it's pretty hilarious. They play with the flushing toilet water, and they are always in the sink to bat around a stream of water with their paws when I'm trying to brush my teeth. It's very entertaining; and they'll probably grow out of it at some point, but it give me a lot of laughs now.
Bengal cats loves running water :) But one of our bengal cat kittens developed a very strange drinking habit, he would force his brothers head under the running faucet and drink the water from his face ;) But then he tried the same trick on his mom and she was not pleased and gave him a real beating... After that he never tried the same drinking trick again lol ;)
Mt cat likes to drink in the bathroom sinks faucet. She also likes to chase the water going down the drain during a shower. And yes she has to be in the bathroom when I'm in the bathroom.
Actually, cats used to like being in water. But then, after the invention of photography, they saw images of themselves and realized how ridiculous they look when they're wet. Now, with the growth of social media, this fear of water has escalated because they never know when someone might be around with a camera to post their dripping faces all over KZhead. It's hard to see a way out of this lol
best answer to why.
Best laugh I’ve had so far today 😂
THEORY CONFIRMED
LOL, so funny how Wessie said, "don't cuddle me"! My cat is the same. I tried doing the "shoulder cat" thing with him and he thought I was trying to kill him!!
I love the way my void plays in the water. Any faucet is a play toy for him. I would never do anything to stop him from playing in the bathroom sink. (Except turn off the water)
The only time I've ever bathed any of our cats were two of the rescues who were found as kittens. They had fleas and so were carefully lowered in a sink of warm soapy water. This forced many fleas up to the head and neck area where they could more easily be removed. This took about two or three sessions before they were flea free. Baths were never needed after that.
Dad had a fish pond in the yard. It had 1 " mesh over it to keep the birds and cats out. But he noticed that there were fewer and fewer fish in it. Then he also noticed that the cat was quite often wet, legs and belly, sometimes on the back and face... And one day he saw the cat sitting on the netting, pushing it below the surface of the water, waiting for a fish to swim through the netting ready for snack time!
A quick side note (and kudos) to the creator of this video - VERY well made video, without any silly dramatisation, excessive make-up (or any other such superfluous nonsense), AND without any of those awful background noises some folks call "music" and feel it just HAS to be added to the video. Which only distracts like a hell and drowns out the narrative. Instead, just simple facts and explanations, delivered at reasonable pace and in concise way. I wish more "content creators" on YT had as much commons sense as yourself.
Agree 100%. Well said!
My pal Guapo liked to go fishing in the pond in the park. His fur seemed more like an otter's that the water rolled right off. He would go for a swim and 5 minutes later you would not know he had gotten wet.
Cats with their hearing, and other senses are are extremely sensitive. Its part of what i love about them.
I once had a neighbour who had a very young cat and a fish pond. If he saw the cat trying to scoop out fish he would push him into the pond. Eventually the cat lost its fear of water and would jump into the pond after the fish. Ans that was the end of the fish pond.
My seven year old tabby doesn’t like water, though he’ll sit in the laundry room sink as the washer is agitating. As soon as he hears the water about to exit the washer into the sink, he jumps out, just barely escaping a soaking. He’s played this game this since he was eight weeks old.
My previous cat, Roxy, liked to sit out in the rain. One of my current cats, Colbie, likes to swat at and drink water from the faucet when I wash dishes. She gets pretty wet but keeps playing.
I hate rain myself, I hate to be wet ! Thanks to your video I just realized that I was a cat ! 😂
My gf said she wants me to start bathing my cats like they were dogs lololol I told her good luck with that! But one of my cats did legitimately need a bath after my other cat puked on her during a car ride. My cat isla smelled like half digested tuna for like 2 days before I put her in the bathtub; I had been trying wipes, but it wasn’t enough. She had been trying to groom it out of her fur, poor thing. Isla was VERY displeased with taking a bath, but she cooperated. I was very impressed tbh. I’d have EMS on standby if I tried to bathe my other cat lol
I use a plastic brush with the sponge backing, i use warm water and brush her, she seems to love it. It makes her very relaxed.
My cat loves the "brushy brush" BUT after he gets all bitey. I think it excites him too much so we keep the brushy brush session short. I know just how long we can go before he turns into a bitey cat.
Good points. I think a big one mentioned is control. Take a cat in the car without it's carrier or a leash. It will cling probably to your neck or shoulders because "why are you so calm?" Water is a big random mess. Loud noises etc all add to this as well. Makes sense.
Our male Bengal cat loved to get a towel massage when he has been out in the rain and gotten wet. He loved it so much that one day he went out again and did come in soaking wet 1 min later and he did this 3 times in a row. I went and looked out of the window and it was barely raining and no way he could have gotten that wet that fast... So he must have been going outside and stood under the rain drain for the roof showering to get wet so he could get more towel massages lol ;)
I had a pixie bob cat that loved water. She would chase a spray of a garden hose in the back yard. She would hop in the bathtub behind the shower curtain whenever I took a shower in that bathroom, and would join me in the shower stall placing herself in the spray shadow. Alas poor Jewel, I left the basement door open, she got out without her invisible fence collar, and was never seen again. Given coyotes in the openspace... the assumption is she became a snack for the wildlife.
Our Lotus sits outside the shower door and cries cries cries til my husband is done showering She gets very protective and worried about him being doused. 🐱 Thanks very your informative videos!
One of my cats loves to play in the water. Slapping her paws in it or pulling apart her water fountain. She also is very curious whenever we turn on water or take a shower.
Widget, my in-and-out American shorthair, seems totally indifferent to water - lots of water. When we get particularly heavy rainfalls and Widget comes inside, he couldn't be more wet than if you tossed him in a tub full of water. I always dry him off before he can hit the food bowl, but as soon as he's done eating out he goes back into the rain. I sometimes think he's got fishing cat genes in his lineage because when it comes to water Widge couldn't care less how much or how often.
🎉
Interesting topic. My cat loves to hang out in the bathroom with me while I'm in the shower. I think she enjoys soaking in the warmth of steam from the running hot water. She's strictly an indoor cat, so I have never had the need to bathe her. I also imagine cats are naturally not very good swimmers.
It's also a good idea to have a 'running water' type fountain for the cat to drink from - cats prefer drinking running water as it's 'fresher' and less likely to be stagnant.
Great insight to see it from their perspective. Thanks 😸
Great video! I had a Russian Blue (now with my mother) who loved water for some reason. I take a shower? He clawed at the big plastic see-through shower door and demanded to be let in... 😅 Now I have 2 other Russian Blue cats, and they dislike it... immensely... I got to take care of the cat of a friend of mine while she was moving to a new house, and he was in the process of a urinary tract issue. He smelled so bad, and I had to shower him weekly... poor thing, but he got used to it 😎 To this day, when I visit my friend, this cat allows me to pick him up and coddle him in my arms like a baby. My friend herself can't even do that 😇 Showering with the cat was more about protecting myself. Thick disposable old jackets but no gloves. I did clip the tip of his nails, though. Otherwise I would've had a few more scars to explain...
Always appreciate your videos. They are based on facts and research, and I trust your knowledge.
My orange lad will actually walk around in a tub of water. I ended up looking for mechanical fish he could follow around and watch. Our brindle tabby on the other hand, is the very much stereotypical cat of 'don't take me near that' but he also stands outside the bathroom and screams half the time when I take a shower. I decided that at the very least I want them comfortable enough to trust me. I only ask that they stand in a low tub of water and let me hold them there briefly. This way if fleas, or anything ever happens that they HAVE to be bathed, it won't be so traumatic in that moment, because we've explored that before.
Thank you for this information. I wish more people knew more about cats.
I have never given my cats a bath. I don’t understand why anybody does, unless the cat isn’t, for some reason, grooming itself. Thanks for this video - I hope it dispels the myth that you need to bath your cat!
We had an older cat that pooped on itself so that would be one reason. If a cat simply got into the mud you wouldn’t want them grooming themselves, let alone run around the house.
I once tried to give my cat a bath when he was like 8 weeks. I got him from the shelter and he REEKED, STANK, OMG. I nearly died that day. Same cat…. Puts entire paw in waterbowl “elbow deep” to “wash his hands”, goes into the rain…. then comes over to complain until I dry him off, then goes into the rain again…… one time this happened three times in one hour…. My cat is so weird.
I had a previous GF whose cat would sneak in the bathroom and meow to be let in the shower. LOL, that cat was a delightful nut bag.
They are willing to compromise, though. I vacationed next to a pond one time, and several times we saw a cat that dove into the water and came out with a pretty decent-sized fish! With a cat, it's always about THEIR motivations!
My sixty plus years of daily interaction with cats gives me a lot of data, all of which confirms virtually everything you say in this video. Moreover, this is a message that I believe needs to be shared for the sake of the cats! Thank you from all of my cat friends!
my cats are indoor cats since they were a couple of weeks old babies. i bathed them only the first time they entered our home and thats it. that was like 7 / 8 years ago for most. the littlest one I dont even think I bathed when I brought her into the house. She was so clean and friendly that its clear she probably got lost from an indoor situation and I found her less than a day after she escaped/ got lost. I did check her for fleas and she got the next day a deworming and stuff, but after so many cats that I've rescued, she was obviously an indoor cat who just stepped outside and neither me or our vet saw any warning signs with her. they are all in perfect health, checked regularly. so unless its absolutely necessary, please don't bath cats unnecessarily. they do a way better job at doing that to themselves than most humans do. honestly i experienced way more disgusting humans than cats. maybe we should take some lessons from cats.
I have 2 long hair kittens that have had intermittent tummy troubles. We have gotten generally a lot more comfortable with baths, though if I can use a few wet and dry cotton pads, I'll opt to do that. The thing that really freaks my one kitten out, more than the shower sprayer or even the hair trimmer, is the dryer. That is where the majority of my bath-related wounds have come from. The shorter haired cats received a few baths to get them used to it and now are back to only receiving emergency baths when necessary.
Our cat enjoys warm water baths!!
its definitely based on the individual and also a lot of not being exposed to it. I did have a sphynx and bathed him regularly and he really liked chilling in a warm bath especially when he felt cold. The rest of my cats weren't exposed much before we got them so they hate it. It even works with birds. they should love bathing in water as its a natural instinct, but I adopted a cockatiel once and she HATED water and I could never get her to bathe because she hadn't been bathed enough by her previous owners. There are even dogs that hate water and its probably due to not being exposed to it enough.
Very helpful 🤗😺
loved the video
There are also Fisher Cats, which hunt fish both from river banks, and by diving into the water.
Unless it's an emergency ( say the get into a toxic substance, etc.) I think it's cruel to bathe cats. I have the same feeling regarding clothing. Just cruel.
Great video
I'd love for you to tell the owners of many long haired breed cats that they don't need to bathe them when their fur is constantly getting matted, which is awful for the cat, or when the cat is constantly getting waste stuck in their fur. These owners absolutely SHOULD get those breeds used to bathing from an early age.
Recently followed a groomer specialised in cats who made me think about the importance of at least getting them used to being in water, even better bathed once in a while. You never know what could happen when they get older, they might need to get washed very often or they might get something stuck on them. If they’re not used to it it’s going to be almost impossible to wash them when you need to
My current cat has only had a bath when she tangled with a sticky fly trap. Even had to cut off some fur. She's now informed us that she prefers to drink out of a glass, rather than a bowl.
I had a friend who had a long haired Persian that demanded to be regularly bathed. And that's the only cat I've ever known that liked water.
My cat hates water. She's had one bath. She probably would have liked to kill and eat my wife and I for giving her said bath. Truly, she was not a happy cat. She went all defensive, rolled onto her back and suddenly realised she was now lying in 3 or 4 inches of water. She howled and was stiff as a board until it was over. She did like the warm towels and attention afterwards. So, because we care about her and also value having eyeballs in our heads, we haven't tried to give her a bath ever again.
My late sphinx didn't like bathing at all, but he loved being wrapped up in a towel like a burrito l and being carried around afterwards
Wessie, looks just like my Clary Bell. Nice video ❤
Clary Bell must be gorgeous! Thanks for commenting.
I had a long hair calico that decided to start swimming in a pond when she was around 5
I make my baths a ceremony. Snacks, tea, tablet with Netflix, maybe candles if I'm in the mood. My cat will sit through all 3 hours on the edge of my bath tub. She'll balance around the rim a couple of times. And she'll stick in the tip of her paw. But all hell breaks lose when ever she slips a hind leg and gets her whole paw wet. Couple of minutes later she'll be back and assist my bathing ceremony. But to be fair, if I had her fur which is as soft as a light cloud, I'd be super sceptical of anything altering the state of my fur too.
I only showered my cats in the tub, never bathed them (no "standing" water). They disliked it. It was quite funny to shower three cats together in a tub and making sure they do not escape. It was a challenge. One cat was clearly dissatisfied, but endured the "torture", one was very loudly complaining all the time, the third one runs away from me the instant she sees me (she lives at my parents house), because she associated the presence of me with showering, as I am the only one who did it. I was never scratched intentionally by our cats. Even though they all try to get out the bathtub, and occasionally the escaped (only to the bathroom floor), and used their claws extensively. The two older cats died of old age, the third is also pretty senior, having lost some teeth already. I have a young cat at home in my flat. I gave her a bath once, when I moved her in. She does not get any parasites or dirt when living in a flat, so bathing is not needed. The house cats were kept mostly in a room between the garage and house, that is heated to a lesser degree than living spaces and has access to the garden. They rarely go inside the house.
“Breeds” that do well in water seems to be tigers. Clearly this is due to their evolution in their habitat. My daughter’s cat seems to prefer drinking from a slow trickle from the kitchen sink or tub even if this means getting wet on his head. Likely he prefers the smell of the running water versus stagnant water in a bowl. Our other cat will drink from a bowl.
Also consider survival instinct. Small cats are not even close to apex predators. Small cats are very slow in water compared to their predators. Wolves, raptors, and other predators are able to catch small cats much easier if they are swimming. If you train your cat to be used to water so much that they readily play and swim in it, and you are in an area where there are predators that prey on cats, then you just asking for heartache if it goes outside on its own.
My cat loves water and plays with ice cubes in the tub that has water. I never trained the short haired cat . I realized it loved water when it would sit In the gutter water receiver and play with the water gushing from the gutter during rainstorms.
I remember once my sister had this white cat that actually liked sitting in the bathtub playing with toys. It was cool buy definitely surprised us.
We never bathe our cats unless in a situation for example when they've made a mess out of themselves being in the cat carrier. Bathing the cat hasn't been a pleasant experience for either the cat or the one (usually me) unfortunate enough to carry out the task. Also from what I notice a cat keep a grudge for a very long time! These suggestions you mentioned was very helpful and I'll pass them on to cat owners I know, thanks!
My cats don't hate water. They don't freak out. I didn't worked with them long enough to get them to swim, but I did get them to accept water. They'll bat at water in the sink, they will even use their water dish to rinse off their paws if they need to. They'll go outside after a rain to play in the grass (although after a heavy rain, they'll wait a while). They will go outside during a drizzle, but not anything more. When they were kittens, we put toys in the sink and we made it 100% their decision. If they wanted to bat at the toys, they could. We never forced it on them- just provided the fun and watched them.
I've had about 35 cats over the years, several insisted upon showering with me, one liked to sit in the tub as it filled. Most didn't care about rain, and most weren't very difficult to bathe, so long as it wasn't abrupt.
i have known several cats who loved water Ardra a cat in a rescue She loved baths. 2 neighbors on had a cat who swam in the pool ( with a person and another leo he went in and out and when he was out he ran thru the sprinklers chasing it like a string and my cat Dear Heart she had CH and loved a bath because she would rather be clean that to have pee on her ( sometimes this happened because of her CH
My cat is one of a kind then... Whenever I lose him inside my house, I just turn on any tap and as soon water starts flowing, he appears from wherever he was hiding to go check the water and starts to play with it... I even get my hands wet and start to sprinkle onto his face (gently of course) and he starts to purr so loud, truly enjoying.... 😂 I had to try out like 4 different water fountains because he managed to open the top cover of every single one of them then jump inside splashing everywhere, so I got one made for crazy Mainecoons, huge and bulky, this one he can't destroy and play 😅
All 4 of the sphynx I've had through the years have hated water. They don't go crazy in water or try to hurt me, but they were and are definitely unhappy. Which sucks because you do need to wash them . They love to groom each other but completely suck at cleaning themselves. 😂
My cat Ms. Roger Kitty used to come into the bathroom and sit on the edge of the tub, dipping her paw into the water and sometimes washing her face.
My tuxedo cat, Fred loved warm baths (he would jump in when I was taking a bath), but when he accidentally fell into the fish tank, he shrieked, leapt out, and ran away to hide. He also loved walking in warm rain. So, I suppose he just hated _cold_ water.
The British stray or feral are practically a tree otter.
I plan to try to train my cat a bit for being comfortable with some bathing, even if its just for an occasional spot clean. I just believe that an animal should have some experience before you are FORCED to bathe an un-desensitized cat (like for fleas or age or injury). That cauaes panic in the animal, but if theyve seen the process a bit, with lots of positive associations, maybe it could lower stress levels. I also plan to do happy trips to my vet to try to help lower some stress for both the car in general and the vet!
Sooooo pretty!
I never bath my cat but worm shower without any soap did a job. First time really hate that, but after that he chose water and stay at home vs stay outside. (he often disappears for week or two so not a problem)
I bathed my cat once- when we first rescued him from outside because he was gross. The closest he gets now to a bath is when he voluntarily enters the shower to swat at the stream.
I have two cats unrelated and when i pull the bath plug out they jump in, just an inch or so, then shake their paws when they get out.
My Royal Ashera loves water. He doesn't like it if I shut him out of the bathroom when I'm getting a shower. He wants to get into the shower with me. 😄 My Chantilly Tiffany mix will stick her paw into water and play with it.
Is it ALL bengals who like water? My bengal throws a tantrum if he's not let into the shower (after I've washed so he doesn't get soap on him). I've noticed that the hair on his back is a bit hydrophobic though. At first, water seems to bead-off. But in any case, he will stand right under the shower jet until he is completely soaked... so it's clear there's no discomfort for him to being wet. Once he's had enough, he just lets me know by a meow. Then he comes out of the shower and waits to be dryed with a towel. I've heard many stories of bengals liking water, playing in water, swimming... but I don't really know why that is.🤔 BTW, him loving water so much made it impossible to leave a water bowl with his food for him to drink from. As soon as there's a bowl of water, he will just play in it and splash it all around. So I need to leave a trickle of water running in the bathtub when I leave for work or the weekend. And the rest of the time, when I go into the bathroom, he asks for me to get water running so he can drink (and sometimes play in it as well...).
well we had a cat many years ago - did not like rain but our neighbour never found out that it was her who fished in his pond and well we found a half eaten fish in our garden >15cm(more than a half foot) large...as far as i know there was not really a way to get to fish without jumping into the water...
My cat likes his bath tub filled up, to a certain temperature and me to be pouring the water on his body constantly while bathing him. The entire process takes 5 minutes and then let's me do the rest of his grooming duties. Not to mention I shave him before his bath.
I normally never bathed any of my cats, except for very few times (less than five over like 20 yrs) when they got dirty with something they shouldn't lick off themselves - just as recommended here. The method I used was to designed make it as quick and "non-noticeable" for the cat as possible - this helps a lot in getting it done BEFORE the cat could react (and start to fight against it). So first I prepared TWO buckets, about 20 litres/ 5.5 gallons each (the cat was 5+ kg/ ca 12 lbs US) and filled them with lukewarm water - that is a water which temperature is as close to cat's body temperature as possible. This helps mitigate/ reduce to absolute minimum any "thermal" effects that could spook the cat. (Water takes away, or adds the heat from - or to - the body twenty times faster than air does, and that's for naked body, not taking cat's coat into the account - 2°C/ 4°F temperature difference of air is barely noticeable, but when you dive in a wetsuit and go through thermocline like 28°C to 26°C it feels as if someone just poured a bucketful of chilly water all over you.) Anyway, I added to the water in one of those buckets "just enough" of mild baby shampoo to get the washing more efficient, the other bucket contained plain water, for rinsing - you know, "wash and rinse" (but DO NOT repeat ;-) Then I took the cat and held him in my arms for a moment, to get him relaxed, then I took him under his front paws with my both hands, him facing myself, and keeping my arms spread apart as much as possible - this reduces the risk of being hurt should the cat decide to use his hind legs "for defence". Then in one decisive but GENTLE swoop the cat was placed in the bucket, and before he could actually comprehend what's going on (and decide/ gather his will for a fight) I gave him few quick rubs on his coat to get as much of the dirt off as possible, then when I saw he's getting scared and ready to react (watch the eyes - pupils will dilate before an attack) I lifted him out of the bath (which sorta calms the cat, to a degree at least) - and then another quick dip in the next bucket for a cursory rinse (BOTH buckets were placed next to each other, in a bathtub). Then the cat was placed, right away, in a thick and big bathing towel (prepared, obviously, beforehand and placed just next to the bathtub), wrapped into it (just don't cover cat's head) and dried with the towel as much as possible. It worked, although the cat in question (or "in a bath") was rather docile one, who's spent his entire life under human care, so this method may or may not work with your cat - and for more temperamental ones I'd certainly recommend a thorough wiping the coat with wet towels - bunch of small "travel" towels, 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 in) or smaller ones. Just like that lady in this video does.
Hi mallory, does cat water fountain has benefits? Does it make them wanna drink more? Thank you for your work all this time!
Yes, many cats prefer to drink moving water, and a fountain can also help the water to stay cleaner for longer compared to a regular bowl.
@@AllAboutCatsYT thanks!
You missed mentioning that people in hot climates should know that cats who get too hot may die of heatstroke - and one fast way to fix it is to wet your cat! But the trick is to do it the right way as most cats are naturally going to freak out because they problem isn't water - its that people often put cats in a full bath which is terrifying for anyone who doesn't how to swim! The trick is to think of how you'd wash a baby and only use a inch at most of cool (for heatstroke) or warm water then get ready with towels and go fetch your cat, making sure to close the door. Gently - but firmly place the cat in the centre of the tub away from any edges to wet their paws while giving them a reassuring squish - keeping them away from you and the edges of the bath. Many cats will try to escape - but keeping them firmly in place will avoid the claws and you can keep holding them until they settle when they realise that they won't drown. Once ready you can simply use the other hand to gently spoon the water over them making sure to alway keep one hand holding them in place at all times and keep their head as dry as possible. While the cat may not like it the experience this way of washing a cat mimics how they would get wet when out in the rain and is far less scary than being forced into a giant pool of water. So think of it more like a shower then a bath. If you just want to cool down a cat on a hot day to get them to drink water a easy fix is to give them a quick wipe down with a wet cloth as they'll immediately want to groom to wash it all off. Using less water and brushing it onto their fur means you can control how much they get wet and means you're less likely to mess up their natural smell or risk them being poisoned or afraid...plus it saves water and the huge mess and violence that can happen when cats really REALLY don't want to have a bath.
When I used to have a cat, on very hot days I would turn an ice cold shower on, then while holding my cat tightly, I would dunk her under the water for five seconds and let her go. She hated it while it was happening, but once she realised this was cooling her overheated body, she grew to accept it when I did this frequently on very hot days.
I have had a lot of cats in my life over 19 little souls , They have never minded a bath, The one tip I have learned that what feels warm to us is COLD to them, So I would suggest to turn the hot h2o up a little more. And your cat will feel better about a bath. Just think of their normal body temp.. It truly makes sense that folks are bathing their cats in COLD water. Heck I don't like a super cold bath..
Crocodiles live in the water in the part of Africa that came from.
I take a paper towel, fold it into 4 or more layers and wet it (plain water only!), then squeeze it till its basically a little more than damp and then wipe down my cats coat. Following this I use a cat brush and give them a good brushing which they really like. The end result is a clean and very soft cat. It really helps with the areas a cat cant get to or find difficult to get to. Both of my Siamese cats do not mind this procedure at all. I do all this every few weeks
Most cats that I've had (around 20 through 50 years) have LOVED water... as long as it's THEIR choice to play with it or even bathe in it. I've never had a Turkish cat - can't, too much dander - but I've been around them... that breed loves water at a level that even rivals a Chessie (Marylander here,. CBR are great dogs)! I believe that a very important aspect of why cats dislike water has to do with their reliance on gravity. Cats have incredible senses of gravity and proprioception, and they rely on gravity's constant pull to know what's what. Water which is deep enough to counter natural gravity reduces a cat's sense of itself and its security. For example, my Franny (RIP, age 22 last year) LOVED resting in the sink and having one of her staff (humans) turn the faucet on full. However, she HATED water that was deep enough to require swimming. Lastly, a joke with a point to it. Why do cats hate natural water from streams, ponds, and such? Hey, you would too if you had to use your tongue as your washcloth!!! Hahahahaha..l Great video again... 7 for 7 so far.... thanks!!!
If live where it gets really cold water will freeze and become ice. My yard is covered with snow which is frozen water also.
Interesting facts I don’t know when I bathe my cats in years sometimes I wipe them with vinegar but bathing them forget it?! I don’t look forward to that.
We had one cat that absolutely loved water (a small calico rescue) to swim in. Another that liked running faucets/showers. One who plays in it. But yeah, most the cats I know do not care for water.
My husband and I adopted two black kittens from the shelter knowing they had ringworm. Part of the treatment was a bath with medicated soap once a week for 4 weeks. This was not fun for anyone from our two 3 month old panthers to my husband and I. We are so happy to never ever have to do this again especially since they are both now over 10 pounds.
What my outdoor cat has taught me is that the proper solution is dust bathing.
They do love to jump into snow thought :)
Have you reviewed cat calming products?
These aren’t domestic, but it’s interesting to look at the adaptations of Indian fishing cats, which look close to the morphology of a domestic cat. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishing_cat
I had to give our kitten a bath because fleas, I still have 2 long scars on my neckline from this
Growing up with cats we shared one common trait.... We didn't like taking baths.
Hi from Tokyo, Japan 😊 I have 4 Cats. Ages in ( ) brackets. Black Tabby male. Vet says he's around (16), a stray who followed me home from a park in 2009. Pure White odd eyed female (10) from a animal shelter as a kitten in 2013. Kalico "Mikke" Scottish Fold female (8) as a Kitten from a Breeder in 2015. Norwegian Forest Cat male (4) as a Kitten from a Breeder 2019. The Black Tabby LOVES Water... If I am taking a Shower or Bath, he jumps right in. Follows me everywhere and usually on my lap when sitting down anywhere. White Cat tolerates water and doesn't mind being washed, and if I am taking a Bath (but not a Shower) she wants to get in as well. Kalico Scottish Fold also follows me around, tolerates water, so giving her a bath is not a problem, but doesn't get in Bath or Shower with me. The Norweigen LOVES Water as well.. So when I Shower or Bath, I usually have 2 to 3 Cats in with me 😂 I didn't train any of my 4 Cats, so I was curious why they all liked/tolerated it so much. But I had previously 2 other cats, who HATED Water.. LOL.
You can tempt your cats into drinking more water by making catnip tea, Warning you almost want to put it in a deep plate cause they will rub on the dish. heat some water up, doesnt have to be boiling put cat nip in it let soak for five to 10 minutes. Strain add cold water to make it luke warm about 50/50 mix (why the longer steep is great, and more nip then in a normal tea bag). Done