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I have two cats myself, a Siberian and a Maine Coon, neither of which like water. In fact, they detest it - like most cats. I was wondering what the reason for this was and if any of you have any interesting theories as to why this is the case.

Thanks in advance!

liam
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  • Quick note here : I agree with the questioner, and the accepted answer. I don't like to bring an old question out of zombie land but ... I recall seeing images of a tiger (i think it was) very happily charging into a pool of water when chasing after prey. No hesitation. So I wonder if different species have different levels of fondness? I know this is the case for dogs ~ we had a newfoudland, and she was impossible to keep dry if even the smallest puddle was seen, she was in it ! Other dogs are somewhat less aquatic, we now have a chihuahua that only likes to paddle ~ she doesn't like rain ! – DaveM Apr 08 '22 at 09:47

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First, some cats do like water. But it seems true (from personal observation and most people's opinion) that most cats don't.

The question has already been asked many times online. Just Google your question!

I doubt one will find peer-reviewed papers on the question but below is a summary of what seem to be the most often mentioned possible reasons I could find. Of course, these bullet points are very hypothetical and I don't know of any research presenting evidence for or against these hypotheses.

  • Their fur is not really adapted for the water and will very quickly become waterlogged and heavy making it uncomfortable.

  • Cats are generally speaking quite skittish

  • Cats may not like the odour of chemicals we put in the water.

  • Cats love to groom themselves. It is an aweful lot of work to do the grooming after a bath.

Note also that domestic cats are descendent from cats living in very arid areas. The most closely related species with cats are the African Wildcat living in Northern Africa, the Near East and around the periphery of the Arabian Peninsula.

Source

My non-peer reviewed sources are

Remi.b
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  • Thanks a lot for this helpful and comprehensive answer :) – liam Aug 07 '17 at 16:05
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    @Remi.b Your answer is literally copied from the following page, of which to me, is not credible and has no scientific basis whatsoever: http://www.petful.com/behaviors/why-do-cats-hate-water/ –  Aug 07 '17 at 16:17
  • @Remi.b "One is that the cat’s fur becomes waterlogged, which weighs down your cat ... your pet will be uncomfortable" ... "some cats may not like being submerged in water simply because they have never experienced it before, and cats are naturally skittish." ... "Cats are also sensitive to odors, and it is speculated that your cat may not like the scent of chemicals from tap water." –  Aug 07 '17 at 16:18
  • My answer is inspired from three different sources (incl. the one you cite), none of which are peer-reviewed. I doubt one will find a peer-review paper on the question. Nothing is presented as a fact but is rather hypothetical. I doubt one could find a peer-reviewed document on that question. The question has been asked thousands of times online so I guess we can either vote to close as homework question (as it lacks effort from the OP) or rephrase an answer along the same lines as other answers online. I just tried to clarified these points. – Remi.b Aug 07 '17 at 16:28
  • If the question can't be answered with science then it shouldn't be answered at all, is my understanding of this forum. Purely opinion based answers aren't welcome (again, from my current understanding of the site's policies), and just because a question is asked often, that doesn't grant violation of these guidelines. Yes, I vote to have this question be closed, due to the inability to provide a scientifically based answer. –  Aug 07 '17 at 16:38
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    A series of hypotheses has never been considered uncacceptable as long as they are logical, plausible, not based on false opinions and is clearly presented as a series of hypothesis and not as supported by any evidence. Consider this post for example. – Remi.b Aug 07 '17 at 16:48
  • @Remi.b All you did was regurgitate what the author of that page thought. I came across the exact same page when researching for this answer, and chose not to answer because of it having no scientific basis, at all. –  Aug 07 '17 at 16:54
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    Well, I am sorry you chose not to answer. Hypotheses are accepted as answers here (if labelled as such). Regurgitating what others say, is pretty much what we all do when answering a question. This is the whole point of saying things that make sense. We just have to be clear about whether we are giving hypothesis, loosely supported hypothesis or extremely supported hypotheses. IMHO, this is pretty much the only type of answer one can provide. Btw, I read more than one webpage and their hypotheses were often quite related. – Remi.b Aug 07 '17 at 16:59
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    You can open a meta.biology.SE post if you want to discuss whether my answer is on-topic by its nature or not but let's not further our discussion with more comments. It'll be interesting to see how other users see this issue. – Remi.b Aug 07 '17 at 17:00
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    Please see the following link for further discussion of this question/answer regarding the concerns that have been expressed in previous comments. https://biology.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/3739/if-a-question-has-no-scientific-findings-available-for-answering-is-it-okay-to –  Aug 07 '17 at 19:06
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    @Charles I added the sources. These are not the original webpages I used (I just don't quite remember what source I first used) but they are making the same claims and all are using the same vocabulary. The main interest in adding these sources is to avoid to be called for plagiarism. – Remi.b Aug 08 '17 at 19:13
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    @Remi.b Great, thanks. After reading the response of canadianer, I agree that your answer is (now) acceptable. I reversed my vote on your answer, given the recent addition of sources, and most especially you noting that they aren't peer-reviewed. :) –  Aug 08 '17 at 19:18