Mary Allen
Water pistols and spray bottles are used by some cat owners as punishment if the velvet paws have done something wrong. Many house tigers shy away from water and do not want their fur to come into contact with the cool water – even a drop on their paw can cause massive discomfort. But why is that?
Cats Protect Their Fur From Water
It is the cat fur that the velvet paws want to protect from the water. The coat and grooming play a big role for every cat. They, therefore, clean it several times a day and make sure that it is tidy and that everything is in place. Water changes cats’ fur, and kitties don’t like it when they lose control of their hair. The sensitive structure of the fur reacts to water with adhesions and becomes heavy – this gives disadvantages in the wild, for example when fighting rivals or balancing on obstacles. In addition, cat fur is quite thick compared to some other animal fur and therefore stays wet for a long time, which is uncomfortable.
Cat Loses Its Scent Through the Water
Every cat is a real cleaning fanatic – and not without reason. Cats clean or lick their fur almost frenetically, which is also related to their pheromone glands. These are found on the tail and mouth, among other things, and emit unique, to some extent personalized scents that cats can use to communicate and recognize one another. When a cat grooms itself, it distributes the pheromones on its body with its cat tongue. Water could wash them off again and the kitty would lose its specific scent, which doesn’t suit her at all.
Not All Cats Hate Water
So it’s true that most indoor cats hate water. But not all felines share this opinion. Wild cats and some big cats like tigers love to bathe and swim in the cool water.