Why are cats afraid of water?

Each owner once begins to think about how to bathe his cat. But such a procedure for the animal is not the most pleasant - the cats absolutely refuse to swim. This is manifested in aggressive behavior: the cat starts karyabat its owner with bulging eyes and in every way tries to get out of the water. The secret of why cats are so afraid of water has opened up over time, and in this article you will learn about it.

All actions of animals are associated with the instincts of safety, survival and sustenance, especially when it comes to predators. Fear of water can be explained just by these postulates. Wet hair for a cat is a threat to life, because the wool gets wet, therefore, loses heat, and the skin of the animal freezes.

Animals have a lot of fear of the likelihood of hypothermia. Even if a caring owner after bathing will wrap his beloved fluffy in a blanket - this will not save the situation. The cat will shiver not only from cold, but also from fear of being supercooled. And in this state it will remain until its wool dries.

Wool protects the animal from overheating. In the summer you can see a lot of cats that lie in the sun and are not in a hurry to leave their favorite places.

But there is another point that should be mentioned - cats are afraid to become infected with pathogens at the time of being in the water and at the time of washing. And on average, cats wash at least 10 times a day. Street dirt and damp wool - a tandem unsuccessful for a cat. In a humid environment, bacteria multiply, and dirt from dry hairs is less dangerous. All the more so as pets from time to time spit up hairballs.

In addition, raw cat fur gives a specific smell. At a time when the cat will hunt its prey, it will scare it off with a smell, besides, the cat will be calculated by the cat on it.

Previously, cats lived in the foothills and thickets on the banks of streams, but when they were domesticated (this happened on the lands of the Fertile Crescent, rich in marshes and lakes), the cats forgot to dive into the water. Due to evolution, the small size of a cat and loneliness are not suitable for long journeys, but they are sedentary.

As zoologists say, the main reason why cats are afraid of water is, above all, evolutionary. Cats do not need to once again climb into the water, because chasing prey is no longer such a need, as before. The mustached fluffy is waiting for food now at the store, in the courtyard or in the apartment of its owners, who will gladly share a tasty piece with it. Cats are not afraid of the water itself, but of what it carries for them. They all know how to swim already from 2 weeks, but they do it in extreme cases.

The most basic mistake of all owners of their cats is that they put the animal in a bath or a basin of water, without first having taught him. Kota should gradually be prepared for bathing, first turn on the tap - let him touch the water with his foot, play with it. Almost all cats will have to play with water - they all love to frolic, and it is more correct to teach a pet to it after a few weeks from birth. How to teach a cat to water?

1. Periodically turn on the faucet, let the cat examine the water and begin to understand that it will not harm him.
2. The next step is to allow the cat to jump into the bathroom or sink. You'd be surprised, but the cat can drink water from under the trickle.
3. When the cat is comfortable - stay with it and watch how it plays with water, drinks from the tap. It is necessary to ensure that the animal does not confuse your presence.
4. When the cat with you quietly touches the water and drinks it - close the bath with a stopper and collect a small amount of warm water. When the cat once again wants to play with water, she will wet the paws and realize that there is nothing terrible in water, and then the typed bath will not frighten her.
5. At first, the reaction of the cat to when you bathe her will be negative, to minimize this, gradually increase the bath water before that. Let her be half (do not be afraid, cats can swim!) Baths, and once you go into the bathroom and see how your cat has become a real swimmer. After that, you can start bathing.

Even the most gentle and affectionate cat turns into a wild beast, if you lower it into the water without prior preparation. It will easily use all its weapons: claws, teeth, hissing ... If you get to know better why cats are so afraid when their owners want to redeem them, then the behavior becomes quite justified. Mistakes when bathing a cat.

1. Compulsion. Cats are, first of all, freedom-loving animals, they are not dogs that willingly obey their owner. Forcing to bath is a blunder. He will regard even a small hint that you want to force your fluffy to be washed, as coercion, and the cat will have no other choice but to resist you.
2. The cat is afraid of where it is - it is used to cling to claws, and the slippery bath makes the animal defenseless, so it is strange to be surprised when he most likely wants to get out of the unpleasant place for him and bulges his eyes. His soil has been knocked out from under his feet, and the animal wants to be out of the bathroom as soon as possible - after all, the animal is perceived as an eternity for a moment;
3. Deafening sound of water cats perceive as a waterfall or rapid flow of the river. To fall into a waterfall is to die, and the voice of the ancestors begins to sound the alarm. In this situation, the cat does not just feel fear, everything that happens in the animal causes enormous stress, adrenaline panic.
4. With the help of fragrances, people usually protect their things from the cat, which eliminates the need for inappropriate places. All cats do not like household chemicals, and bathing their own fluffy does not appear without shampoo. The stench of chemicals, shampoo causes disgust in a cat, and his only desire becomes quickly to get out of adverse conditions. The scent of a cat is stronger than a human.
5. When the owner bathes his cat, he usually forgets that water can get into his ears, nose and eyes. The animal does not like when its head gets wet, because for him the main thing is to preserve hearing, scent and sight. In addition, it seems to an animal that in such conditions it will sink.

Of course, you should accustom the cat to water at a tender age, but if you did not succeed in doing this - no problem, an adult animal can also be taught. When a fluffy has settled down and does not perceive water as a threat, then you can proceed to the action - bathing. It is better to start with the game - for example, to put a ball in a bowl, the cat will definitely want to get it with its foot, and over time will get used to the water. Step by step bathing the cat looks like.

1. Bathing is not suitable for bathing better to use a bowl-shaped device. For effective and comfortable bathing it is better to choose a shampoo spray, for example, Waterless Cat Shampoo Spray.If you are not quite sure which shampoo to choose - it is not necessary to use it, you can just lather the cat slightly.
2. It's easier to bathe the cat with someone's help. It will be better if one person helps you keep the animal and you wash it.
3. Moisten the animal's fur and only after that it can be washed with water. Do not send water from the shower to the cat - it is better to take water in your palm and gradually moisten the animal's fur. After that, you should apply a little shampoo or wash the hair with soap.
4. Water should not fall into the ears and eyes - so that the ears are safe, it is advisable to cover them with cotton pads. The cat needs to wash the muzzle at the very end and without shampoo.
5. After bathing, the animal's fur should be thoroughly washed, so that no shampoo remains on the skin, because it can cause itching and burning.

After bathing, wrap the fluffy in a warm blanket so that it warms up.

There are always exceptions to the rules, this also applies to cats. Some breeds like to bathe, sometimes, watching funny videos on the Internet, you can see how some cats sit quietly in a basin of water and are well aware of swimming. What breeds love water:

• Maine Coon;
• Teretsky van;
• Bengal cat;
• American Bobtail;
• Egyptian Mau;
• Kurilian bobtail;
• Norwegian Forest.

These cats are amazing, some of them not only love to swim, but can also catch prey in the water. Cats are not afraid of water, and the danger that it carries for them. If you gradually accustom your beloved pet to water, then over time you will succeed in gaining the trust of the cat, and he will not be afraid to dive into the water with the help of your caring hands.

See why the cats are afraid of water in the next video.