Does Your Cat Hate Water?

Not all cats dislike H20, in fact some kitty cats love water and welcome the bathtub.  Our friend, JazzydaCat loves water and has been known to jump right into her bucket of bubbly fun, splashing around like a fish in a pond.

Jazzy loves bathtime!

Madison and Abigail, on the other hand, are not so fond of water.  They cringe at the thought of a bath (especially Abigail) and neither of them is totally overwhelmed by the running facet in our sink.  Both of them love to drink a fresh bowl of water, but rain, bath time, pools; no thanks.  There are a number of reasons kitties might hate water.  Knowing why your cat does can help you determine the best way to approach an occasional bath, the option of a squirt bottle for discipline and the sensitivity to a rainy day.  Reasons cats hate water include:

Bad Experience:  Some cats (like mine) had a home on the streets before you rescued them and agreed to be their servants from this day forward.  Being abandoned and left outside on rainy cold days would make any of us despise rain and hate water.

Scaredy Cat:  Some cats are actually afraid of water due to the constant use of a squirt gun or water bottle in an over discipline situation.  If you have ever been paddled, you might have developed a hatred for ping-pong.  This is the same idea.  Can you blame them?  Easy on the water bottles, they are just cats, let them have their fun.

Sensitive Back and Stomach:  This is the category my fur babies fall into for their contempt for water.  The back of a feline has the most nerves and can create a very sensitive uncomfortable feeling to the kitty.   Much like the back, the stomach area is also a sensitive area for cats, making them not the type to want their floofy bellies scratched.  In this situation, it is important to monitor how and when you use water and also the type of brush you use on your cat.   We are huge fans of the Furminator, but as Madison has gotten older, his fur has thinned out a bit.  The only brush I will use on him now is a very soft bristled brush that is gentle.  Even that makes him a little edgy after a few strokes.   Madison is strictly a head and neck with occasional butt rub kitty, while Abigail will take all touches PLEASE and THANK YOU!   Madison on the other hand gets a bath every other month while Abigail gets one ever four months.  (She hates water, hates water; did I mention she hates water?)  Madison does not like his belly or paws touched, where as Abigail is cool with touching.  But both have sensitive backs, just in varying degrees.

FHS Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome:  This is the most extreme case of your cat feeling sensitive on the back and can obviously be a reason he would not like the water.  There are varying degrees of FHS, and you are best to consult with your Vet on the best course of action in treatment.  Warning signs that your cat suffers from FHS include:

• Back rippling
• Excessive biting of tail (at times until it bleeds)
• Constant grooming and tail flicking
• Uncontrollable bouts of running and meowing
• Excessive biting
• Commonly seen in cats 1-5 years old

If you are concerned your cat has FHS and would like more information, email me for a PDF file literature piece that has more details from a Veterinarian.

If you are one of the ‘lucky dogs’ and your cat is not sensitive to water and jumps right into the bathtub with his ruby ducky then you should watch this fun video and applaud.  For those of us who need to be sensitive and mindful to our kitties water aversions, welcome!

Some other articles and videos you might like include:

Turtles and their Awesomeness

The Perks of becoming a Veterinarian

What is a Sloth

Does Your Cat Love Mushrooms and Ice Cream?

Hi, my name is Lisa Illman and KrittersthatTwitter.com is my Blog. My cat babies are Madison and Abigail. They inspired me to invent an outdoor kitty cat enclosure product line called the Kritter Kondo as well as develop a social media network specific to pets and animals. I love my kitties, animals, social media and Pilates. These are the topics you are likely to read about when you stop by. Leave a comment, we love them and will write back!