And, we don’t mean in their water bowls. You may have seen or heard that cats – categorically – don’t like to have anything to do with water but that’s not accurate.
Maybe your family is in the market to add a cat family member and you know that your clan likes water play. Your thinking backyard water fights, maybe a family swimming pool or camping trips to nearby lakes. If you are gonna carry them to these places, you are going to need a car carrier to get them there. And, you need a cat that likes water.
Read on, and you will learn that there are particular cat breeds that like water (to differing degrees) and maybe a perfect fit for your clan.
Meet The Maine Coon
This cat breed, the Maine Coon, is known to like water, and has a dense, water-shedding coat. This coat makes it hardy and adaptable to a variety of wet and harsh environments.
Maine Coons are rugged members of the feline family and can tolerate harsher climates than many other cats. They are also friendly to children and get along well other with other pets. And, they are playful, while not being overly energetic.
Maine Coon are also intelligent, affectionate to their owners and extremely hardy. They are considered native to the United States since they have been around since this country was settled. Although no one really knows their origin, some believe that they are a product of bobcat and domestic cat interbreeding. This may explain their overall hardiness and why these cats like water.
Bathing Maine Coons is actually a pretty common thing. I know this sounds weird, but its true. If you are the owner of a Maine Coon, you can check out my guide on shampoo to bathe them.
It makes sense: if their ancestors had to survive on their wits and chase prey through streams and ponds, these cats would have needed to learn to like water. Another theory is that Maine Coons came along with seafaring explorers to America to keep mice and rat populations under control during long voyages.
If that theory is correct, that too, this might explain why these cats like water. They’d need to adapt to ocean splashing and an overall wet environment. Whatever the reason, Maine Coons “swim against the current” by liking wet and dry land!
Turkish Van
Their nickname says it all – Turkish Vans are the “swimming cats!” This medium sized cat breed will love to venture into any pool of water he can get his paws in. This might be your swimming pool, a local pond or even your toilet!
Unfortunately, this breeds’ enthusiasm for water is not always matched by natural skill. If you adopt a Turkish Van, let your precious kitty get accustomed to water under your watchful eye until s/he gets the hang of the cat paddle.
Turkish Van cats have been known to love water so much that they relax in a child’s wading pool in the summer.
Our Friends The Bengals
Bengals are popular in America and resemble a sleek small wildcat. And it’s no wonder: Bengals result from the breeding of an Asian Leopard Cat with a domestic cat.
This wildness in their heritage probably explains why these cats love water, and like the Maine Coon and other breeds with wild cat in their ancestry, adapting to and liking water probably meant the difference for survival.
Bengals are known for being very affectionate with their family members including children. They are extremely playful, intelligent and get along well with other pets.
These cats are definitely not considered normal compared to other cats. Some even love going on walks in harnesses.
Bengal cats are smaller than Maine Coons but just as in love with water. You might find out for yourself if you’re taking a swim or a bath and your Bengal family member decides to join you!
Manx
They come from the Isle of Man, off the coast of Britain. Manx are naturally tailless, and have a protective personality, alerting the family to anything unexpected with a growl. They are skillful mousers, and will protect you from rodents, and stray dogs. They are otherwise affectionate, relaxed and even-tempered.
The Manx cat can be adaptable if introduced to a variety of people, other animals and situations while young. These cats will respect your rules about staying out of certain areas and not scratching furniture. As so long as s/he has room to explore and follow you around, and a scratching post.
As this breed are island cats, they have had plenty of experience with water and sure enough love water. And, your new aqua cat just might surprise you by joining you in your bath or shower!
Norwegian Forest Cat (or “Wegie”)
Norwegian Forest cats were the cats of Viking sea captains, with a history at sea keeping rodents’ populations under control on ships when over open water.
Not only do these cats tolerate water, they have even been known to catch their own fish in streams, ponds and lakes.
Wegies are cousins to the Maine Coon, and like their cousins, Wegies have thick water-repellant coats that make them well suited for their water adventures. These cats are not as common in the United States.
Turkish Angora
(Known For Loving To Swim)
Turkish Angora cats are delicate and sleek-looking, and are another that love water. They are cousins to the Turkish Van, and like their cousins, they play happily in whatever pools they can find. And, Turkish Angora cats know their own minds: if it is time to swim and play in water, they are not easy to convince otherwise.
Turkish Angoras are best known for their white and silky-haired version, but they come in a variety of colors. They are known for their affectionate nature with family members and great playfulness.
They are also intelligent and easy to groom. Turkish Angoras may be less friendly to children and other pets but like others on this list – they are cats that can and love to play and swim in water.
American Bobtail
This medium to large cat breed looks like a natural athlete with obvious muscles and a naturally occurring bobtail. American Bobtails often show their water enjoyment by dunking their toys in any available water pool.
With their powerful builds, American bobtails can look wild but that’s not their temperament. Instead, they are known for their loving affection to family members, and are good with children and other pets. American bobtails want your attention and will tell you with their calls and show you by jumping on any available family member.
Unlike other water-liking cat breeds, American bobtails result from a natural mutation instead of breeding between a wild cat line (that needed to tolerate water) and domestic felines. But for whatever reason, American bobtail cat breed make the list of cats that like and love water.
Conclusion
Finding a cat that loves water can be a lot of fun, rather than having a cat that does not like water. If your picking a cat, I would not use this factor as a major deciding factor unless it is really important to you that your cat likes water. You would rather have a cat that fits all your broader requirements. Then, you can look at a narrow requirement like whether or not this breed of cats like water.
You might want to consider care level, personal compatibility, household compatibility, and more. If your interested in a guideline for picking a new cat, check out this article. In this article, we give a brief descriptions of a variety of cat breeds, and their different characteristics.
To conclude, a cat that loves water can open up a wide amount of possibilities when your deciding your next adventure even if that means something as simple as going swimming in your backyard with your cat.
Blaine is a pet owner and animal lover. His two passions of cats and blogging met and KittyCatReviews was formed.