Video which debunks the notion that all domestic cats hate water

I know that I have said this more than once but this video is outstanding in the way that it debunks the notion that all domestic cats hate water. There is still a belief by some (promoted by internet articles) that domestic cats hate water. But this is an individual cat characteristic. They don’t necessarily hate water and some like it. It is a reminder that domestic cats have their own characters. The video shows a Siamese cat sitting in a tub of warm water, drinking and luxuriating in it. He or she is completely at home and clearly enjoying the experience. It’s unusual I agree but it isn’t that unusual to see domestic cats in baths up to their necks in water.

Cat in submarine
Cat in submarine. A bit of fun. Image: Burn the Internet.
Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats

I know where the idea comes from that cats hate water. When it’s raining outside they might scamper out and then quickly come back in again. They hate being bathed normally. But you can’t generalise. Lots of cats simply go out in wet, cold weather (if they are allowed outside) with a complete disregard for getting wet. My cat is almost one of those.

At sometime in the future this video will stop working. If it has happened I apologise but I have no control over this.


Ironically, there’s a cat breed that people think likes water and this is the Turkish Van. This is a misconception as well. Turkish Van cats are just like any other domestic cat both purebred and random when it comes to liking or disliking water. The misconception comes from the fact that the original Turkish Van cats, when they are imported into England as kittens, were allowed to swim in a river on their journey in a car. These cats were taken from the Lake Van area of Turkey. There is a picture of them doing it – see below. But it doesn’t mean that all subsequent cats of this breed love to swim. And we don’t have the full story as to why these cats ended up in the water.

Turkish Van kittens swimming on their journey to England

Turkish Van kittens swimming. Picture: The lady, Laura Lushington, who imported the kittens from Lake Van to England in the 1950s.

Perhaps it is fair to say that, in general, domestic cats tend to shy away from water because, as you no doubt realise, the original domestic cats, the first ones on the planet, were domesticated wild cats and they lived and still live in very dry conditions. They’re used to an arid landscape and this genetic predisposition has been carried forward into the modern age some 10,000 years later.

SOME PAGES ON THE TURKISH VAN

Van cats put up for adoption from Turkish research center dedicated to promoting the breed

Turkish Van Cat Research Center is putting up hundreds of cats for adoption

I find this news item strange because the news is only on one page of the Internet on the Daily ...
Turkish Van

Which cat breed is the most aggressive (beware of false information)?

This article answers the question as to what single cat breed is the most aggressive but BEWARE of false information ...
All-white Turkish Van swimming

A Van cat should be all-white with eyes of different colours

The Turkish Van cat should be all-white with odd-eye colour, usually blue and amber. The Turkish Van cats of the ...
The Real Turkish Van Cat

The Real Turkish Van Cat

The real Turkish Van was, is and always will be a handsome, distinctively Turkish cat that is random bred, meaning ...
North Cyprus Map

Harvey’s 37 Cats in North Cyprus

Introduction We are in Northern (Turkish) Cyprus (see map for location) today to have a look at some of Harvey ...
American Angora theft of Turkish angora

Theft of the Turkish Angora Cat Breed

The distinguished and important cat breed, the Turkish Angora, has been hijacked not once but twice. While the real Turkish ...
Spotted street stray cats of Cyprus

Spotted Street Cats of Cyprus

This is a nice picture of three beautifully spotted, street cats of Cyprus. Their coats are very high quality spotted ...
Turkish Van Cat Facts For Kids

Turkish Van Cat Facts For Kids

The Turkish Van is a breed of domestic cat with a very long history that goes back hundreds of years ...

Please search using the search box at the top of the site. You are bound to find what you are looking for.

Useful tag. Click to see the articles: Cat behavior

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

follow it link and logo

Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.

I welcome and value comments. Please share your thoughts. All comments are currently unmoderated.

This blog is seen in 199 of the world's country's according to Google Analytics which is pretty much the entire world.

Scroll to Top