It's not often you find a cat that wants to take a warm bath or go for a swim in the lake, but we've got five adorable kitties who do just that.
Relaxing in the shower
Max-Arthur, the Roomba-riding cat of YouTube fame, enjoys a good soak in the bath from time to time. Generally speaking, there’s no reason to bathe a cat unless it has fleas or a skin condition. Cats spend a large percentage of the day grooming themselves, using their rough tongues to remove dirt and debris from their fur and keep it clean.
Going for a dip
Turkish Van cats, such as Merlin, are known for their unusual love of water. In fact, the breed is nicknamed the “Swimming Cat.” The Turkish Van cat’s fur has a silky texture that’s naturally water-repellant, allowing the cat to emerge from the water relatively dry.
Fun with the faucet
Woody enjoys drinking from the kitchen sink — and sticking his head under the stream of water. Cats’ attraction to running water may reflect an adaptive behavior from their wild past. Moving water tends to have fewer contaminants, and many wild animals prefer to drink from streams rather than ponds.
Bath time isn't so bad
Your cat may not enjoy playing in a bathtub full of water like this frisky feline, but if your furry friend is putting paws in the water bowl or splashing water on the floor, Dr. Arnold Plotnick suggests getting your cat a water foutain in which the water runs continually. Because cats like running water, your pet may simply be making the water move herself.
Hydrotherapy for cats
In 2010, Mog, a gray tabby cat in Cornwall, England, was hit by car and suffered nerve damage that left his two front legs paralyzed. Veterinarians told Mog’s owner, Veronica Ashworth, that her cat would never walk again, but she signed Mog up for rehab at a canine hydrotherapy facility anyway. After almost three months of doggie paddling in the pool, Mog was finally able to put weight on his two front legs, and now he’s slowly learning to walk again.
Also on MNN:
Flipboard