Can Your Cat Bathe In A Pool?
Of the most common pets, dogs are reputed to enjoy swimming. So much so that, in midsummer, it’s not unusual to see them swimming in the middle of a pool.
The opposite is almost always the case for domestic cats. In fact, most cats are afraid or repulsed by water.
But, whether by accident or on your own initiative, it is possible to find a cat in the pool.
cats and water
There are several myths about kittens and water. However, veterinarians and ethologists have discovered, in the origins of cats, one of the reasons why most of these animals do not need swimming among their hobbies.
The ancestors of the vast majority of cat breeds lived in arid areas, specifically in the deserts of Africa and China. These are regions where water is not abundant.
To get food, the first cats didn’t have to throw themselves into a river or a pond. When they became pets, swimming was not a vital necessity, so the original pattern has not changed.
Also, cats make very clean pets ; some specimens even seem to be obsessive about their own cleanliness.
It is difficult to find a kitten with mud tracks in its coat, which is very common among dogs.
Water cats?
For some cat breeds, getting into the water is a routine and completely natural activity. This predisposition to swimming is also conditioned to its origin.
The most emblematic case is that of the Van Turco cat. The first specimens developed in Turkey, in the mountainous areas around Lake Van.
These cats for a long time had to ‘fish’ to eat. When they started living together with humans, their time on the water became pure recreation, or a way to cool off on hot days.
Those who have a Van Turkish cat as a pet know that it is not unusual to find the cat in the pool.
Other breeds that also enjoy a good dip are the Maine Coon, Bob Pixie and the Savannah cat.
Can allowing a cat in the pool be dangerous?
Most cats, as with virtually all mammals, swim by instinct.
Once they enter the water, they not only float, but are able to move from one place to another.
However, if you have a cat as a pet, it is still a risk to allow it to swim in the pool.
Especially when he falls by accident and there is no one who can come to the rescue.
Although the animal can swim, leaving the water can be not only a tortuous mission, but an impossible one.
Human ladders are not designed for pets. If you spend too much time in the water trying to get out, anxiety will cause the cat to swim in circles. There is a risk of ending up exhausted and drowning.
pool water
In order to keep a pool clean and healthy, it is necessary to put some chemicals in the water that prevent the proliferation of bacteria and other foreign agents. Chlorine (liquid or powder) is the most common treatment.
This substance can generate some adverse reactions in the cat, either by ingesting it or coming into contact with its skin.
Therefore, we must take special care to prevent the animal from having contact with the pool water, as this is a situation that can be quite frequent on summer days, with high temperatures.
In the case of swimming animals, the fun times should not be too long. And, as with humans, he’s better off swimming outside the midday hours, when the sun is at its highest.
To avoid scares: care
Cats are very curious animals. This trait is inversely proportional to their age: the more puppies, the more things catch your attention.
This does not imply that adult specimens lose this characteristic. For this reason, although they don’t like to bathe, it’s not strange that cats end up playing around a pool.
The best way to avoid accidents is to have a pool cover. There are several models available on the market that let you prohibit access to water.
Thus, the pet can freely walk around the area and its owners can be carefree.
