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Cats used to live in the desert
Even though domestic cats can be found across the globe, you kitty’s ancestors lived exclusively in the desert. Since rivers or lakes are rare in such arid regions, cats never had the need to become comfortable around water or develop great swimming skills. Tigers, on the other hand, have been living in rainforests for hundreds of thousands of years, allowing them to develop a love for water and amazing swimming skills.
Water weighs cats down
Cats have a dense fur coat that becomes very heavy when it gets wet. To make matters worse, it takes a long time for the fur to dry, forcing the cat to walk around in what would be the equivalent of cold, soaking wet clothes. For an animal that spends about half their waking hours keeping their coat in shape, this must be an absolute nightmare.
Negative experiences
Cats are curious and love to investigate their surroundings. When a curious kitty gets too close to the edge of the bath and takes a plunge, they might be so shocked that they retain this bad memory for the rest of their lives. As a result, momma cat will certainly keep her kittens away from the bathtub, teaching them at a very young age that water is something scary.
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Some cats love swimming
Even though the vast majority of cats hates to swim, they are physically perfectly capable of doing so. Some cat breeds have a different fur texture, allowing them to be comfortable in water. The best-known example is the Turkish Van, which is also called ‘the swimming cat’. Other cat breeds that are less opposed to swimming are the Bengal cat, The Maine Coon and the Abyssinian.
