Do cats swim?

[Mollycat]

I wouldn't dream of teaching a cat to swim or giving a cat a bath!

If a cat accidentally fell into water it would try to run which would propel it forward which basically means swim to get back to land. It's instinctive, they don't need to be taught. As for baths, a cat is perfectly capable of keeping its own coat in perfect condition without help from chemical washes stripping out its natural oils, with a little help from a human with a brush if it's long-haired, disabled, elderly or ill.

[Ruth B]

I've never heard of someone teaching a cat to swim, but I do know that some cats don't mind water, and some actually enjoy going in it, as with anything to do with cats, it depends on the cat. As far as bathing a cat goes, I've only attempted to do part areas, normally when they have got something on them that I don't want them cleaning off themselves. Tiggy at one point a year or so after we had her had stepped in some oil or something, it was about half past six in the evening, and she came in leaving brown, oily prints on the laminate floor. A phone call to the vets to check what was the best option and we ended up trying to just get one paw into a bowl of water with a little washing up liquid in it, she was not happy but we managed it.

Saturn was the other one (it would have to be Saturn if trouble was involved), he had managed to get all the back of his lower back legs covered in poo, possibly dog poo, it didn't smell quite the same as what he normally produces. Into the bathroom and again a sink of soapy water one of us holding him while the other tries to clean the muck off with cotton wool. Again we got it off and afterwards wrapped him in a towel to dry off, it was a bigger job than Tiggys paw, as I held him swaddled like a baby he just looked at me as if to ask 'Why?' as if I was punishing for something. I wish you could explain to them that it was for his own good.

[ernestjoynpers]

Depend on the cat, some cat love to swim. some don;t
but why you want your cats to swim?

*Edited by moderator to remove advertising