Generally speaking, domestic cats are not enthusiastic about getting wet. They’d prefer not to have a bath, and most are not interested in taking a dip in the backyard pool. However, cats can swim, and like dogs, they are natural swimmers.

In fact, cats that are native to the hot regions of the world, such as lions and tigers, actually seem to enjoy the water and swim readily — sometimes to fish and sometimes just to cool off. By contrast, the wild cats from cold climates, such as bobcats, cougars, and snow leopards, dislike swimming and don’t even like to get wet.

One unusual domestic cat that does love to swim is the Turkish Van. A housecat in Turkey for centuries, the Turkish Van is known as “the swimming cat.”

– Dr. Larry McDaniel, DVM for the “Purina® Animal Instincts” Podcast Series