So you may wonder why someone would need to teach a cat to swim. For me it's a safety issue, but it's also because I have one real cool cat. Her name is Sassy.
If you look at the first photo you will see that our sliding door from our house is not too far from the pool. All of our cats are strictly indoors, but some of them want to explore outside. To get out, many times they will dart out of the door in almost a blind run and nearly end up in the pool. Many pets will "panic swim" if they end up in the pool. This is where they flap their feet basically trying to walk on the water rather than swim through it. Often times they get worn out and drown.
I've got six cats and Sassy is the only one that will dart out of the door and is the only one I feel needs swimming lessons. She also happens to be a very adventurous kitty who I was sure wouldn't have problems once she got use to the water.
Based on some comments I will add a couple pieces of information here.
1. The pool has a solar heater and was around 90 degrees F.
2. The chlorine levels in the pool are maintained to just above drinking water.
3. Sassy had been around the pool for many months prior to this and so wasn't really afraid of it anymore.
4. I changed to title to better reflect what is actually happening. I'm not teaching the cat to swim, but simply giving her a safe and calm environment to develop what should come naturally to her.
If you look at the first photo you will see that our sliding door from our house is not too far from the pool. All of our cats are strictly indoors, but some of them want to explore outside. To get out, many times they will dart out of the door in almost a blind run and nearly end up in the pool. Many pets will "panic swim" if they end up in the pool. This is where they flap their feet basically trying to walk on the water rather than swim through it. Often times they get worn out and drown.
I've got six cats and Sassy is the only one that will dart out of the door and is the only one I feel needs swimming lessons. She also happens to be a very adventurous kitty who I was sure wouldn't have problems once she got use to the water.
Based on some comments I will add a couple pieces of information here.
1. The pool has a solar heater and was around 90 degrees F.
2. The chlorine levels in the pool are maintained to just above drinking water.
3. Sassy had been around the pool for many months prior to this and so wasn't really afraid of it anymore.
4. I changed to title to better reflect what is actually happening. I'm not teaching the cat to swim, but simply giving her a safe and calm environment to develop what should come naturally to her.
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Signing UpStep 1: Safely get the cat into the water.
This could be the trickiest part of all. Most cats will "fight & flight" if they see you taking them towards a pool. So the trick here is to not let them see the water while you are getting in.
Hold the cat comfortably in your arms and do whatever you can to keep the kitty calm. Walk backwards in to the water so the cat cannot see you entering the pool.
Hold the cat comfortably in your arms and do whatever you can to keep the kitty calm. Walk backwards in to the water so the cat cannot see you entering the pool.
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When I say that Sassy is "very adventurous", I meant it. She's also one tough cookie.
Last week I went to do our bi-monthly nail trimming on the cats and discovered Sassy had pulled off a claw and the tip of one of her toes. Basically she "declawed" a toe. We didn't find any blood in the house, so we are assuming it happened a few days prior when she had gotten out for a few hours and that by the time she got home the blood had clotted and the toe stopped bleeding.
She showed no signs of being injured and is running and jumping as if nothing had happened. She's on antibiotics now, but no long term exposure to water until the wound heals over.
As I have said in a few other comments, if Sassy ever had ended up in the pool by accident, she probably would have gotten out on her own. But she is such a brave and adventurous cat that I thought she'd be up to swimming. I will try to get her to get ner the water on her own this summer.
You can't teach a cat to swim, cause they already know, like all animals, even elephants.
If a cat or dog get drowned is only because they dint reach the border or the ladder.
So, if you providea WAY OUT it will be just enough, and it WONT drown (panic or not).
Personally i don’t think it’s necessary to bathe a cat neither, only in several cases of fleas.
They do a nice job keeping themselves clean. (My vet supports this also).
I've never heard of a drowned cat, I mean NEVER. Have you? in that case did the cat had a way out?
I'm sorry I don't consider adequate the comparison with your step mom or any human.
This is what this all the controversy of this instructable is about; People humanize pets. They should be treated with all love and respect. But they are not humans. There isn’t such thing as a good or bad cat/dog. It’s instinct.
We also keep the pool filled to just a few inches below the lip so it is easier and more likely for any animal to get out.
As for never hearing of a cat drowning in a pool, most people would probably never report this to anyone that would make the incident public.
But there is no harm in doing this and it's only result is I now KNOW my cat can swim.
Our current cat (who is now over 17 yrs old) would have taken my arm off if i had gone anywhere near a pool with him, yet he does not mind walking in the rain and getting wet (so long as it is his decision..) as much as most. One of my old cats would not have minded at all - didn't mind being washed - was even happy travelling in a car, and was totally trusting. Another was so neurotic he was scared of his own shadow, would scream the house down if he had to travel, trying to teach him to swim would have resulted in a complete mental meltdown.
In the end it is the responsibility of the owner to decide whether this instructable is applicable - or worthwhile - for their individual pet. Only the owner (or custodian as we prefer to call it) of the cat knows their own animals traits and thresholds, and can weigh up the benefits of this type of 'training'. Personally, i would not even consider it for our current cat, though if we had a younger pet and percieved a potential pussy in pool problem perhaps..
I got Sassy when she was only about 6 weeks old. I knew from the very beginning that she was going to be one cool kitty, and she is.
I'd love to be able to get our cats to the point of really loving swimming, like so many dogs do. Tigers and some other large cats naturally swim, see http://www.wimp.com/tigerspark .
You have some lucky cats, nice job!
If you have a WalMart or Target near you, get a plastic kids pool, this way the kitty claws won't be able to puncture it.
I don't have a bathtub, but I think I have a plastic tub somewhere here that my little cousin used before. Thanks!
I came across these instructions as I'm looking for information about cats and their swimming habits and instincts, I will soon be moving aboard a narrowboat (a canal boat, very common here in the UK), it will be a huge transition for my cat who is 2 years old and has lived always indoors, more than the swimming it worries me that she won't find a way out of the water, let's see how it goes!
Look in http://www.gamma2.net/skamper-ramp.htm and see if it is something you could use where you will be living. You may also want to see about building a floating dock that basically just floats on top of the water and surround your boat with it. The cat will likely swim towards the boat if it fall in to the water. PM my in private, I have some ideas that would make it easy for you cat to get out of the water.
Water training cats isn't as crazy as it might first seem. My last cat (Bill Clinton III) was very nearly 18 years old when he died. He needed occasional baths when he was unwell and not grooming himself properly. Getting him used to water earlier would've been better. He definitely minded the hotter water a lot less than cooler or tepid water!
Yes, an emergency cat-ladder is highly recommended, even in empty pools esp. if you are going away, unless you have good stairs all the way from the bottom to the top that an injured animal could climb.
I have another cat that is leash trained. His motivation was the ability to go outside and meet people. He loved going in to the kiddy area at a nearby park. it was enclosed with a 3ft fence, so I could let him off-leash and he'd just hang out and play with the kids.
I'd like to share my story. I live in a floating home, in a marina. While I never wanted either of my two cats to have to learn to swim, a few times they have fallen in and managed to get out almost as soon as they hit the water. I figure it was pure adrenalin! (The fight or flight response).
The river has almost zero visibility (silty) and a strong current and it scared the heck out of me. Btw, I was outside with them, and they'd be out before I got to them.
The only time I got really worried about them becoming tired, was when Peanut actually jumped into the water because an off leash dog was charging towards her and she was too scared to come out! You can bet I had words with the dog owner!
After each time they fell in, it would take them about 2 hours to thoroughly clean every inch of themselves, even when I tried to towel most of the water off.
If I fell in, I don't think I'd have the strength to pull myself out without a ladder or help! Despite the adrenalin rush!
Also, I thought there were bylaws that you needed to have a fence with a self closing gate between your house ans your pool, but maybe not where you are. Just sayin', not judging.
Definitely, this needs to be taught young. I don't have a pool and (with the nanny-state regulations that surround them) I'm unlikely ever to have one.
One of my former cats, the most feral of the litter, used to develop an unhealthy smell. So he was used to being bathed once a week in the laundry tub. Current cat doesn't seem too fussed about water either. There may be a tray inside, but rain will not deter him from going out for his ablutions.
I think this instructable is an excellent demonstration that cats and water can mix but I would still have a good plank available rather than reach into the pool for the cat!
Suzanne in Orting, WA
Yes, cats will usually get out of the water on their own. And when I do take a cat in the pool, I towel dry them as best I can then let them take over. At least the pool water is probably a bit cleaner than river water. :-)
New pools installations do require a fence, if you have children or are planning on fostering children. If you have an older pool without a fence, and want to foster children, you do need to get a fence installed. This pool was installed in the mid 70's long before and fence laws came about. And we have considered putting a fence in, but in order to do so, we will have to replace the segments of the patio where the fence is to be anchored. The patio is not thick enough to handle having holes drilled in it, according to the pool fence company we contacted.
"Cats have become fashionable pets these days." Um. Yes. They have been our pets for something like 9,500 years:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0408_040408_oldestpetcat.html
Yup. That's fashionable.
But she also caught a fair number of jackrabbits that matched her in size and dragged them home, so ya just never know what a cat will do.
Have fun this summer! Sassy might just decide that she enjoys taking a dip once in a while!
Yes, cats can usually look after themselves; and if they are forced to deal with being in water they will, I've seen it happen.
That's what you're doing, forcing the cat to swim rather than teaching it. You're not doing any teaching; the cat is having to learn how to escape for it's self.
Next time see if you can encourage a cat to get in the pool without physically holding it in the water.
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Fortunately we don't live by that process.
The "your wrong" which I said was a little too blunt, and supposed to be directed to the person who I felt was also being very blunt in telling you (rsmaudsley) that you were not teaching the cat thing.
I absolutely consider this to be teaching, and the fact you could do it with your cat shows you have a pretty sweet bond of trust.
Cats and dogs have been known to panic and tire out and drown in pools. And, this is the "teaching a cat to swim" method that is frowned upon by animal welfare groups, that metalliman if probably referencing to.
I'm not sure what your experience with cats is, but you details are a little off. The water will not strip the cat of the oils on it's fur. And even if it did, the oils are quickly replaced by the cat's own natural process.
I have 6 cats. Of those six I only have two that have been in the water. When I start this process I look for the cats fear level and if it appears it is going to be too much I don't do it. Fortunately the cats that are OK with this are the ones who love to escape to the back yard and they are the ones who have been giving the time to develop safe swimming skills. That cats that it bothered too much don't want to leave the house anyways.
Please link to the RSPCA information.
Sassy is an overly brave cat. She does things that boggles the mind. Like she will try to play with power tools that I am using. She is beyond normal intelligence. I made a trick treat box and most cats either didn't figure it our or took several minutes. Sassy looked at it, walked around it and with the flick of the paw did what she had to do to get the treat. She did three times and is now bored with it. btw, this will soon be another Instructable of mine.
rsmaudsley, I love your instructable! Not for all cats but I have one who is not affraid of anything and likes water so I will try it. Not for my other guys though... they would probably rip my face off! :)
First, you claimed your source was the RSPCS, and then posted a link to a random pet site. This is not any sort of proof.
Second, again, there is nothing to indicate, contrary to your implication, that the writer is a vet.
Third, even if the writer were a vet, this does not validate their point. This is a little logical fallacy known as an Appeal to Authority.
Fourth, the items discussed have nothing to do with veterinary care, and are, instead simply speculations on evolutionary biology, an exercise fraught with danger, and conclusions based on these suppositions even the evolutionary biologists take with a grain of salt.
Fifth, doctors, and vets as well, are notoriously TERRIBLE scientists, and this is a perfect case in point. Notice that not a single corroborating fact was submitted to support the hypothesis.
Finally, a LOT of the statements in that piece are demonstrably false, thus calling into question ANY conclusion based thereon.
And for the record, most of the statements made by that author to support their point about cats and water could just as easily apply to dogs, tigers, otters, and seals, most of which have great affinity for water.
And for the record, most of the statements made by that author to support their point about cats and water could just as easily apply to dogs, tigers, otters, and seals, most of which have great affinity for water.
this is not very logical, Since the author wrote this instructable aimed SPECIFICALLY at CATS, which are well known to live in hatred of water and swimming,
by the way, Tigers are actually quite good swimmers, as you would know if you ever watched any Cat Week programs,
may i also point out, that while i trained as a vet, i never actually pursued a career as a vet, but it always amazes me how people seem to want to say how bad the pro's are at what they do, they dont become pro's for nothing,
nevertheless, my point was not exactly based on science in the first place, my concern was for the MENTAL health of the cat, knowing how so many people do not take these things responsibly, i am concerned that some people would not take as much care as the author of this instructable, and would ultimately condemn cats to a watery grave through shock, how woould we all feel then?
i do wonder what would happen if i linked to this page on PETA's website?
1) The "A" key is right next to the "S" key; if you can't figure out a simple typo, especially on a site whose forum software does not allow editing, that is on you, not me.
2) No, at NO point did you "quote" the RSPCA. The word "quote" has a very specific meaning, namely to repeat VERBATIM. It does NOT mean to take words of your own and assign them to another, even if you think that source would agree with what you write. This is not only dishonest, it is highly unethical. Again, you DID NOT quote the RSPCA (or anyone else for that matter).
3) The link you posted was NOT from the RSPCA, but was posted as a response to a call for a citation for your supposed quote from same. Instead, you posted a link to what was indeed a random site (as it had nothing to do with the aforementioned RSPCA) and tried to pass it off as if it were from your purported authority.
4) My statements about other mammals are COMPLETELY logical, whether it is within your capabilities to see it or not. But to spell it out, you make a number of statements you claim serve as either proof or explanation for why immersion in water is bad for cats. However EVERY one of these statements can be made for the other mammals I mentioned, dogs, tigers, otters, and seals, among others, for whom no claim of water aversion is being made, and about whom such claims would be patently foolish. As such, ALL your statements are thus invalidated.
Or are you claiming that tigers, unlike domesticated house cats, do not have essential oils on their fur, or that these oils have some magical property that allows them to not be removed by water? Or that they are somehow able to thermoregulate in a way that domestic cats can not (even though tigers are comfortable in winter habitats).
5) I am not saying vets are bad at being vets, I am saying that vets, and doctors as well, are NOT scientists, many are particularly BAD at science, and yet want to masquerade to the general public as if they were. They are not.
That said, however, your claimed training as a vet is telling.
FTR, NONE of the arguments you made have ANYTHING to do with being a vet, nor are vets better equipped to make them. Your arguments are about biology, and specifically feline biology, and even more specifically, feline evolutionary biology. Sorry, but veterinary training in this field is all but nonexistent.
Not that it matters, as making this argument, as I have already pointed out to you, is a logical fallacy, known as an "Appeal to Authority", and is logically invalid. (That you continue to make it calls into question your ability to criticize the logic of others, as you did in your previous post.) As such, I will also refrain from pointing out that I AM trained in the biological sciences, as that too, would be an invalid argument.
As to the rest of your argument, first, I suspect that the number of cats who would potentially die of shock as a result of this treatment would essentially be zero. Animals that die of shock from falling into pools do so as a result of a trauma they are unable to escape. As no one is calling for anyone to throw a cat in a pool and walk away, this line of reasoning is, again, unsupported by the evidence. Second, I suspect the author would respond that having the cat in the water in a supportive environment is much less likely to lead to life-threatening shock than if it fell in the pool in the middle of the night, with no one there to help it out.
If animals died in that circumstance, when they might have been saved by being familiarized with water, how would YOU feel then?
Third, who cares what PETA has to say? While they might decide to chime in on this particular thread, I doubt they would have much to say about the site in general. In any event, they would be just as wrong as you, and I would make the same comments to them, if they attempted to get away with the same disreputable tactics.
Thanks again.
http://www.pethealthandcare.com/askquestion/2970/why-do-cats-hate-water.html
No controversy, just plain fact, cats hate water because it gets trapped under the fur, making it hard for them to regulate temperature, and heart attacks do not come from allergic reactions like the dummy said, but from a sudden SHOCK when being forced into something that they dont want to do,
i did point out that my comments were sourced from the RSPCA thats the ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS,
Great pictures, too. Very useful for those brave enough to give it a try with their own cat. Between you and your photographer, there may be a future for an ususual cat book.
Years back I had a Bengal that enjoyed the bathtub, but he WAS a Bengal. He did it in water buckets as a kitten. Later he did it when my sister was bathing. They were soulmates and had a special relationship. It was love, IMO. Love of her, and love of water. Maybe Sassy likes water as well. You are special to her or you'd never have pulled it off.
So thank you again for posting this. I loved it. Yes, I'm sure some people think it's silly, but water safety for cats is a big deal. Anything can happen. Plus it's good exercise and some "primal" experience for them. You have given her a great gift.
Cats rule.
Cats are great animals. It's funny how many people will say they don't like cats because they are "aloof" or to independent, my mother being one of them. But after just a day in our home you will either love cats or hate them because they spend too much time crawling on shoulders(Sassy), or standing up to you meowing loudly(Paws and Diego) or force themselves in to your lap when you are sitting down.(Sienna, Benny, Paws and Diego). The only cat that keeps his distance is the 15y/o senior, who will still come out to greet guests, but then goes back in to the bedroom to sleep.
Does it swim for its own pleasure?
I'm curious.
Many years ago I had along haired Persian named Toby. He used to get into the shower with me every morning. Only problem was I had to get up earlier for work to give me time to dry him too... !
great 'ible thow, and i used to have cat called 'pippy' - he was like a re-incarnated hippy, he lived to the ripe old age ov 29! and he used to love the water, he'd clime into the sink welst you were doing the washing-up
and i further bet the cats are the wons in charge, but didnt i reed that its not a good idea to bathe cats? it leeches oils owt ov thare skin?
we have "the worlds biggest and best" swimming pool in our back yard
by that i mean a beautiful,clear,clean river!
lucas knows what the river is and won't come near it, unless he's relaxing on the sand while we swim
i don't think i could convince him!
And very clumsy i often had to rescue him hanging from the "windowsill ?"
His rear feet just 1 cm off the floor and screaming for assistance
And always knocking potted plants over and stuff
But he absolutely loved water in all forms
It was impossible to take a shower or a bath without him hanging around
Ive had lots of cats and all of them would put up a bloodbath facing water
But not that one (Victor) RIP
Hey stood up, gave me a " 'F' You Daddy" meow and took off. For man years after that he would jump in the tub or shower. he seems to have outgrown the water and doesn't do it anymore.
2. Most if not all cats like most animals swim instinctively you don't have to teach them anything.
In hotter days of summer I take my cat Heidi, put her in the washing tub and soak with water, to keep her fresh. She grunts, snorts, looks like will destroy me, but holds on. Then, she is grateful for the treatment.