Cat Breeds That Swim

Anyone who has tried giving a cat a bath or encouraging a cat into water knows that cats do not like to get wet. Owners rarely need to wash their cats like they do their dogs, because cats do not get extremely dirty and they tend to groom themselves. All cats have the natural ability to swim, but most save this skill for when they really need it. A few breeds however, are regular swimmers.

  1. The Turkish Van

    • The Turkish Van is known as the swimming cat. It is the only domestic breed of cat that actually enjoys swimming. Turkish Vans are excellent at jumping and climbing. They have long powerful legs that allow them to leap, climb and swim. These intelligent cats can be taught to fetch objects and retrieve them. The Turkish Van will actively seek out water. This cat has a unique coat among domestic cats, as it lacks an undercoat, and its fur has the texture of cashmere. These qualities are water-resistant. The Turkish Van emerges from the water almost completely dry.

    Big Wild Cats

    • Big cats from hot regions of the world, such as lions, tigers and jaguars, enjoy swimming and do so to catch fish or cool off. Bobcats are known to swim away from shore to visit outlying islands. Cats from cooler climates such as cougars and snow leopards, do not like to get wet at all. This indicates that cats from hot countries have evolved a tolerance for water due to heat.

    The Jaguarundi

    • The Jaguarundi is a smaller wild cat, a little bigger than a domestic cat. It is closely related to the puma and its appearance is somewhat like a weasel. Jaguarundi can live in Arizona and Texas but are more common from Mexico to Argentina. It generally lives in forests or swamplands. In Mexico, the Jaguarundi is also called the "otter cat" because it spends so much time swimming in water.

    Wild Cat/Domestic Cat Hybrids

    • A wild cat/domestic cat hybrid is a breed of cat that is a mixture of a wild cat species and a domestic cat species. The best known example is the Bengal cat. Bengal cats are a product of mating an Asian Leopard cat with a domestic cat. These intelligent and active cats are generally fond of water, likely because their wild relatives are too. Bengal cats have been seen playing happily in quite deep water, however, their love of swimming does not quite match that of the Turkish Van. The Savannah cat is an African Serval hybrid. Its African relatives inhabit wetlands and grassy savannahs, which is a possible reason for the Savannah cat's liking of water. Although difficult to keep as domestic pets, these cats are very much like dogs in their behavior and devotion toward their owners. Savannahs love heights and the occasional bath and swim.