As the saying goes: "April Showers Bring May Flowers!"
Everyone has seen the jokes on TV and in so many videos on the internet about cats hating water unless it is in their bowls. This is not true for Kap, who loves the water in his bowl and doesn't mind water being dripped or flicked on him- but don't try to put him in the shower or he will try to claw your face off (we learned that the hard way).
Franklin, on the other paw, is really not a big fan unless it's raining; he loves staring out the front door and watching the rain fall. So he is basically the stereotypical cat who hates water. Which is good for me when he's doing something he shouldn't be, like crawling into a cabinet he's not supposed to be in or trying to steal my food, because then I can flick a few water droplets on him and he skitters away. It won't fix the bad behavior, but it at least stops it, which is sometimes all I can ask for.
But why do cats hate water?
According to an article of the same name on Britannica's website, "Wet fur is extremely uncomfortable for a cat and often takes a long time to dry."
Franklin has very long, thick hair, so reading that it can be very uncomfortable to have that kind of fur be wet makes total sense! John and I will bathe Kap and Franklin with a waterless shampoo that Kap will tolerate for a few minutes while we lather it into his fur, and Franklin tolerates it for about three seconds. Even though it doesn't involve water, the shampoo is still wet and clearly makes Franklin uncomfortable. It is important to bathe him and help him with his grooming, but now it I understand more why Kap tolerates the waterless shampoo for longer than Franklin does- Kap has short fur.
The Britannica article also states that despite an aversion to their fur being wet, "behaviorists believe cats are drawn by the movements of the water and the sounds it makes, all of which can stimulate a cat’s instinctual drive to catch prey." This is most likely the reason why Kap and Franklin both enjoy a water fountain dispenser that makes noise, as well as the rain. Their little ears are being stimulated by the water noise to go catch some prey!
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"Meow mew mow meow!" -Franklin (Have a great day!)
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