Fact: cats are cute, fluffy and adorable. But they are also really odd sometimes. They can be aloof, a little rude and chase their own tails, but aside from this slightly strange behavior, the one that really puzzles us is: Why do cats love the bathtub?
This strange phenomenon goes against everything we know about cats hating water, and it seems the internet shares our confusion about the matter.
One of the biggest concerns for cats attracted to water was that they are suffering form kidney problems.
One symptom of kidney problems for our favourite furry felines is that they “lose the ability to concentrate their urine appropriately, and as a result they may urinate greater volumes and drink more water to compensate,” according to the Feline Health Center at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University.
But kidney problems are’t the only reason your cat might love the tub, and even a perfectly healthy cat is known to splash around in water.
According to Vetwest animal hospital in Perth, cats need to drink around “60mls/kg per day of water. That means a 4kg cat should be drinking approximately 240ml a day (about one cup) to ensure their body functions properly.”
However, this changes with diet, so if your cat mostly eats dried food, they will need to drink more water, but if it eats mostly wet food it might need to drink less.
But why does your cat play in the bathwater or drink out out of the tap? It could be because “cats like fresh water the same as we do and prefer water changed daily,” Vetwest says.
Your cat could be trying to find a fresher source of water, and this includes a tap – or even a toilet!
Vetwest also says it could be down to their water bowl: “Plastic bowls can make water taste funny to cats and often swapping to a glass, ceramic or stainless steel bowl can make it more attractive.”
It’s best to remember that cats are very picky, and are also very curious creatures. Drinking out of your glass of water might seem much more fun for them than their standard water bowl.
As for playing in the bathtub? Scientists haven’t figured that one out yet.
