Cats and Water

Cats mix with water like, well...oil and water.

Why do cats take an interest in water but don't mix with it? Bonnie Beaver, DVM, a professor of small animal medicine and surgery at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and the author of Feline Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians, says it's not that cats don't like water. After all, they drink it every day. It's just that they don't really need to get wet.

According to Dr. Beaver, ancestors of our modern house cats lived in semi-arid regions of Africa. These wild cats took water from their food. By necessity, they learned to live without a source of drinking water. Our pets would have been very different if they had evolved from tigers, which live in wet jungles and are quite comfortable with water.

Wayne Hunthausen, DVM, who practices in Westwood, Kansas, and has co-authored the Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat, also notes that cats aren't forced to swim for their dinner. "Their prey is land-based," he says, "and they don't need to swim in the water to hunt for food."

So cats don't hate the water. It just seems that way because instinct they inherited from over hundreds of generations tells them there's no good reason to dip their toes in.

Cats are notoriously nit-picky--don't forget about cats' fussy grooming habits, the doctors say. Water can rub a cat's coat the wrong way. That means lots of licks to get every hair back in place!

Dog Safety

It's almost time for summer vacation, which means playing outside and enjoying the sunshine. While you're outside, you may see dogs you don't know. What should you do if you are face to face with a strange dog? Below are some hints to keep both you and the dog safe.

If The Owner IS Present
- Approach the dog's owner first and ask permission
- Say "Hello" after permission is given and approach slowly; do not run up to a dog
- Hold your hand out, palm down, and let the dog sniff you
- Let the dog decide how close he wants to get and enjoy your new friend

If the Owners IS NOT Present
- Do not scream and run
- Use a loud, firm voice, tell the dog to "Go Home!"
- If the dog doesn't leave, don't panic. Ask yourself, "What is he doing? Is he just curiously watching you? Are his ears perked and tail wagging? If this is how he looks, just walk away calmly.
- If the dog is standing in a threatening manner, with his ears laid back along his head, his body tense, his tail up (it may or may not be wagging slowly, don't be fooled), this a threatening posture. Any sudden move on your part may cause him to attack.

Start to walk away slowly. Do not make any sudden moves. If he starts to come toward you and lunges, drop into a "turtle" position on the ground and yell for help.

Following these basic tips will help keep you and dogs around you safe and having fun this summer!

What You Can Do!

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