History Main / CatsHateWater

* ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'': Rita's spy Kat Hillard is a shapeshifting cat who hates water. [[spoiler:She's actually a human girl under a mind control spell, and her fear of water comes from a childhood trauma which she eventually overcomes after the spell is broken.]]

** ''ComicBook/BatmanHush'': ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} clings tightly to Bruce while he swims away from a BrainwashedAndCrazy Superman, Batman's thought bubble lampshades it "cats and water". This comes again in Selina's solo series where she admits to [[https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--31DzBQTV--/x8yu5zycwuaic1dxuobt.jpg not liking the idea of drowning]], probably explains why she chooses showers over baths.

** Unlike tigers, lions generally seem to have a large aversion to water, although in places like the Okavango Delta, they do swim regularly in search of prey; considering the area is full of water during wet seasons, they are more or less forced into it. There's a very good reason for lions' dislike of water: in Africa, there's a high chance that any body of water of a decent size will have hippos, crocodiles, or both. Both animals regularly kill lions and in water a lion would have little chance to flee or defend itself.

As far as TruthInTelevision goes, your kitties may vary; many actually ''do'' like water at least to some degree. In addition to certain breeds of domestic felines and quite a few moggies, many "big cats" (most notably tigers and jaguars, which tend to live in tropical rainforests with plenty of rivers and lakes) and "small cats" enjoy swimming. But we don't recommend giving your pet cat a bath without expert supervision, as for many cats this is largely TruthInTelevision...

* Most breeds of domestic cat and many moggies do hate water if it's forced upon them, and many turn into furry cuisinarts when a bathtub full of water is threatened. However, some cats don't mind water if they're introduced to it gently (for baths, it helps if it's very warm) and some certainly don't mind getting wet while drinking from a faucet. The issue is with instincts. Domestic cats are descended from wildcats that lived primarily in desert areas, so as a rule, they have an instinctual fear of large bodies of water (they so seldom see them). For that matter, dog breeds from similar areas have similar aversion to water. This instinct is not as strong in some cats, and it can be completely overcome with training (although it's easier to do it before the cat in question is full-grown). There's also the issue of temperature. Being descended from desert animals, many cats hate being cold, and a thorough soaking will allow air to get to the skin more easily, never mind the evaporating water taking some body heat with it. Only a few breeds have coats that can be considered water-resistant (Maine Coons are one such breed, as well as Turkish Vans, explained directly below). It's often considered that a lot of cats don't like baths because they're not accustomed to it. Cats rarely get bathed - typically only when they get extremely dirty or have a flea/tick issue - as they clean themselves so they aren't used to it. This aversion can be exploited as a means of behavior deterrence: fill a squirt bottle with water, and start squirting at a house cat who is misbehaving. In true Pavlovian fashion, eventually the cat will stop misbehaving when you even reach for a squirt bottle. And will start hating you, but that's another story.

* ''WesternAnimation/PuppyDogPals'': In "Land of the Rising Pups", after Bingo and Rolly return home from China with snow which melts into water, Hissy freaks out and states this trope.

Cats who overcame the fear of water (mostly when they're kittens) are considered literal {{Cowardly Lion}}s at best.

* ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'', the main characters plan to force the villainous tiger Rajan out of hiding by flooding his base, specifically because cats hate water. Even though tigers are one of the types that don't.
** Course, even if tigers ''do'' like water, [[FridgeLogic flooding his base would probably get him out anyways because tigers may like water, but they can't BREATHE in it or hold their breath indefinitely]].

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''Comicbook/TheAvengers'': Tigra, a cat woman, hates water because of her feline body.

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

* ''FanFic/PlanetOfTheCats'' mentions that the Catian inhabitants of the titular planet dare not venture beyond their edges of their island domain for this reason. The epilogue suggests they may begin making attempts to do so, thanks to new allies.

-->'''Teekl''': Teekl patrol tunnels. Excessive water.\\
'''Paul''': Pretty sure you can just will yourself to be dry--\\
'''Teekl''': Excessive. Water.

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Simba has grown to love water because he grew up in an oasis, but that doesn't mean that Nala does, as shown by her absolutely ''horrified'' expression when Simba playfully pulls her into water during "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?".

--->'''Puss''': How humiliating.

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

* In ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', Krosp takes the controls of their falling airship and totals it, crashing it into a hill, to avoid landing in the lake, since then he'd get wet.
** ...and that's nothing to his reaction to the sewers under Sturmhalten. Of course, having spent all his life on the Castle Wulfenbach, he didn't know what a sewer was when he went down there...
*** Well, what ''really'' bothered him about the sewer was when he fell in--and then [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060125#.VomncvkrLIV a Jaeger suggested he could]] ''lick'' himself clean....

* In Phil Folgio's ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie'', he proposed several exercises that would allow D&D players to experience what adventuring would be like in real life. To demonstrate the injuries normally received in a dungeon encounter, "[[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20070513 Strap 53 live cats to your body and take a cold shower.]]"
* The first arc of ''Webcomic/TheSuburbanJungle'' had a mouse trying to escape Tiffany Tiger by running into a lake, thinking she'd be scared of water like most cats, only for her to jump in after him.
** Being a Siberian tiger Tiffany also loves snow, much to Leonard Lion's annoyance.

* Website/YouTube: Many videos, including [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9QwK5EHSmg this one.]]

--> '''Guy About to Get Eaten''': Brainstorm! You think now's the time to come up with ideas? Instead of maybe before you wrote this guide?\\
'''Chris Bucholz''': Yes, ''dad''. Now do you want my help or not?\\
'''G.A.G.E.''': I'm not sure anymore.\\
'''Chris''': So my first thought is that lions are basically very big cats, so maybe we can use that. But how?\\
'''G.A.G.E''': You're just going to plow ahead regardless, I see.\\
'''Chris''': I'll tell you how. What are cats most afraid of?\\
'''G.A.G.E.''': ''(long, heavy sigh)'' [[AnimalJingoism Dogs?]]\\
'''Chris''': No! ''Baths''! Have you ever tried to give a cat a bath? They hate it. They hate water. Or maybe it's sinks. Do you have a sink handy?\\
'''G.A.G.E''': No.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/TheCattanoogaCats Motormouse And Autocat]]'': Motormouse is a volunteer fireman, and every time he responds to an emergency, Autocat gets in the line of fire from his water hose.
* In ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'', Catra (who in this version is a CatGirl instead of a shapeshifting human) is shown to be less than thrilled about having to get on a boat, and she is also uncomfortable with snow (which is wet ''and'' cold.) It's later played for laughs in season 5, when it's revealed that the CrazyPrepared Netossa's plan for dealing with Catra as an enemy would have been [[spoiler:spritzing her in the face with a squirt bottle, then restraining her with an energy net when she freaked out.]]

** Unlike tigers, lions generally seem to have a large aversion to water, although in places like the Okavango Delta, they do swim regularly in search of prey; considering the area is full of water during wet seasons, they are more or less forced into it.

Cats who overcame the fear for water (mostly when they're kittens) are considered literal {{Cowardly Lion}}s at best.

** In the premiere movie, Kion is splashed twice in the space of a few minutes, first by Bunga and then by Beshte. Although he casually shrugs it off the first time, it's still clear that he does not enjoy being wet. However, in the second last episode, he has no problem pulling his girlfriend Rani through a waterfall for a swim during their LoveSong.

** In the premiere movie, Kion is splashed twice in the space of a few minutes, first by Bunga and then by Beshte. Although he casually shrugs it off the first time, it's still clear that he does not enjoy being wet.
** Fuli also dislikes it, jumping across the river just to stay dry and when Mtoto soaks her in water by accident, she is visibly annoyed.

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Simba has grown to love water because he grew up in an oasis, but that doesn't mean that Nala does, as shown by her absolutely ''horrified'' expression when Simba playfully pushes her into water during "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?".

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Simba has grown to love water because he grew up in an oasis, but that doesn't mean that Nala does, as shown by her absolutely ''horrified'' expression when Simba playfully pushes her into water during "Love Is in the Air Tonight".

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Simba has grown to love water because he grew up in an oasis, but that doesn't mean that Nala does.

* ''Franchise/DinseyAnimatedCanon'':

* For Streaky the Super Cat, an [[AnimalSuperheroes Animal Superhero]] in the Franchise/{{Superman}} comics, water serves as a literal Kryptonite.
* In ''ComicBook/BatmanHush'', ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} clings tightly to Bruce while he swims away from a BrainwashedAndCrazy Superman, Batman's thought bubble lampshades it "cats and water". This comes again in Selina's solo series where she admits to [[https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--31DzBQTV--/x8yu5zycwuaic1dxuobt.jpg not liking the idea of drowning]], probably explains why she chooses showers over baths.
* Tigra, a female cat woman of Comicbook/TheAvengers hates water because of her feline body.

* The opening chapter/story of the ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' Fanfic ''Fanfic/VariousVytalVentures'' has Blake Belladonna follow this, though its downplayed as she doesn't give her reason for not wanting to swim in the ocean despite coming to the beach in a swimsuit. WordOfGod is that it was left deliberately vague so it could still go either way regarding her Faunus heritage, which was unconfirmed at the time of posting.
* The {{Crossover}} fanfic [[FanFic/PlanetOfTheCats Planet of the Cats]] mentions that the Catian inhabitants of the titular planet dare not venture beyond their edges of their island domain for this reason. The epilogue suggests they may begin making attempts to do so, thanks to new allies.

--> '''Teekl''': Teekl patrol tunnels. Excessive water.
--> '''Paul''': Pretty sure you can just will yourself to be dry-
--> '''Teekl''': Excessive. Water.

[[folder:Film--Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird'': A soaking, shivering, near-traumatized Puss in Boots is clinging onto Shrek after the trio dunk themselves in water. Anyone in the audience can tell he obviously didn't enjoy the experience.
-->'''Puss''': How humiliating.

* In the animated Disney film ''WesternAnimation/TheAristocats'', while on their way back to Paris, Duchess, Thomas O'Malley and the kittens all walk onto a railroad track, but when a train comes, the cats all duck underneath the rails, but in the process Marie falls into a nearby river and she cannot swim. O'Malley jumps into the water and gets Marie back to shore, but then it turns out that O'Malley also cannot swim as well. As a result he had to rely entirely on a pair of geese in order for him to get out of the water.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Simba has grown to love water because he grew up in an oasis, but that doesn't mean that Nala likes water.

[[folder:Film--Live-Action]]
* In the 60's ''Film/BatmanTheMovie'', Catwoman angrily screams this line at The Penguin when it looks like Batman and Robin are [[SoBadItsGood about to use a bazooka to sink the pre-nuclear submarine the supervillains bought wholesale from the navy.]] The big climactic fight on the deck also has Catwoman throwing her pet cat at Batman, who in turn tosses it into a rubber raft.
* Mowgli's strategy against Shere Khan in 1942's ''Film/JungleBook''. (Once again, see Real Life below.)

* ''Film/EarthGirlsAreEasy'' - Geena Davis's cat gets knocked into the pool by Woody the pool man who crows "Whoa, shoot the curl, kitty! Those little dudes love the water, huh?" As the cat swims to shore, its face tells otherwise.

* Creator/PiersAnthony's ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' novel ''A Spell for Chameleon''. While trying to enter the Magician Humfrey's castle, Bink comes up against a guardian Cactus Cat. He uses its fear of water to get past it.

* Played deadly serious in the Literature/{{Redwall}} book ''Mossflower'', when Tsarmina is driven to insanity by [[TerribleTicking the sound of dripping water]] and eventually [[spoiler:[[KarmicDeath drowns to death.]]]]

* Inverted in Creator/AlanDeanFoster's ''Literature/{{Spellsinger}}'' novel ''Day of the Dissonance''. Main character Jon-Tom goes swimming while at the beach and is surprised when tiger Roseroar joins him, expecting the trope to be in effect. She tells him that it's true for other cats but not tigers (which is accurate to real life).
* The kids book ''Bad Kitty Gets a Bath'' makes full use of this trope. The narrator tries persuasion, threats, bribery, fawning and reverse psychology to get Bad Kitty to take a bath, to no avail. Finally, she is persuaded after she finds out that Poor Puppy will be getting one, too. [[spoiler: Poor Puppy is blissfully unaware that he's not supposed to like baths, which irks Bad Kitty no end.]]
* Cats in ''Literature/TailchasersSong'' even have a JustSoStory describing why cats hate swimming. Lord Firefoot (the first male cat created) tricked a shark into taking him across the ocean. He then land-locked the shark on shore and proceeded to eat it. Since then, cats have avoided water and they only eat fish they can catch without getting wet.

* Referenced on ''Series/CornerGas'': Brent gives this trope as the reason the events of ''Literature/LifeOfPi'' would be just as frightening for the tiger as they were for the kid. Lacey corrects him, saying that tigers actually do like water and are good swimmers.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* Played with in a ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' strip. Garfield spends most of the strip playing in a sprinkler. Then Jon announces it's bath time and [[HypocriticalHumor Garfield bolts away]].
** The very first strip involving Garfield and baths demonstrated the proper equipment one should use to bathe a cat who has not been declawed - Chain mail, steel gauntlets, and a football helmet.
** Another strip involves a massive pile of equipment that includes brass knuckles and a small straight-jacket.
** In a 1983 strip, Garfield justifies hating baths by stating that "Bathing robs cats of precious natural oils that protect us from skin disease."
* In ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', when Calvin's mom has signed him up for swimming lessons against his will, he asks her if she signed Hobbes up too. She tells him that "it's not good to get tigers wet." Hobbes's own explanation: "It takes us all day to dry, and until we do, we smell funny."
[[/folder]]

* In the animated Disney film ''Disney/TheAristocats'', while on their way back to Paris, Duchess, Thomas O'Malley and the kittens all walk onto a railroad track, but when a train comes, the cats all duck underneath the rails, but in the process Marie falls into a nearby river and she cannot swim. O'Malley jumps into the water and gets Marie back to shore, but then it turns out that O'Malley also cannot swim as well. As a result he had to rely entirely on a pair of geese in order for him to get out of the water.

* ''Disney/TheLionKing'': Simba has grown to love water because he grew up in an oasis, but that doesn't mean that Nala likes water.

* ''Literature/EndlingTheLast'': Gambler is a felivet, a [[FunnyAnimal bipedal]] cat. He can swim, but tries to avoid it.

* Kiki from ''VideoGame/GatoRoboto'' makes it clear she doesn't like going into water, but will nonetheless do so when necessary. The power suit on the other hand is not water-rated, and will take damage from falling in.