Can Ragdoll cat swim?

Cats are often considered to hate water. But it doesn’t mean that they can’t swim. Though many cats don’t like swimming or in water that much, but it is not true with all cats.

Some cats like a ragdoll, like to be around water, and they love swimming. Ragdoll is a unique cat breed that doesn’t mind being in the water. They love swimming and enjoy being in the water.

But to know if your ragdoll can swim, it is never a good idea to place your cat directly in water, as it may lead to a bad experience and they start disliking swimming.

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Yes, ragdoll can swim. They don’t mind being in the water. As most of the cats dislike water and they never prefer swimming. But ragdoll is a unique type of cat breed that loves being in the water and enjoy swimming.

You can easily train your ragdoll on swimming and teach them to enjoy being in the water. Sometimes, in the beginning, your cat may resist, but once she gets comfortable in the pool, she will start enjoying it.

What may the reason that ragdoll cat dislike being in the water?

Though ragdoll cats are reported to love swimming and have no water issue, there may be some causes that can make this creature hate being in the water.

And the most important reason is the prior negative experience. In case when the only exposure of your cat to water was being trapped in the bottom of the pool or any water body and forced them into a flea bath, this is the sufficient reason that your ragdoll cat is not fond of water.

Physical discomfort may be another reason that your ragdoll cat dislikes being in the water. Water and being wet can cause their fur to get drenched. This makes the cat feel weighted down and difficult to move. This also leads to that your ragdoll dislike being in the water.

What to do if your ragdoll cat hates swimming or water?

In the case when your ragdoll cat hates being in the pool or dislikes water, then here we present you some tips that might help your cat get over its fear of water:

Never start too sudden. It is never advised to directly throw your cat in the pool, which can worsen her experience in the pool. So we recommend starting with small changes in your cat’s routine.
You can take your cat to the garden and let her enjoy an inflatable pet pool having a decent amount of water. Never use a deep pool whose ground is not visible as your cat might resist entering such pools.
Reward your cat with treats when they successfully spent some time in the water without making a mess.
You can also arrange a play date where you let your cat play with other pets enjoying being in the water. This will encourage your pet, and she will soon get to the water.

How to make your ragdoll cat comfortable in the pool?

Now we explain to you how you can adopt to teach your ragdoll cat to be comfortable in the pool.

First, get your cat in the pool safely. Sometimes when your ragdoll cat is phobic of water, she will resist, fight, and flightseeing the pool. So to avoid this, never let your cat see the water. Close her eyes while you enter the pool.
Once inside the water, your water-phobic ragdoll cat will try to get out of the water. So hold your cat firmly. Also, grasp her rear feet as there are chances that your cat might harm or scratch you. Along with holding your cat firmly, try to calm your cat and stay in the same position until your cat feels comfortable and in a relaxed state.
When you feel that your cat is now calm and relaxed, loosen your hold and start the swimming lesson. Get your cat inside the water. Make sure you are firmly gripped to your cat; otherwise, she will drown in the water.
Once your cat feels safe in the water, loosen your grip and let the cat paddle her feet. In the starting, it is going to be bad exposure for your cat, but practice will make your cat comfortable in the pool.
Support your cat while swimming lessons and never let her go down to the bottom, as this will make swimming more terrific for your cat. As your cat starts swimming well, let her enjoy the pool.

What precautions should be taken while your ragdoll cat is swimming?

Precautions are required while you are teaching your ragdoll cat to swim. Here we list you some precautions you should keep in your mind while making cat learns swimming:

Never leave your swimming learning cat alone in the pool. Always get inside the pool along with your cat.
While teaching your cat to swim, hold her firmly, and never let them drown down to the bottom. Otherwise, this will worsen their fear of water.
Also, check the chemical level in your pool. The chemicals in the pool might be harmful to your cat’s fur.
It is easy for your cat to enter, but coming out of the pool is difficult for her. After getting her fur drenched, your cat will feel heavy, and it will be difficult for them to come out of the water. So help them come out of the pool.
Wash your cat with fresh water after every swimming session. Since pool water always has some chemicals, so giving a proper bath to your cat is always essential.

How to dry your ragdoll after a swimming session?

The next step after the swimming session is drying your ragdoll cat. This is mandatory; otherwise, it may lead to some skin infections, colds, and discomfort to your cat.
After giving a proper bath with fresh and clean water, wrap your cat in a bath towel immediately. Rub gently to remove the excess water. Once done with the towel, switch on the dryer and dry your cat.
While using a dryer, keep in mind that the temperature should not be so high as it might burn your cat.
Never point the dryer on the sensitive part like inside the ears, eyes, nose, or genital area.

THE BOTTOM LINE

This way, you can teach your ragdoll cat to swim. In case when you notice some ear infection or any other infection, consult your veterinarian as early as possible.