So Bonaparte can swim!

I know because he fell in the pond today. It was a gorgeous day and I was out in the garden weeding all day. I heard a splash and turned round to see Bonaparte swimming like crazy across the pond and then hauling himself up onto the edging stones. I ran to him but he fled for a safe spot under the hedge where he started to dry himself. He looked rather shaken but OK and his head wasn't wet. I finally managed to get him and took him inside to be rubbed with a towel before settling down to finish the process himself. The others were very interested - they tried to lick him and gave hime a good sniffing all over. Goodness knows what he smelt like!

I have no idea why it happened - there are no fish there yet. He may have been trying to drink, or just curious - he loves the pond, since the day I dug it out. But I hope he learnt a lesson and will be more careful in future.

Every once in a while you will find a cat who likes to swim. It is unusual, but not unheard of.

Originally Posted by Zane's Pal

Every once in a while you will find a cat who likes to swim. It is unusual, but not unheard of.

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My uncle had a cat that absolutely loved water. He used to fill up the kiddy pool out back, or put in 6 inches or so of water in the tub and his cat used to wading around. They also had to keep him off the counter because if there was water in the kitchen sink, his cat would go right in and sit down and splash around.

I've had two fall into my pond. Pooh on an accident and Takoda took a dip about a year ago going after the turtle. Didn't catch the turtle but he enjoyed trying. We removed the pond from inside the cat enclosure to outside under the oak trees after Takoda's swimming excursion.

When we moved into our house the pond had been left a while and had got lots of green weed over it. When our kitty went out he went running over to it thinking it was grass!! He had a massive shock when he suddenly found himself in water, I have never seen a cat move so fast He is so intrigued by it now. He will sit by it and look in, it is clear now. He dips his paw in and watches the birds that go to bathe and drink. He has two bells so the birds don't hang around for long. He hasn't tried to go for another dip though Bless him

I have a very large pond, and none of my kitties have fallen in it! They do love to drink out of it though! My dog has fallen in though, retreiving a fetch toy.

Holly loves to get her paws wet, but swimming! Not mine.

When I was really little (we moved there when I was 3, left when I was 8), we lived in Storrs, CT; my parents were on the faculty of the University of Connecticut. They bought 40 acres that had once been a farm (you could still find the stone walls demarcating the fields) but had gone back to woodland. One edge of the property was demarcated by the Fenton River; the other side of the Fenton was University land, but was also farmland that had gone back to woods.

One day Father and I went down to the river and crossed over to the University land on a little natural dam that had been formed by some fallen trees. Our cat followed us. Father and I walked upstream for a while, then crossed back on some rocks and walked back downstream. After a while we heard "meraow! meraw!" from across the river--there was the cat! We could see him, but at that point we couldn't cross the river. After a few minutes, the cat climbed down the banks and got in the river. He swam across and came up where we were. Now, the term "river" is a little grandiose; I understand that the Fenton becomes a proper river farther down before joining the Connecticut River, but at that point is was a trout stream. However, the current was very strong, and it was in the early spring, so it must have been quite cold. Nevertheless, the cat swam across it. I've never seen the like since, but if one cat can do it, others can too.

Chuck Jones, the man who drew Bugs Bunny, told a story about a cat his family had when he was a kid. They lived on the shores of Lake Malibu at the time, and this cat liked to swim; he never got farther out than about chest-high to an adult. When he got tired, he'd swim over to the nearest human and climb onto his shoulder. Now, the family knew about this, but the cat wasn't particular, and sometimes it would be a stranger. Try to picture it; I think you will understand some of the Loony Toons better. (This cat was the basis of Sylvester.)

So, do you think he LIKES swimming, or just fell in and swam to get out?

That should be interesting to figure out! As a youngster, I had a cat that was fascinated with water. He learned to flush the toilet so he could watch the water swirl down the stool!

I know all cats can swim if they have to, but most hate it. Bonaparte has been fascinated by the pond since it was built. He sits by it often. But I think this was an accident - he probably leant over too far to drink or look at something, or in trying to catch a dragonfly. He looked very shaken when he got out. Of course it could have been an experiment of his, and maybe he will try it again, maybe not! The interesting thing is that when I heard the splash and saw him, he was still close to one edge but was swimming towards the other side - about 12 feet away.

Seldon likes the water. He loves splashing around and Cleo doesn't mind a bath. Mary...for a bengal mix she is not a water girl.

Don't be surprised if you see him do it again.