Kitten Thinks It's One of the Dogs and Jumps Into the Ocean With Its Buddies

Who says cats don’t like water? Meet Marlin the ginger kitten who thinks he’s a dog. This very special kitty has been raised with a group of dogs since he was five weeks old. He races around and plays with them even though he is less than a quarter of their size. Marlin is quite comfortable traveling by boat and has no problem leaping in the water for a swim. He regularly goes on walks with the dogs and has his own harness and leash. He even does tricks such as giving his paw on command. Marlin truly is part of the pack.

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Do Cats and Kittens Really Hate Water?

After watching this clip, you may be questioning everything that you assumed you knew about cats and water. In fact, it is unusual for cats to be as keen on water as Marlin clearly is. This is because cats evolved as a desert species and historically lived in dry climates. They didn’t need to swim and had very few opportunities to do so. Fast forward to our domestic kitties and many of them get stressed by the feel of water on their coats. They don’t like the way that water washes away their natural odor and find the whole experience very unnerving. Compare this to many dog breeds, who have been bred to like the water. Gun dogs and hunting dogs, in particular, have been bred to leap into rivers and lakes and retrieve game during shoots.

Having said that, there are some cat breeds that are more comfortable in the water than others. In particular, Turkish Vans, Maine Coons, and Bengals are often more tolerant of getting wet.

Why Don’t Dogs and Cats Get Along?

The situation in this footage is undoubtedly adorable but it is unusual. For the most part, dogs and cats do not get on that well. If you have a dog and a cat in your household, it is likely that you’ve had to take steps to help them at least tolerate each other. The saying ‘fight like cats and dogs’ arose for a reason.

There are several theories for why this relationship is so antagonistic. Most experts agree that it has something to do with competition for food. Even though both dogs and cats have been domestic animals for centuries, they have not always been looked after as well as they are today. In the past, they would have been competing for limited food resources provided by humans. The two species also have completely different ways of communicating and simply don’t understand each other. Unfortunately, misunderstandings can often lead to confrontation!