Do Maine Coons like water?

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It depends what you mean by liking water! Maine Coons are not known for enjoying the odd swim in the sea, river or swimming pool but they are known for messing around with the water in their water bowl. In fact I am told that they hate being bathed. That said, what cat likes being bathed! 

Maine Coon playing with water in a bowl and licking it off her paw
Maine Coon playing with water in a bowl and licking it off her paw. Screenshot from video.

However, the internet authors say Maine Coons love swimming in water and joining you in the shower. I'd be very cautious about this information. It is unlikely. Gloria Stephens, a former or current cat show judge and author of Legacy of the Cat is the person who says that they hate being bathed. Not the behavior of a cat who loves being in water.

Another distinguished former cat show judge and a former president of the Cat Fanciers' Association, Richard H Gebhardt, makes no mention of Maine Coons liking water to the point they like to immerse themselves in it, in his book The Complete Cat Book.

Information about the Maine Coon's tendency to play with water is anecdotal I would suggest. It may be true. It may come from their time as barn cats living a fairly rugged life but that is a big guess. Here is a nice example.


Some individual cats do like to flick water in a bowl and there is a discussion about this aspect of domestic cat behavior. We don't really know why cats do it. Some cats almost prefer to drink water from their paws. It is rather strange. But I am not convinced that Maine Coons are any more likely to do this than any other regular domestic cat.

There has to be a logical reason for it. The likely reason for playing with water is because it is fun. A bored cat will knock stuff off shelves. That behavior is not dissimilar to flicking water out of a water bowl.

As for drinking water from their paws after they pick it up in their paw, this may be because it tastes better. Tap water may taste of flouride or chlorine if the supplier adds these purification chemicals. Cats have a sensitive sense of smell. They may pick it up which puts them off drinking it. Masking the smell with their smell on their paws may be an option but once again this is a bigtime guess.

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