Is it wrong to teach your cat to swim?

Kittens love to play in water.

If you give them the opportunities while they are growing, they don't get overly upset by it.

This cat is obviously not suffering, and seems quite happy.

BTW, you don't have to teach a cat to swim, they know how. I think the only animal that says "I don't know how to swim" is humans.

He's using that tail like a muskrat. He's already figured out it makes a nice rudder.

Yes it would be wrong to teach a cat to swim
Wild cats usually live away from water, but if they are close to water they can swim if they are forced to and also try to catch fish just with their feet.
Tame cats are often a bit more used to water and kittens enjoy to play with dripping water or little bit in a puddle of water.
It is against the nature of a cat to enjoy getting wet- giving them a bath or teach them to swim is not correct. Honestly I have never heard of any kind cat lover giving their cat a bath.
Of course there are maybe cats who would like to swim but they are seldom-
Do not do anything which is against their nature if they do not like it.

Just FYI, I love my cat but gave it a bath against its will when it had clogged anal glands and started smelling terrible. He did not appreciate it, but he smelled a lot better afterward. Other reasons that one should give a cat a bath are listed on this website:
http://www.catbehaviourist.com/do-cats-require-bathing/

That sounds as if that was a good idea.
We have had cats and so many of the neigbours have cats and they are never bathed nor have I ever seen them swim in the small fishpounds around here.
They sit by the side and watch the fish, but that is all. Probably hoping the fish will crawl up to be eaten.

My business partner for years had cats and dogs and horses and turtles and who knows what else. Her husband despaired of all the animal concerns. She bathed her cats, not often but sometimes (the damned alley behind the building in Los Angeles, for example, and yes she was with him in the alley and yes there was a cat litter box), and they liked it, she knew them, had rapport. So I would say not always no, not always never. Mild warmth, gentle dribble wash. I washed my own cat once (forget the reason) and it went fine since I had learned from her. Alas, cats are trouble for me, bring on asthma though I tend to love them anyway - better from afar. (Yes, I've had shots. My husband was a guy who arrived with cats that I loved and sneezed at).

A true tale far as I remember: a cat arrived in my husband's wretched but wonderful 60's chevy truck. Did he rescue it? I don't remember now, should ask, we still talk. That's how we got our irish setter, he rescued Kelly, but I don't remember re Margaret (name of a childhood pal). Plus, she looked like a Margaret.

Anyway, since we already had two cats and I was a sneezerama person, I called my then colleague but not yet consultant to, and left a message that I was dropping off Margaret at her work back door, which I did, already late for my own work - but she hadn't caught the phone message yet. Margaret was beautiful, of course.
Not long later, a bunch of months, I was a consultant and we developed working together. And there was Margaret. She got me back - I was hand detailing/drafting a plan and Margaret jumped on my drafting and I picked her up fast as my fingers could carry me, and I received a scratch that lasted many years. I notice it's gone now. Miss her, of course.

Rather than, or in addition to giving him a bath, you need to express its anal glades, or take him to a vet to do it.

I've given many a bath to cats. Preparation beforehand is essential, as well as efficiency during the bath, and a good grip on the nape of the neck.

unless that is not the problem

I brought my cat to a groomer before - he was a happy fat cat - to the point where he couldn't reach part of his back to clean it properly. We had another cat and she used to hold him down and give his back a nice cleaning. I think she finally got sick and tired of doing all this work and an area on his back started to get matted.

There was no way I was going try to put that cat in water. Not that he was mean and would scratch or bite me -- just the mess and getting all wet and fighting with him.

The groomer said although he didn't like the water part - he loved the brushing part.

Living is Dallas, the summers are scorching, and my late cat suffered from the heat. Ocassionally, I would massage her and at the same time lightly run water on her from a hose to cool her off. She would initially run off then come back for more. She discovered that. in hot weather, being thoroughly soaked is cooler and much preferable.

Cats and dogs don't actively cool their bodies, only their brains, so hot weather is tough on them. I think cats don't mind being wet; they just hate getting wet.

What is a groomer?

A person who grooms your pets.

Meaning brushing, bathing, cutting hair, nails etc.

An animal hairdresser and manikurist?

You got it! Nothing too good for Little Lucifer.

Wild cats such as tigers will apparently take to the water as well if they have incentives.. such as tasty chunks of meat in the pool.

Just do a quick Google search for pet groomer.

I suppose you could look at it that way. I'm sure you're aware horses are groomed and elephants are washed, etc.

Surely you don't think breeds of dogs or cats with long hair don't ever get brushed out, either by their owners or groomers. Or that people don't bathe their pets.

I mean, seriously, you never heard of such a thing?

What planet are you from?

You can look at it this way animals in the wild do not visit vets, but for a domestic pet or even wild animal in the zoo wouldn't it be more healthy to visit one?

Yes a pet could survive without going to a groomer but isn't more healthy to be clean? Or more some animals to have their coats trimmed . ..think of those that are more suited for cold eeather.