Cats hate water…right? Tissy the Maine Coon is dispelling this thought.
Like tigers, her wild cousins, Tissy loves a good swim. She’s one of many cat breeds who don’t mind a dip. According to Pawsome Cats, the list of water-loving cat breeds is surprisingly long: Bengal, Turkish Van, Turkish Angora, Abyssinian, Savannah, Snowshoe, Manx, and the Maine Coon.
Tissy is a Maine Coon which means in addition to her enjoyment of water, her body size is larger than average and her intelligence level is exceptionally high. Maine Coons are also energetic and require lots of play and exercise.
A few laps around the family pool provides the activity a cat like Tissy needs.
Tissy resides in Brady’s Bend, PA, not far from Pittsburgh. She’s been a member of the Herr family since her people found her as a frightened kitten outside the Butler County Fairgrounds. At about a year old, Tissy took her first dip.
Watching her human sister, Taylee, playing the in pool, Tissy’s curiosity kept growing.
Taylee and Tissy’s dad, Sonny told TribLive, “I thought she wanted to go into the pool. It was a natural thing for Tissy.”
Sonny was right. Tissy took right to the water, swimming over to her sister for some fun!
“They are two peas in a pod, and Tissy is Taylee’s sidekick,” said pleased mama Jennifer.
Of swimming with her ginger sister, Taylee said, “She makes me happy.”
Us too, Taylee!
Still Swimming
Now, Tissy is five years old and still loves a good swim.
Jennifer keeps a close eye on the kids while they swim. “We put the floatie on Tissy after a few minutes of swimming because I’m not sure how long a cat can swim, and I don’t want her to overexert herself.”
An excellent idea as keeping children, human and furry alike, safe around water is an absolute must. Tissy likes to wear her floatie because she gets to play longer with Taylee and their brother, Traeh.
Protecting Tissy comes naturally to Jennifer and the rest of the family, “She’s our baby.”
After pool fun, Tissy snuggles up in a fluffy towel and has a snack.
Summer to Winter, Fun Abounds
Though the weather has turned frightful for swimming, Tissy still finds joy in a warm bubble bath and celebrating the holidays with her family.
She says Happy Meow-lidays!
H/T: TribLive
Feature Image: Water Kitty/Facebook