Orange Cat's Adorable Bathtub Playtime Is Off-Brand but So Cute

I recently had to give my cat the first real bath of her life and it was a deeply unpleasant experience for both of us. Under most circumstances, cats do not need to be regularly bathed, as they are meticulous self-groomers who can spend up to half their waking time bathing themselves with their tongues. But not my kitty. She’s very lazy and was growing quite stinky before I took matters into my own hands. Maybe now she’ll have learned her lesson.

But the cat in this video thinks of not only bath time, but also water in general as a fun little game.

In this video, we meet an adorable little ginger and white cat named Hammond, whose favorite game, it appears, is playing tag with water in the bottom of a bathtub.

Related: Simple Guide for Bathing a Rescue Kitten Is Full of Pure Kindness

It appears he first discovered this delightful diversion, while his mom was trying to water her plants in the bathtub, as most of the clip shows him chasing a tiny stream of water from a watering can.

It’s honestly, the cutest thing. He slaps at the water as it splashes the bottom of the tub as if, with his paws, he can capture it. For anyone who has played with their toddler in the tub or at a splash park—it’s the same deal, just for a feline.

We just hope she remembered to get the actual plants watered during all the fun and games.

Do Cats Really Hate Water?

The long-held general knowledge that all cats abhor water—and the behavior of my own kitty—definitely make most cat parents think twice before letting their felines around the wet stuff, but some cats need to be regularly bathed, and some just love to play in the water. Especially if they’ve been introduced to water from a young age.

Cats who are ill or otherwise unable to self-groom should be bathed for hygiene reasons. (I’m looking at you, cat in my house.) Occasionally, my cat has digestive problems that make a mess and are a bit more to clean up than she can handle all by herself. Sponge baths to the rescue!

Additionally, if your cat has gotten into a noxious or toxic material, such as paint, cleaning chemicals, or other substance, it can actually be dangerous to allow them to self-groom with their tongue. You must clean them in a safe manner.

And finally, certain breeds of cat, like the hairless Sphynx, must be regularly bathed as the oils which naturally coat their skin will not be distributed through hair (they don’t have) and will instead build up into a sticky, smelly mess

And of course, cats like Hammond here who just like the water. Because what a cat wants, they get.

How to Get a Cat Used to Baths

Don't be like me: get your cat used to baths when they are a kitten, so it's not such a shock later on in life. Try to be gentle with them when introducing them to water, or make the experience into a fun game like seen here. Keep the bath area as quiet as possible, making sure that the sound of the water or the echoing tiles do not startle them. Make sure the water is a good temperature, as cats’ thin skin means they are very sensitive to temperature variations. And finally, make sure not to get soap in their eyes.

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