Tanya, the owner of Waterworkz, is used to swimming dogs and now she’s willing to swim cats--nice cats.
Tanya is a great person to swim cats because she doesn’t just plop a pet into the water; she uses heart-to-heart training to help cats relax as they swim. Tanya counts the number of laps the cat does around the 20 foot pool, and when she thinks the cat should take a break, she coaxes it into relaxing and floating.. You can see Carmen floating in one picture, her tail and legs completely relaxed.
Warm salt water eases arthritis pain
The cat in these pictures with Tanya is a sweet-natured calico who benefits from the warm salt water because she has arthritis. Warm salt water is excellent at reducing lameness, easing pain, and taking the creak out of the joints. For shy, anxious cats, swimming can build self-confidence and self-esteem, just as it builds muscle .
Swimming safety
To ensure a cat’s first swimming experience as safe as it could be, we select a harness from those leant to us by PAWS, the Point Roberts Pet Rescue Society. For Carmen. we chose a wide-webbed, step-in, harness that fit comfortably. We attached two leashes, one for Tanya and one for me as I assisted alongside the pool. If any problem had arisen, both Tanya and I would have pulled on the leashes to lift Carmen in her harness right out of the water. As you can see from the pictures, Carmen was so good in the water, she was soon swimming without leashes.
Swimming cats so they enjoy the experience--open pool is more calming than water treadmill sessions.
Swimming cats is not a new idea, but Waterworkz is the first facility to swim cats without putting them into a glass-sided treadmill. Certainly cats benefit from walking on a treadmill in water, but most of the time cats think of treadmill exercise as work, not play. What we want for cats at Waterworkz is that they enjoy themselves. We want cats to experience complete relaxation. As Tanya says, “They shouldn't know it’s therapy; they’re just having a good time.”.From the look on Tanya’s face, she is having an equally good time.
Wanted swimming cats!
So, dear cat families, if you want to give your cat the benefit of warm water therapy, call Waterworkz and set up a vet visit. Together, we'll ensure your cat is physically and mentally a good candidate for swimming.
As you can see from these photos, and the video we'll be posting on Youtube, there's joie de vivre for both Carmen andTanya. If you could have seen Carmen's mom's face, you'd have seen her smiling, too. Thanks Elaine, for letting us play in the water with Carmen.
Waterworkz Contact Info
604 435 0002
3831 Still Creek Ave
Burnaby, BC
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