Cat magic

I think cats being afraid of water is somehow a result of domestication. That’s just speculation tho

Some wild cats actually hunt for fish in rivers and love water, it's literally called the Fishing Cat

Have you seen the video where the jaguar catches an alligator out of a river?

Most domestic cats descend from desert cats that come from dry climates and wouldn’t have a a desire or really much use for water adaptation. Most domestic cats inner ears are also not well suited to water. The way they are shaped and the size makes them trap water which asides being unpleasant and effecting hearing can cause infection. Most domestic cats have a coat which isn’t really made to get wet either. The undercoat traps water and actually makes the cat stay wet longer and be more prone to loss of heat- and domestic cats tend to prefer warmer wether already so are unlikely to want or need such cooling unless it is dangerously hot out. Moving through water also reduces their speed, agility, and senses which they may find unpleasant. Jungle cats and certain types of cats like Turkish Vans love water. Most domestic cats do not- but some may just as some dogs from “water breeds” hate water.

The more rare the more yum

When traveling by boat became big many rats and mice would go on the boats. So crewman would bring cats and small dogs to catch them. It is more than likely this is when they learned of fish.

@catfluff please advise

It’s god taunting them. The unobtainable treat, just out of reach, until, humans fucked it up.