Fishing cats are semi-aquatic wildcats native to South Asian wetlands whose welfare in captivity depends on access to water for swimming and fishing behaviour, with their highly specialised aquatic adaptations requiring purpose-designed aquatic enrichment.
Fishing cat welfare in captivity is critically dependent on water access. A fishing cat without a pool deep enough to wade and dive is like a polar bear without ice — the most fundamental expression of their natural behavioural repertoire is denied. Pools should be deep enough for swimming, stocked with fish periodically for naturalistic hunting behaviour, and maintained at appropriate temperatures. The enrichment value of aquatic features is very high for this species. Their wetland habitat specialisation also makes fishing cats compelling ambassadors for mangrove and marsh conservation — zoos holding them should leverage this connection to drive conservation messaging and funding.