Woman Adopts Elderly Cat—Is ‘Speechless’ After Learning Her Morning Routine

An elderly cat’s unusual morning routine has left his new owner amazed due to his love for taking a shower.

Willem, a 10-year-old cat, found a new lease on life when Dominique rescued him from a shelter six months before the video was shared.

“He was completely pushed away in a corner. The other cats were very dominant,” Dominique told Newsweek. “He didn’t even dare to go to the litter box and was completely covered in urine and feces. He didn’t wash himself either. I felt so sad.”

The heartwarming connection between Dominique and Willem began the moment she approached him at the shelter. “When I went over to pet him, he looked at me like: ‘Are you really coming for me?’ I took him home and from that moment on, we have been inseparable,” she recalled.

When he came home, Willem’s new owner wanted to wash him after time in the shelter, but was worried about causing him too much stress. Little did she know, this ginger and white cat was about to reveal an unusual fascination with the shower.

“Because he was covered in urine, I wanted to wash him. But I didn’t want him to experience too much stress. But when he saw that I had a shower, he couldn’t resist anymore,” she said. “He even started whining at 5:30 in the morning, wanting to take a shower.”

In a video shared on TikTok, Dominique captures the adorable daily ritual, where Willem joyfully embraces the shower experience. The video has since been viewed 3.7 million times and received thousands of comments from fellow cat enthusiasts.

“I was speechless the first day,” Dominique says in the video, reflecting on Willem’s unexpected affinity for water.

“He prefers to take a shower every day. I try not to allow it every day because it’s not very good for his skin. But I can’t always resist him—and his screams,” she laughed.

While Willem is never happier than when in the shower, bathing cats is generally not necessary. Cats are fastidious groomers and can typically keep themselves clean—and many have a famed dislike of water, making bathing no easy task for an owner.

Bathing a cat can also wash away natural oils from their coat, which are important for their fur and skin. But there are instances where it might be necessary, too. Such as when they have come into contact with something oily, greasy, or dirty, or if they have a medical condition that requires bathing with a medicated shampoo.

Comments on the now video revealed a mix of curiosity and admiration. One said: “Mine is also a water cat. We call her our water daughter,” while another TikToker wrote: “Is this a premium feature in the universal cat distribution system?”

“He needs a little bathrobe,” suggested another viewer.

“I’ve always enjoyed posting on TikTok,” Dominique said. “I filmed the entire adoption process, and others enjoyed seeing this too. It feels like a kind of connection with other cat lovers.”

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