system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why exactly do cats hate water?
gpt
Think about when you make a loud noise, what does the cat do?  It fucking bolts out of the room in a split second.

Cat's sense of safety relies largely in their ability to GTFO out of whatever danger appears.  They have great spacial awareness and hearing, so they can detect danger at it's first sign.  Their hind legs are backwards compared to ours, so they can LAUNCH them into a jump or a sprint from a sitting or laying position.  Anything that prevents this takes getting used to and makes many cats nervous.

If a cat is in the water, it can't get out very quickly.  It's incredible jumping and running acceleration doesn't help it when it's not able to touch solid ground.  The water sticks to it's fur and adds very significant weight, making it difficult to run or jump.  For a cat, being in water feels very vulnerable.