Cats are famous for their aversion to water. However, the fishing cat, a wild Asiatic species, has no such tendency. In fact, these felines, about twice the size of typical house cats, prefer to be in proximity to water, making their homes in the near rivers and marshes. As their name indicates, the cats fish for their meals, sitting by the water and tapping their paws to create ripples on the surface that resemble insect movements to lure their prey. Their webbed front paws help the fishing cats to remain dry while scooping fish, frogs, and snails out of shallow water. However, they also dive right in to grab large fish and birds in their jaws. Once in the water, the cats can swim on the surface or even glide underwater. Their flat tails, significantly shorter than those of house cats, serve as rudders, helping them to adjust direction below the water surface. Unfortunately, habitat loss and overfishing have decreased the number of these cats by about 50 per cent over the past three generations. Recently, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) changed the status of these cats to “endangered” from the less-severe “vulnerable”.