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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is my cat being unreasonable

129 replies

ThrilledToTiddlyBits · 01/11/2019 23:54

To insist on only drinking water out of the kids tumbler in the bath?

For context : DCat is 7 years old, neutered male. He has a split food dish but we stopped putting water in one half as he would crunch his kibble over the water, which would then get manky, so both sides of the bowl are for food, it has been this way for years. We also have a dog, who has a bowl of water down 24/7,cleaned regularly. DCat has always shared the bowl (will only drink it via his paw though, dipping the paw into the bowl then licking the water from his paw, very messy but whatever), again this has been the case for years.

Now, all of a sudden he will ONLY drink from the blue plastic tumbler that lives in the bathroom to assist with washing the kids' hair. To the point that he miaws outside the bathroom door if it's shut, and will race us upstairs and straight into the bath to alert us if his cup needs filling. This water, he will lap up directly, no needing to use his paw. He would apparently die of thirst if the tumbler was not available to him.

Is he BU? Why will he not drink from the dog bowl anymore? DCat and DDog don't appear to have had an argument, they both ignore each other to the same extent they always have. The water hasn't changed that I'm aware of. Does bathroom water taste better than kitchen water? Is it possible there is a faint residue of shampoo that is tempting him to the tumbler?

Is my cat an arsehole BU?

OP posts:
trevthecat · 02/11/2019 09:39

Our Trev's will only drink water from the bath, he sits in the empty bath moaning till you put the plug in and turn the water on! He will then drink from the puddle around the plug. He's always done this. He has a water bowl but I've never seen him drink from it!

Cosyjimjamsforautumn · 02/11/2019 09:46

4 cats. None will drink fresh water from a bowl. Might deign to try a sip of cooled boiled water from the kettle if theyre feeling generous. We have a bird bath outside that i top up from the water butt - that is also acceptable. Dirty puddles are ok too. Have learnt the hard way to keep the loo seat down (dirty paw marks on loo seat gave the game away) Confused

RedSheep73 · 02/11/2019 09:55

All cats are like this! the last thing they want to do is drink out of any water you have specifically given them to drink. They won't let themselves die of dehydration though.

HB2019 · 02/11/2019 09:55

I have a Cat Mate water fountain. I clean it, I change the filter, I top it up with water. DCat1 will only drink shower water droplets in the bath after I've been in, he'll claw at the door to get in. DCat2 will only drink from a bucket under a drain pipe. DCat3 will only drink from the bathroom sink tap, not flowing too fast, not flowing too slow.

MereDintofPandiculation · 02/11/2019 10:19

Be very careful @3catsandcounting , lily pads are poisonous to cats: The link you posted relates to lilies, not water lilies. Water lilies are as unrelated to lilies as you can get and still be a flowering plant. This is why botanists like to use the scientific names - common names are so misleading.

StarlingsInSummer · 02/11/2019 10:25

My cats both will only drink out of a large mug in our en-suite. We went away overnight last weekend, left the mug full and another full mug (as well as four bowls of kibble downstairs. When we got home, the “favoured” mug was nearly empty and the other untouched.

ScreamingCosArgosHaveNoRavens · 02/11/2019 10:27

My cats only drink from the dog's bowl and ignore the bowls I put out for them unless Ddog is shut in and they can't get to his.

They will sometimes start lapping at a glass of fruit juice if left out, which is just weird - cats don't eat fruit Confused.

Toddlerteaplease · 02/11/2019 10:32

Mine have a tumblr to drink out of. They have them all over the house. Cats are never unreasonable. YABU for suggesting they might me.

WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles · 02/11/2019 10:46

In winter my cat will only drink from a manky puddle on the front path. She also dabbles her paws in it then legs it in the house and jumps all over DD's bed. I often try to stop her at the door, ineffectually. It's only DD's bed she likes to wipe her paws on for some reason.

In summer she has a bowl outside and demands I trickle water into the bowl very slowly so she can drink from the stream, not the bowl. I've tried just trickling water into her mouth without the bowl there, nope.

Cats are fuckwits.

NewName54321 · 02/11/2019 10:55

Of course, we can't properly judge whether your cat is unreasonable without pictures...

WeirdCatLady · 02/11/2019 11:02

WeirdCat drinks from wherever the hell she wants, because she is a goddess (All hail WeirdCat). She particularly likes human drinking water. Dd is a biigg water drinker and has to change glasses at least five times a day because of this.

hangry · 02/11/2019 11:24

My cats only drink from my aquariums. they balance on the top and stick tongue and/or paws in. the fish think it's feeding time so swim up to their faces. and they have both fallen in several times. which is why i have duckweed plastered to my newly painted walls.

TheBrockmans · 02/11/2019 11:28

Do any of yours like tea though? That is apparently the most prized. Although it could be because it is the most guarded.

Marshmallow91 · 02/11/2019 11:33

My cat used to thoroughly enjoy drying off my legs after I'd had a shower Hmm

Midgey91 · 02/11/2019 11:35

We had a water bowl for our cat that would consistently knock it over to then drink the water that went on the floor. We then bought a cat mate water fountain and it's the best thing we have ever done. He loves drinking from the fountain as there is constant running water and no longer knocks it over.

stucknoue · 02/11/2019 11:39

My dog prefers puddles or running water, he'll also drink from a water bottle (quite handy) his bowl is only drunk from if no other sources are available

Gingerkittykat · 02/11/2019 11:40

@DontGoIntoTheLongGrass

We had one of those fancy catit fountains.

Cat #1 was terrified of it, even after having it running for weeks.

Cat #2 would drink from it but only if it was switched off.

Cat #2 then discovered how to remove the filter bit in the middle and after getting sick of reattaching it every day and dealing with the soggy mess it made the fountain was relegated to the back of the cupboard.

Cat #2 is generally an arsehole btw, his favourite activity is opening every cupboard door in the house just for the sake of it. His second favourite activity is spilling glasses of water and getting shocked every time he does it and his paws get wet.

Op. your cat is less of an arsehole than others here, just bow to his demands.

OhMsBeliever · 02/11/2019 11:51

My cats only like drinking rain water that is from a filthy bowl in the garden. Do not clean the bowl, they will not drink from it! It must taste better with dirt and leaves in it.

If it's not available then drinking from the toilet is an acceptable alternative.

Lovely.

Jaxhog · 02/11/2019 11:59

Totally reasonable (for a cat). One of mine will only drink water from the manhole cover in my vegetable patch. Although not when it's raining.

GOODCAT · 02/11/2019 12:01

Our cat only drinks outside or from a plastic top from an old thermos that lives in the wetroom or from a running tap.

Jaxhog · 02/11/2019 12:02

My cat used to thoroughly enjoy drying off my legs after I'd had a shower

Mine likes to dry himself on my clothes (while I'm wearing them, preferably) when he's wet.

fishonabicycle · 02/11/2019 12:06

My cat will only drink from the taps - he sits next to them yelling when he's thirsty. On the odd occasion he will drink out of a glass of water if someone leaves it on the table. So your cat is just being within the normal levels of irritating!

DecomposingDurannie · 02/11/2019 12:07

There is definitely something delicious about water with a hint of shampoo/ soap... one of my cats waits outside the shower room every morning for me to finish before rushing in to drink the shower water as I step out....much tastier than the fresh water available downstairs.....

The other cat prefers muddy puddles....

SueDoeName · 02/11/2019 12:10

My cat will only drink out of a glass . My bedside water is never safe .

Though it is any glass and she doesn't favour one particular colour.

Maybe a bit unreasonable.!

saltysally · 02/11/2019 12:13

I suspect it is revenge for not deeming dcat's first two preferred methods of drinking acceptable and refusing to be a constant slave to the mess