cats tip over their water bowl ...

[cruelladepoppins]

Aargh every time! I bought them a heavier, "non-slip" one and after a day they have worked out how to spill that too. In the interim, one of them took to dipping his paw in and sloshing the water out of the bowl. What is the point??????? And how do I stop them? Can cats drink from those little water bottles that rabbits have? They have to have water available, and I need it to be non spill as they are "home alone" some of the time.

As a cheaper option could try one of these but a cat fountain might be better if they like sloshing it about, as it has a filter to keep the water clean, and the water stays cool because it's constantly moving. It'll also amuse them no end, as they can dip their paws in the running water.

Mine started flicking the water out of their bowls after they were neutered - we think they got bored in their cage at the vet's and taught themselves a fun new trick.

After exhausting my usual techniques (swearing and shouting) I put the bowls down on a towel in the hope that sloshing the water about wouldn't be as appealing if it didn't have a result - ie there would be no 'interesting' wet slippy floor for them to skate about on, just a damp towel.

They certainly stopped doing it, whether that was because of my little trick, or because they remembered what fun things there are to do in the house (like wreck the furniture and all my clothing), I don't know.

My cat used to knock her plastic water bowl over all the time. I tried a stainless steel bowl (which was heavier) but she still knocked it over. I now put her water in a big heavy glass fruit bowl.

surely they couldn't knock one like this over?

I have one who carefully washes her feet in the bowl before wiping them dry on my lap. drives me balmy. they used to have a glass after drinking out of our glasses all the time but this one used to delibertely hook her paw over the edge, tip it over and watch in fascination.

My cat tips some of the water out of her bowl accidentally whilst she pushes on the front of it with her paw in order to see where in the bowl the water level is. She obviously doesn't want to put her face into the water so that's her way of finding out how far down to reach. Now I've seen her and understood the reason why I don't mind a slightly wet floor. If she tipped the whole thing over, I'd not be pleased as it has to be a bigish bowl for the dog and her to share.

We have one like that but bigger for our dog - I wouldn't have thought a cat could tip it (and it says 'Water' on it, not Dog! ). We have the dog's bowls on a washable cloth mat, just because he drips accidentally. It does help keep the floor dry.

Interesting thread... my 8 yr old cat has really neurotic drinking habits which I'm desperate to get to the bottom of...

I can't work out whether he gets distressed by drinking or is just playing a game with his bowl, but he spends around 10 minutes miaowing at the bowl, dancing round it and pawing insanely at the bowl, mat and floor before actually drinking anything.

He's been tested for cystitis as well as general blood tests / health checks and the vet says there's nothing medically wrong with him, and he's always been like this it's nothing new, but we have a baby on the way and could really do with creating some kind of harmonious household rather than wet floors and mad animals!

Does anyone have any advice? (Sorry to hijack your thread OP, but it kind of seemed related...) Do the water fountain things need to be plugged into the mains?

Cats are funny creatures. In the wild cats prefer running water to stagnant water hence why many cats like fountains. Also a cats water bowl needs to wide enough that the whiskers are not bent and shallow enough that they can see over the brim at all times. Again water fountains fit these criteria.
After years of cleaning up round the water bowl, finding mad cats sitting in the sink or bath waiting for the tap to be turned on and general water related mayhem I gave in.
2 years down the line with the fountain plugged in via a circuit breaker that is also a timer switch (it comes on for 15minutes every 1 and half hours between 6am and 10.30pm) our house is a drier happier place.
Lots of this lovely info can be found at www.fabcats.org along with other great cat info.

OMG!

The price of the fountains.

We have a metal bowl in a stand.

Not that it gets used.

Cat usually seems to find something manky outside.

Now that there´s snow/ice about she goes in the shower to lick around that when you get out.

When the sink had a leak we put a bowl there & that became her favourite drinking place