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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Drinking fountains for cats

43 replies

janeyjampot · 09/12/2013 11:38

I bought my cat a drinking fountain last week but he is showing no interest in it. I have put it on the floor next to his dishes but he won't even look at it!

Any ideas how I can help him to use it? At the moment he doesn't drink at all and is dependent on wet food for water.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 09/12/2013 15:43

Let us know how you and he get on.

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/12/2013 16:38

The only thing that's made my cat drink more is putting all the loo seats down.

Lonecatwithkitten · 09/12/2013 16:45

Right Janey I have had a look at your photos and think he maybe a bit on the chunky side. How easily can you feel his ribs when you run your hands over his chest?

Easily no need to apply any pressure
Light pressure required
Firm pressure needed
Can't feel ribs at all

Original poster

janeyjampot · 09/12/2013 17:23

Thank you for your help. :)

Obviously it depends a great deal on how stretched out he is when I stroke him. However, it's probably between two and three (perhaps two and three quarters!) when he is lying down but curled up - not fully curled up like a circle but lying on his side. Not stretched out as he is in one of my pictures - when he's like that you can see his ribs.

OP posts:

Lonecatwithkitten · 09/12/2013 18:24

So a little chunky then, so maybe re weigh him in a month if decrease in weight we may need a slightly different solution.
Feel his ribs when he is stood up with hands coming from above.
PM me if you like I have lots of cat solutions.

Original poster

janeyjampot · 09/12/2013 18:29

Thank you Lonecatwithkitten.

Do you think 4x85g pouches is about right, then? The instructions on the packet don't say how you should adjust the recommended amount according to the weight of your cat...

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stickysausages · 09/12/2013 18:40

I bought one, to stop one of our cats rasping at the kitchen mixer tap he kept going to the tap, so I might have dipped his paw in the fountain... and maybe put his nose down to it... worked though!

Original poster

janeyjampot · 12/12/2013 09:45

Quick update. I have managed to restrict him to 3x85g pouches by giving him half a pouch at a time, so he has 6 small meals instead of 4 big ones. I'm at home with him in the day which is part of the problem - he demands meals all the time!

I have put another photo of him on my profile which I took yesterday. It shows his eyes more clearly. When I look at him now I can't imagine how he ended up as a stray - he's so gorgeous! Obviously I am biased...

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 12/12/2013 10:01

He's a beauty - but that pic does definitely show that he's full figured.

I was thinking of suggesting more frequent but smaller meals - but remember that weight loss has to be pretty gradual with cats to avoid bad effects. PITA for you (months and months of yowling) but there you go.

Maybe take some professional advice on the optimum diet for him and with regular weighing?

cozietoesie · 12/12/2013 10:14

By the way - how's his hearing? It's likely to be just fine but I thought I'd check.

Original poster

janeyjampot · 12/12/2013 10:18

Yes, he yowls next to me all day. The problem with professional advice was that I thought I'd already had it (although I admit I thought it was odd!). We are moving house soon so will need to find a new vet, which is probably a good thing. Also, the new house is in a much quieter spot, so I hope he'll be able to roam more freely. At the moment we live on a main road. Obviously he survived as a stray on this road for some time but it concerns me.

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Original poster

janeyjampot · 12/12/2013 10:21

Hearing is fine, thank you. The vet did raise it as a concern when she saw his colouring but he can hear his dish being washed up even when he is asleep upstairs, which indicates all is fine!

When he was a stray he used to run away from the garden if we even walked around in the house (no carpets downstairs) so his hearing is pretty good.

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cozietoesie · 12/12/2013 10:29

Great. There's only a limited chance of dodgy hearing attributable to his colouring - as I understand it - but that's still good to know.

And Yes - I think a new vet when you move house is no bad thing at all. Myself, I would have lots of reservations about entrusting a cat's health to a vet who thought 'cats couldn't overeat'. (If they could have that view about something so basic, where might you be if Jampotcat developed a condition which was more serious?)

Good luck with him anyway.

TamzinGrey · 12/12/2013 20:45

Just looked at your pics Janey - what a lovely boy. With his white colouring and blue and green eyes he looks very similar to a Turkish Van Cat. I bet that there's some Van blood in there somewhere. Does he like swimming?

Don't take any notice of the feeding instructions on cat food packets. My vet once told me that they deliberately big up the amount of recommended portions just to get more sales.

As for the drinking fountain, our girl didn't take any notice of hers for about 3 weeks, but then suddenly fell madly in love with it. She's now besotted with her fountain and drinks from it all the time. What make is yours? Ours is a Cat Mate and she likes the way that the water falls over three drinking levels.

SummerRain · 12/12/2013 20:53

Growing into his paws?

I have a 4 year old cat who has the most enormous paws I've ever seen and I've had a lot of cats. His claws are like knives and he can make a grown man flinch just my waving his paw at them with claws extended.

He's enormous too and trust me he isn't going to grow into his paws anytime soon. (He's a gentle giant though... he likes to hold hands/paws on the couch and purrs like a tractor when I hug him)

Change your vet... she sounds more like a child playing animal doctor than a qualified vet!

Original poster

janeyjampot · 13/12/2013 09:21

Thank you. I will persevere with the drinking fountain. We are moving house in a couple of weeks so he will be kept in for a while. I'm hoping that he will see the fountain as familiar when everything else is unfamiliar and suddenly love it . Also, if he is drinking when he's out he won't be able to, so might be more open to trying the fountain. DH is laughing at me for buying it.

I hadn't heard of a Turkish Van Cat but when I googled I think you're right. There was an almost identical cat in one of the pictures - same eye colours and everything. Thank you.

I don't know if he likes swimming, but with his large paws equipped with razor-like claws, I don't intend to try him in the bath! He is not a gentle giant at all!

Will definitely be taking everyone's advice re: finding a new vet.

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cozietoesie · 13/12/2013 09:29

Tell DH to back off, the unfeeling brute.

A water fountain is a great idea and once he 'gets it' he'll be fine with it.

Original poster

janeyjampot · 13/12/2013 10:57

I think I will have the last laugh. The water fountain makes a tinkly water noise which affects DH's bladder but not mine!

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