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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.

Original poster

Idiot cat and drinking water

34 replies

saladsmoothie · 31/05/2017 22:40

He is fussy about water. Fine. A lot of cats are. And he's thirsty and shouting at me for water, no not any water, it has to be acceptable water.

I got him a big ceramic bowl for water which I keep in a different place to his food. No good. Tried various bowls in various places. No. Not even if washed and refreshed several times a day.

I put out a clean tea cup of water on the kitchen side. This is only acceptable if it's water I was intending to drink myself. Somehow he knows if it was poured for him. Unacceptable.

I run the bathroom tap for him to drink from. This is a very interesting and can keep him occupied for some time, but he doesn't actually drink much.

He pitifully licks the drops of water from my legs after a shower. I am NOT prepared to spray my legs wet for him to drink throughout the day.

I bought one of those bells and whistles pet fountains and he LOVED it for about 4 months and then it was old and no good any more. Yes, I was cleaning it properly.

He used to be prepared to sit in one side of the kitchen sink while the tap ran into the other side, and he'd drink from it, but (a) yuck, get out of the bloody sink, and (b) he's changed his mind about liking that now anyway.

What have I missed? Any tips and tricks to get idiot cat to drink water?

OP posts:
ginflumpsandzebraprint · 31/05/2017 22:44

Both of mine would only drink from the fish tank Confused it got to the point the fish would swim up and kiss their noses whilst they drank, they both lived long happy lives though so not harmful just bloody annoying

Asiaticlily · 31/05/2017 22:56

My cat loves rain water from almost anywhere in the garden and particularly likes to scoop it into her mouth from her paw.

If she has to drink inside she pulls her water bowl into the middle of the kitchen so that when I walk in, I almost always kick it and spill the whole bowl!

No helpful suggestions though sorry Smile

Ollivander84 · 31/05/2017 22:59

Can you pour a glass or cup, have a swig and abandon it somewhere?
Hosepipe? Maybe leave some down for a day as some prefer slightly older manky water

Original poster
saladsmoothie · 01/06/2017 03:14

So.... suggestions are to get fish, or engage in mind games with the cat?

OP posts:
lizzieoak · 01/06/2017 04:30

Bathtub? My idiot cats are obsessed with the tub and if I'm in it they sit on the side agog at the spectacle (supremely unrelaxing for me) & the minute I get out they are in the tub pathetically licking drops off the side.

It is a good thing cars are so cute, because they are weirdos with weird ideas.

ifonly4 · 01/06/2017 08:43

My old boy would only drink from the bath - I would be summoned to turn the tap on!

Scribblegirl · 01/06/2017 08:45

Mine are the same. I've taken to doing what Ollivander suggests. Only annoying thing is when they knock the damn cup over Hmm

Want2beme · 01/06/2017 09:35

Fill up a wide top glass with water and put it on the floor away from his food, as you did with the ceramic bowl. He should go for that. My cats all drink water in this way and plenty of it. I had a cat who taught me this, when he used to jump up on to the coffee table and drink from my glass - of course, I didn't stop him.

GinGeum · 01/06/2017 09:41

GinCat will only drink water out of the dog bowl. I thought I was being really kind by giving him his own water bowl on a special shelf we built especially for him, away from the dog. Instead, he sleeps on the dog bed and drinks water out of the dog bowl, and the dog is the poor sod who needs a special shelf away from the cat.

Ketzele · 01/06/2017 09:42

Mine is the same, and I've never found a solution. There's an old pot in the garden that fills with stagnant water, and I think this is his favoured source. The lovely fresh clean water I offer? Nah.

It will probably kill him one day. That or his habit of eating bees.

GardeningWithDynamite · 01/06/2017 09:43

New carbon filter for the water fountain? I've got one for our cats and they love it but I know it has a filter that needs changing periodically.

MrsScrubbingbrush · 01/06/2017 10:10

Same problem here.

Won't drink nice clean fresh water from his bowl but will drink dirty, muddy water from a flower tray thingy in the garden.

Has been known to stir nice clean fresh water in his bowl with a his dirty paw just to get the same desired taste. And then walk around the house leaving dirty muddy paw prints everywhere😠

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 01/06/2017 10:21

I just leave mine to it...but I never give mine dry food so it's less of a worry

there is a MASSIVE bowl of water in the kitchen in front of the range for the dog, they bully him out of the way sometimes This is especially amusing when it is dainty teeny girl cat who might tip the scale at 6lbs on a fat day, with her heavy coat and boots on when you consider the dog is a 7stone GSD :o

my idiotboycat drinks stagnant water in the garden too, or he used to make a huge song and dance about anyone having a shower and get in to drink the drips in the shower tray

My bedside water is fair game...although I just recently went over to using a bottle. I'll leave a glass up there for him though I think

Will your idiotcat hate you forever and be likely to kill you dead if you dabble his paw in water so he has to lick it off?

NotAPuffin · 01/06/2017 10:31

One of ours gets her fluid requirement by licking the condensation from the inside of the patio door in the mornings.

The other, if it's too cold to go out, drinks from the ensuite sink. If it's acceptably warm out (or raining, she loves rain) she'll lick moisture from the roof of the car.

MuggaTea · 01/06/2017 10:51

Mine will drink from a jug and not a bowl Hmm.

Pengweng · 01/06/2017 12:27

Mine will only drink filtered water that i have to pour slowly in to her bowl. It has to be filled right up to the top or she will sit there looking at it.

OR

If outside she drinks rain water from the manky old bird bath.

cats eh Grin

noenemee · 01/06/2017 12:34

Definitely cats eh?!!?

Ours never wants or takes anything of ours, or gets up on any surfaces. It does though, reject the lovely big dedicated ceramic bowl of water for any pot of water outside. I think he likes it when it's had the breeze across it as it isn't always pure rainwater, it's changed and topped up through the day for the birds and hedgehogs.

dementedpixie · 01/06/2017 12:38

Mine drink from the manky green pond in the garden. Must have more taste than tap water!

ThomasRichard · 01/06/2017 12:43

I don't like cats but this is hilarious Grin

My neighbour's cat likes to drink the disgusting stagnant water that collects on our sandpit cover.

MrsMoastyToasty · 01/06/2017 12:50

I've been told that many cats don't like tap water because they don't like the chlorine it contains. The vet also reminded me that cats are descended from desert animals and don't actually need very much, especially if they are eating wet cat food.

IheartDodo · 01/06/2017 12:54

Some cats don't need to drink water at all (if they eat wet food). One of ours never does, I leave it for her but she just ignores it.
The other drinks loads.
Sometimes they don't like the taste of the water, could you try rainwater or water that's been boiled and cooled?

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 01/06/2017 12:55

just remembered I forgot to say he will drink my tea or coffee if I have a cup on the table and he comes in. He's not bothered if it is hot or cold, black or white....he face plants in the cup and slurps it up.

When we had big tall latte type beaker shaped mugs he would dabble his paw in it.

HeyMicky · 01/06/2017 13:25

Mine licks the glass after a shower; otherwise I never see him drink. He used to drink from glasses but not anymore. I assume he's getting some outside.

I do mix some water with his dry food in the morning

Ditsy1980 · 01/06/2017 14:46

I've taken to filling a beaker of water for DitsyCat whenever I make my own. But no, he knows. Just had DD yelling in that cat is drinking from her glass again. There is a glass for him, water in a bowl and also bathroom tap on trickle...not good enough apparently

Lancelottie · 01/06/2017 14:54

One of ours used to favour teetering precariously with all four legs braced on the edge of a bucket, lapping the inch of greenish rainwater in the bottom.

She was about 19 and arthritic at the time.

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