Drinking water

[TheListeners]

So we have a cat that is about 12. He used to leave the house daily for hours but seems to have decided he'd rather stay inside. He has a litter box so that's fine.

When he went outside he would regularly drink from our pond which illustrates he's not particularly bothered about drinking clean water. Indoors he has a water bowl which automatically refills. Anyway he has now decided that he will get water by licking the shower after someone has used it or by drinking from the glass of water I have by my bed. He even goes so far as to demand I refill it. Is this normal? If I stop providing the glass of water will he eventually just drink from his actual bowl?

Reading this has made me laugh because it is just typical of my cat to do this as well.

Yes normal. .cats I have had seem to drink from anywhere other than their actual water bowl. ..including the loo sometimes.

Sounds typical, my cat was like this, I am a cat & I shall do as I please was his motto, adorable though.

I have a cat water fountain for my three, they still like to drink dishwater.

I got rid of water bowls and replaced them with plastic beakers. They drank really well from them. They have a fountain now that they love.

Totally normal cat behaviour! My DSis has to leave out glasses of water for her cats. Mine are happy with their fountain but the littlest has been known to fall down the loo trying to drink out of it before 😂

Completely normal. Our cats follow us into the loo and demand that we turn the bidet tap on to drink from.

Totally normal.

Cats can be very sensitive to the chlorine in drinking water and often prefer water that has been left out which allows the chlorine to evaporate- hence the preference for loo water/puddles.

Generally normal although if you've noticed him drinking more, then it can also indicate health issues especially in a cat over the age of 10 when kidney disease, hyperthyroidism and diabetes are more common. Have you noticed any other changes such as increased urination or losing weight?

It's probably nothing but just wanted to mention as increased drinking was definitely an early sign of hyperthyroidism for my previous senior cat.

Completely normal. Our cats follow us into the loo and demand that we turn the bidet tap on to drink from

Ooo it’s ever so posh in the Grumpy household! :)

This has made me giggle- especially the bidet drinking cats.

Our gorgeous kittens have reduced my kitchen hygiene acceptable practices to a low bar. They regularly lick the kitchen tap to make drips fall out. And I let them....and then I don't clean it before running water for me to drink!!! I despised cats being in the kitchen less than a year ago.......

And cup,.mug, sink tap etc is fair game it seems.

My cats preferred watering spot is the beaker by my bedside. I don't use it at all anymore but refill it daily for them. Weirdly they also like it straight out of the tap and rush upstairs with glee and position themselves ready for the refills in the evening.
Cats are curious creatures!

Water from puddles or plantpot saucers is the favoured source.

All our cats have turned up their noses at water bowls; if they have to drink indoors they prefer a tumbler.

Over the winter (too cold to spend long outside if the sun isn't out) they have taken to jumping in the bath after one of us has used it. Even if none of us have used it, they now dash to the bathroom and sit in the bath whenever I head that way in the hope I turn on the mixer tap for a few seconds. I have to be super careful with cleaning products.

I have just ordered a cheap water-fountain on eBay in the hope that this will distract them.

My parents cat wood shout for the tap to be turned on for his drinks.

Ooo it’s ever so posh in the Grumpy household! -
LOL

Haven't got a bidet photo . But they also countenance drinking from the kitchen tap.

For years I only ever saw our cat drink from puddles/the wheelie bin lid - she would drink cat milk with great gusto as a treat though. We add water to her wet food and mash it in with a fork to make sure she is getting enough liquid. But recently we got her a new water bowl and she has been spotted drinking from it on several occasions. Fussy little madam.

@MrsMoastyToasty

Cats can be very sensitive to the chlorine in drinking water and often prefer water that has been left out which allows the chlorine to evaporate- hence the preference for loo water/puddles.

My old boy Rafa would only ever drink out of the pool, I think he liked the chlorine

Tabitha doesn't like fresh water either; she prefers to wait until it rains then enthusiastically licks the water running off the plants 🤷

Mine won't drink out of their water bowl, only the dogs' - the bowls are EXACTLY THE SAME and placed about half a metre apart

mine has his own mug. it’s the path of least resistance.

I have to take a bottle of water to bed or Dcat drinks from my glass, he's had water fountains, china bowls, stainless steel, glass. The only thing other than my glass he will drink from is a very large China soup mug I used to have at work, it now belongs to him and sits next to his biscuits.....