Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

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

Original poster

Kitten drank some tea

46 replies

MrsSebastianStan · 29/10/2023 21:21

Stupid question but is it safe for cats to drink a few sips of tea? He’s only a kitten. We are worried he’s not drinking despite a water fountain and bowls of water. We’ve put water in his wet food, but he sniffs the water doesn’t drink. However he lapped at a lukewarm cuppa and I’m glad he’s taken liquid but not sure caffeine is good for him.

OP posts:
Dotcheck · 29/10/2023 21:23

My cats always have a lick of whatever I have in a glass. Irritating but it does no harm

Hermittrismegistus · 29/10/2023 21:25

Have you tired cat milk? My kitties won't drink water, only cat milk.

Marcipex · 29/10/2023 21:26

A few drips of tea won’t hurt him.
Yes to trying kitten milk. Perhaps warm it a little for a young kitten.

Original poster
MrsSebastianStan · 29/10/2023 21:38

Thanks will try cat milk, we have lactofree milk anyway so hopefully that won’t be a problem, it was caffeine I wasn’t sure about. He’s fast asleep on DP’s lap sp not got the jitters…
thanks for replies!

Kitten drank some tea
OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 29/10/2023 21:42

My late girl likes drinking the dregs of me tea.

maximist · 29/10/2023 21:45

If he's eating wet food he's probably getting enough fluid from that without much separate water. Dry food increases the need for fluids.

You could try giving him rainwater? Possibly with some dead leaves for flavour - my two ignore water I give them and drink from any old manky bowl outside....

Pinkpinkpink15 · 29/10/2023 21:47

He is gorgeous!!! 😻

I wonder what else he'd enjoy (& be safe to drink??)

have you tried different types of water? Your tap water might not taste very nice to him.

Pinkpinkpink15 · 29/10/2023 21:47

Try rain water

LadyLolaRuben · 29/10/2023 21:49

Cats won't drink water near their food. So of they're close together put them on apposite side of room or in a different place. My cat drinks quite a lot since I split the location of each bowl

LadyGaGasPokerFace · 29/10/2023 21:49

My brother’s kitten licks his yogurt pot clean 😳 he’s fine. Did kitty have his pinky claw in the air whilst drinking tea? Asking for a friend…

TastyLikeARaindrop · 29/10/2023 21:53

Adorable kitty. I'm sure will be fine. My cat prefers rainwater as well but will drink filtered in a drought.

Original poster
MrsSebastianStan · 29/10/2023 21:56

no pinky @LadyGaGasPokerFace , but it was Yorkshire Gold…

OP posts:
LadyGaGasPokerFace · 29/10/2023 22:02

@MrsSebastianStan how very civilised 😂

Original poster
MrsSebastianStan · 29/10/2023 22:04

He has a mix of wet and dry, he drank from a water fountain at his birth home so we got the same but he just looks at it. He was born about 15 mins away so the water isn’t different. Just clearly prefers tea. I guess although he’s only three months old he’s got the cat contrary thing down.

Kitten drank some tea
OP posts:
JamMakingWannaBe · 29/10/2023 22:08

Given half a chance, my kitty will dip his paw in my tea and lick it off! My DC have to have "bedside water" in a bottle rather than a glass after I caught him doing the same trick!

AutumnFroglets · 29/10/2023 22:19

My daughter's cat will only drink out of her water glass next to her bed. Or the left over milk from her breakfast cereal. But every night, ten minutes after lights out, when her breathing is getting slower and she's about to drop off her cat sings a sweet lullaby of slurp, slurp, slurp 😂

Note. He has his own water bowl. He has access to flatmate's cat's water bowl. He has access to puddles. He has access to a dripping tap. He has access to many, many cups of squash, water, tea during daylight hours.

gotomomo · 29/10/2023 22:35

Our now late cat was caught drinking baileys Grin

They like creamy things

Lesina · 29/10/2023 22:38

Cats are canny fuckers. They won’t do anything willingly that can cause them harm. Other than antifreeze, it’s sweet and the like it.
but tea will be fine :)

Kittensat36 · 30/10/2023 02:59

I had a guinea pig who drank tea once.

Okay fellow Litter Bearers, hold onto your socks for this kitty pickiness....

One of my colleagues had cats who would only drink 3 day old water. She had 3 bottles in her fridge: Day 1 fresh from the tap. Don't even think about it. Day 2, maturing. If you gave them day 2 water, they would know and turn their noses up. Day 3: they were like little wine experts.

And she put up with that

sashh · 30/10/2023 04:50

Min will only drink from a glass on the coffee table when she is inside. I too have to have a water bottle with a spout at the side of my bed.

Outside she will drink from the dirtiest puddle she can find.

LostCats · 30/10/2023 07:51

@Kittensat36
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I would actually consider that!

My old boy will only drink manky rainwater or from a glass on a table.
The young one isn’t hugely blessed in the brains department but he gets most of his liquid from his catches 🤢

KnittedCardi · 30/10/2023 08:26

I have never seen my cat drink water. In fact, I have never had a cat drink water in my 50 years of having cats! They eat wet and dry food, mice, and the occasional milk from cereal bowls. That's it. All lived to a very old age.

EzraJones · 30/10/2023 10:45

Our oldest cat used to drink cold Earl Grey tea!

CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau · 30/10/2023 10:48

I’d agree with cat milk, but if your little one is an outdoor cat she’s probably getting enough moisture from her food and the odd puddle. Our late cat used to drink almost exclusively from the paddling pool towards the end of his life (and he had kidney issues so he needed lots of fluids). We also gave him “cat soup” which has a high fluid content.

Misssassy89 · 30/10/2023 10:49

Your kitty will be fine x

Swipe left for the next trending thread