Cat has a bad habit....?

Question

My cat is 5 years old and he had this really bad habit that makes me crazy!!! He doesn't drink water from a bowl! He'd rather have you turn the tub faucet on so he can drink from it. He wakes me up in the middle of my sleep just to get some water. And if I do put water in a bowl for him he knocks it over!! Like he's too good to drink water from a bowl. How can I break this habit?? I'll try ALMOST anything.

I have tried the cat fountains but the problem is he will only drink out of it once. The same day I put the fresh water in he will only drink out of it ONCE. The stainless steel bowl made sense to me so I'm going to try that. I also thought about putting a bowl in the bathtub to INSPIRE him to drink out of it.

Answer 1

Don't do anything abusive, he's just doing what he's been programmed to do......

Domestic animals still have their roots in the wild, and some animals have distinct behaviors when eating or drinking. It isn't something you're likely to "break" him of.

Having said that, let's consider this: Do you keep his water bowl cleaned out and filled with fresh water every single day? Are you using a glass bowl (which is healthier and tastier than plastic or metal), and are you giving him filtered water? (Like from a Brita or Pur pitcher) All of these "tricks" may make his water bowl more appealing to him.....

There are also special bowls at petstores (ie: Petsmart) that are made to keep animals watered while their owners are away on vacation. I think there are even some that have running water like a small fountain. He would probably love that if it isn't too cost prohibitive.

All I can suggest is if these options don't work, then set his bowl in a tray that will catch the water he spills. It will leave less mess for you, and he may actually drink his water from the tray instead of waking you up for it.

How do I know? Because we have a cat very similar to yours....she either "dips and sips" (sticking her paw in the water and licking it), or spills her water everywhere and licks it up out of the floor. The tray thing worked really well for us, but again - keeping that water bowl clean is imperative!

Wishing you all the best....

Answer 2

This is really common for cats. Unlike dogs, cats prefer a fresh, running water source. Think "cool mountain streams". You have a couple of options for your kitty to stop waking you up at night. First, try the pet store. Look for a plug-in or battery-operated water fountain. Lots of cats won't drink from a bowl, so companies started making fountains for them. They run about $70 around here. Second, go to a gift shop and buy a desk-top fountain. You know, the ones with the rocks in them and they're supposed to be calming and soothing? Those typically run about $40. Just don't forget to change the water frequently and give the fountain a good cleaning! Otherwise, you'll be getting up to turn the tap on anyway.

Answer 3

This is not uncommon. Many cats don't like 'stale' water (even though it might not be, they think it is!). My cats won't drink from plastic bowls, but they will drink from stainless steel bowls. My theory on that is the water stays cooler in the stainless steel. So try that first, if you are using plastic bowls.
If that doesn't work, get a cat fountain. They will cost you $20 to $30, but it might save you many hours of sleep! I bet your cat will love one. Check out the websites below, they have a good selection of many different products for pretty decent prices. I'm sure PetSmart or whatever large retail pet store is near you would carry them, so shop around for the best price.

p.s. hey G M, thanks for that tip...one of my cats splashes water everywhere although he does drink from the bowl...I think I'll try a wide, shallow stainless steel bowl and see if that does the trick!

Answer 4

I bought a $65 fountain for my cat, but she thinks it's a toy, one where she can put a paw under the stream of water, then walk all over me with a wet paw. She also has a water dish and, using alternate paws, she often moves it around the floor. However, she does drink from it and I do change the water several times every day. Also, I will admit I let the tap in the bathroom sink drip for her when she follows me in there. Cats seem to have a fascination with running water.
Of course, none of this is helping you with your problem, but the best suggestion I can give you is to dump your current water dish if it's made from plastic and buy one made from either stainless steel or pottery and change the water frequently.

Answer 5

Unfortunately once this habit has started it is very hard to break. The best recommendation I have is to purchase one of the flowing water bowls from your local pet retailer. It has a filtered system and a continuous flow so it is very similar to the faucet water since the flowing of the water is what they are seeking with this habit. Best Wishes.

Answer 6

You can solve the knocking over buy purchasing a bowl heavy enough that he can't tip it. Mine both like drinking from the faucet to, but if you hold out long enough they will drink from the bowl. Good Luck

Answer 7

How would you like to be forced to drink water from a cup that you drink from earlier after you ate tuna? It is smelly and cats are very clean creatures.

Leave your faucet with a slight drip then you won't have to wake up to do it.

Cat do not need much water and if it does it will stay in the tub until quenched.

Answer 8

Hi, i want to help you, but i don't really have any experience with cats. I know that when my dog needs to Learn something, i train her with treats. Maybe you could put some sort of flavoring in the bowl, so that your cat wont spill the water. I don't really know, sorry. Good luck.

Answer 9

How wide is his water bowl?My cat used to take his paw and literally splash his food AND water on the floor on purpose.I asked the vet and she told me that sometimes if the bowl is narrow,it hits their whiskers when they put their face in it,which irritates them.The solution for my problem was to get bowls that were wider and more shallow.It worked.Good luck!

Answer 10

1
Try a heavy dish with sloping sides the cat cannot overturn.

2
Do not give in to his asking for water from the tub. If he wakes you up, pet him and go back to sleep. Be more stubborn than he is and he will drink from his dish when he gets thirsty enough.