My cat won't stop dumping her water bowl and playing in the toilet?

Question

I have a young cat, about 10 months old. At first she started playing in the toilet... just playing. Then she started to dump her water bowl. So I tried putting less water in the bowl, and that didn't work. I tried putting a towel under it because I thought she liked how it shined on the linoleum, but that didn't work. So right now I have a small amount of water in a really big cooking pot. She can get her head in, but can't spill it. So now she keeps getting into the bathroom and playing in the toilet. Does she just love water or is there some medical problem here? I try to keep the bathroom door shut and close the lid, but sometimes we forget... what's wrong with her? I'm sick of cleaning up water. I have another cat so I can't just take away the water and give it at certain times.

And generic answers like "she likes water" only mean you're point gaming and aren't very bright.

Answer 1

Your cat finds playing in the water fun! Both of my cats love to do that as well. I doubt that there is a medical problem. If it really bothers you, try punishing her by spraying her with a water bottle every time she attempts to dump the bowl or play in the toilet. Although my cats love to play in the water, they can't stand to be sprayed/misted.

You could also try buying one of those cat water fountains (http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441779503&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302033676&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023690&bmUID=1171586917629&itemNo=2&In=ALL&N=2033676&Ne=2). I don't think that your cat will be able to tip that over. :)

Answer 2

Im not quite sure. One of my cats does the same thing with the water bowl. It might be that she wants some fresh water so that when she spills it you have to refill it? Does she tip it over even when you refill it right in front of her and she has the first drink? Im not really sure but I have 5 cats and only one of them tips over the water, and as for the toilet part, haha, I have no idea. I cant picture a cat playing in water. She might be trying to show you that the toilet water is clean and you should fill the water with that?

Answer 3

It is doubtful that it is anything medical. Some cats (contrary to folk lore) actually like to play in water. Do you give her baths? Maybe she has fun when you do that and it is all a game to her.

Best advice I can give you is to look for the type of bowl that is weighted that can't be tipped over and of course you are going to have to be sure and put the lid down on the toilet.

Good luck and hope you can find a solution.

Answer 4

My cats have a waterer that looks like a bottle-type water cooler (like the ones that you have and get bottles of water delivered in an office or home), only a lot smaller. As they drink, the bubbles go up in the bottle (glug) and more water comes down. My little one (hubby nicknamed "Idiot" after she swallowed a screw & had an emergency trip to the vet) has tried many times to knock it over and can't. I bought it at PetCo for less than $20. When we first got her, we HAD to keep the lids on the toilets down. She was very small (parents are litter-mates & she's undersized) and would try to drink from the toilet. You just have to remember to put the lid down. I put a sign on the toilet (Please put lid down -- I am curious and could drown! -- The kitten), and people were good about remembering, even company.

Good luck! Sounds like you have a very curious one!

Answer 5

Some cats like moving water better than water that sits still in a dish. One of our cats would pull on the water dish until the water would move in the bowl, he would drag the dish all over the kitchen!

We bought a cat water fountain, all of the cat like it very much and drink more water now, which is good for their bladder health.

Answer 6

Other than the fact that she likes water, she's probably looking for attention. The reaction that you have after she splashes in the water pleases her very much. The only way to possibly minimize the water spills is to give her something else to do with her unlimited amount of playtime, such as a catnip mousey. Obviously your kitten just wants to have fun, so get her a toy to drive her away from the water.

Answer 7

For the first problem: get a weighted water bowl that is much wider than it is deep; she won't be able to turn it over. Alternatively, get a pet "fountain" that creates running water (see the link below).

For the second problem: Keep the toilet lid closed.

Answer 8

Sammy also likes to do that which really annoys me. I guess your cat is just bored sometimes. A few ways to stop her is to tap her on the nose and say "no" a few times whenever you see her do it. Or you can spray her with water. Cats don't like that.
Is your cat's litterbox in the bathroom? Maybe take it out, and close the bathroom door behind you if you can. Or put the toliet cover down.

Answer 9

First of all your cat is pretty normal. Mine have always loved water. Keep your toilet lid closed though, it certainly is not a great place for them to play. As far as your water bowl, sounds like you have a pretty good solution, mine have always tossed around their bowls. I've finally resorted to a large bowl with a huge rock in it to keep it heavy enough that they couldn't dump it.

Answer 10

My cat used to do that too! He even knocked over one of those bottle like feeders that my dad had glued to a peice of heavy wood. So i finally found a heavier bowl that was wider at bottom than at top that seemed to work. I think he finally outgrew it to. Now he insists on having a drink of water out of the bathtub, he'll go in and expect you to turn on the faucet so some water collects on the bottom. When he was younger he would play in a bathtub 4-5 inches full of water, he won't anymore realized cats weren't supposed to like water that much!