Cats are finicky animals. They tend to do whatever they want, regardless of our wishes. They play when they want, sleep when they want, and eat when they want. They also drink water when they want.
If your cat is not drinking water out of their bowl, there must be a reason for it. While cats are well known for not being big water drinkers, they would never choose to forego water completely. It’s important to figure out why your cat is not drinking water out of their bowl so you can address the issue and get them to drink water again. Here are six common reasons that your cat might not be drinking water out of their bowl.
The 6 Possible Reasons Your Cat Won’t Drink Water From Their Bowl
1. The Water Isn’t Satisfactory
Cats tend to have a knack for knowing when their water is not clean or safe. If the water is contaminated with pieces of litter or it smells or tastes “weird” to your cat, chances are that they will not drink the water, no matter how thirsty they get. If this is the case for your cat, you may notice that they try to drink water out of your glass, from the sink, or even from the toilet bowl instead of their water bowl.
Place your cat’s water bowl away from their food and litter to avoid cross-contamination. Try filling your cat’s water bowl with spring, filtered, or reverse osmosis water. If the problem was the water in the first place, this action should be all that is necessary to get your cat to drink water from their bowl again. Make sure you thoroughly clean their water dish before filling it with fresh water, to ensure that no residuals from the old water are left behind. Change the water daily, and clean the bowl thoroughly.
2. The Bowl Isn’t in a Good Location
Just like cats are finicky about where they sleep, eat, and use the bathroom, they can be picky about where their water dish is located. Some cats prefer to drink their water in a quiet, isolated place or from a perched location. Others prefer that their water is kept away from their food so food debris doesn’t end up getting in it. If you have recently moved your cat’s water dish to a new location and they won’t drink out of it, they might just dislike where you’ve put it!
Simply relocate the water dish to a new place in your home. If that doesn’t work, try another location. Try different environments each time you move the water dish to ensure that you’re making enough changes to satisfy your kitty.
3. The Water Level Is a Problem
Your cat may be avoiding their water dish for no other reason than the water level. If the water level is too low, your cat may not appreciate having to put their head so far into the bowl that their whiskers brush against the sides. This may be the case if your cat is suffering from a painful neck or an orthopedic issue, preventing them from moving their head and neck comfortably.
Try a different water level! Fill the bowl up to the top, and see what happens. If your cat still is not interested, try filling the bowl to a lower level than what was originally in there. If your kitty still is not interested after trying different water levels, there is probably another reason that they aren’t drinking water out of their bowl.
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4. The Water Temperature Is Not Right
If the weather is hot, chances are that your cat will not want to drink the warm water that is sitting in their bowl. However, water that is too cold isn’t usually attractive to a cat when the weather is chilly. If the water temperature is not comfortable for your cat, they’ll likely try to find a different source of water that is more satisfactory to them.
If it’s hot outside, try placing a couple of ice cubes in your cat’s water dish to cool the water down. If it is cold outside, fill their bowl with lukewarm water. Either way, ensure you follow your cat’s water temperature preferences, as each cat likes their water at a different temperature.
5. The Water Is Too Still
Some cats do not like still water. In nature, a cat would look for a source of running water to ensure that it is clean and safe to drink, with streams being ideal. A bowl of still water may simply be off-putting to your cat because it isn’t moving. They might think of the bowl of water as nothing more than a dirty puddle that should be avoided.
Consider investing in a pet-safe water fountain. This will mimic the flowing water that your cat would find in nature. Pet water fountains also recycle the water so there is no need to constantly replace it.
6. A Health Problem Has Developed
Sometimes, a cat will stop drinking water from their bowl due to a health problem that has developed. It could be anything from an infected tooth to kidney issues that keep a sick cat from drinking water. If you cannot determine any other reason for your cat not drinking their water, there is a chance that health is the reason.
Consider investing in a pet-safe water fountain. This will mimic the flowing water that your cat would find in nature. Pet water fountains also recycle the water, so follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on how frequently the water should be changed.
Conclusion
There are several reasons that a cat will not drink water from their bowl, so a bit of detective work might be necessary to determine why your kitty is avoiding their water dish. Hopefully, this guide will help make the process easy so you can get your cat to start drinking their water again.
You Might Also Be interested in:
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Featured Image Credit: Yuliya Papkova, Shutterstock
