Cat picky about his water source??

Okay, I have another weird kitty question. My cat is real picky about his water. I change it everyday so it's always fresh. I clean the bowl out every couple of days. I even have to keep the water bowl separate from his food dish. But whenever I get a glass of cold water from the fridge he runs to me and practically begs me to let him drink it. Sometimes I will let him see me pour water from a water bottle from the fridge into his bowl and he will drink it up really quickly. But when it comes from the tap, he doesn't want it. But then when I brush my teeth he will try to drink from the faucet!!!  So obviously he is picky.

I have been thinking about getting one of those cat water fountain things since he likes running water. Do those work well?

[Savas]

I've never had one of those! I'd guess it could be instinctual, running watter being safer than still water and all.

I do know that if you don't wash the bowl with soap and water every day it picks up a nasty taste from their own saliva.

Also, you should use a glass bowl. Plastic picks up odors that become a permanent part of the smell no matter how hard you scrub it.

[ExpectingaRedhead]

Ahhh...okay I will wash his bowl daily before I spend the money on a running water cat bowl. He never drank out of his plastic bowl so we had to give him a glass one. Thanks!

[modema]

My friend has the fountain and her cats love it.  I am about try one...I am tired of fighting my cats for tub and sink time!  I do not remember the last time I saw one of my cats drink from their bowl.  One drinks from the sink or the toilet(but only a freshly flushed toilet),  the other ones favorite spot is the tub.  Now my new kitten is getting in on the action!  It is really funny...one props his paw on the side of the sink and lets the water run on his leg, then licks it off.  They have been doing this for years.

[bubby110604]

okay my cat will only drink out of a fountain.  he loves it.  we went out and got a cat fountain but he wont touch it he loves the $40 fountain i bought for the house it broke and i had to go out and buy him the exact same one.  keep an eye on it though because you have to fill it alot.  but the fountains are great

[Savas]

I had a toilet drinker once, wouldn't use his bowl. We got a water dish shaped like a toilet as a joke...he wouldn't use it, but it was still funny as heck! :)

[tmh359]

I think you might have a "monkey see" kitty - He sees you drink something out of the fridge, he wants to drink that too.  He sees you "drink" out of the bathroom faucet (via the brush), he'll take that water.  You might have a very observant cat.  If you only drink bottled water, and only use the kitchen faucet for cooking and cleaning (like me), kitty may think there's something wrong with water from that faucet.  

So my suggestion:  Try drinking something from the kitchen faucet infront of him, then fill his bowl, maybe he'll decide that if Mama drinks it, it's okay.  

[ExpectingaRedhead]

Ah, that's kinda smart!!! My husband was getting mad at me, because I was pouring bottled water into his water dish. LOL You should see this cat, the second I pour a glass of any kind of liquid, he runs over to me trying to get a lick. Whenever we sit down at the dinner table, there he is at our feet waiting for scraps. Just like a dog. :)

[wadahoot]

I've had a pet fountain for about 6 years.  We have 4 rescued cats, one of which was taught to drink out of the kitchen sink faucet.  The problem became that, as she aged, she was having problems jumping up to the counter, and continued to fall, making the process dangerous for her.
We bought a PetMate fountain, and found that she didn't like it because the water ran down a little 'slide' so that it didn't make a water-falling sound and it wasn't free-falling for her to lick.  We returned it and got a DrinkWell fountain and have used it ever since.  Be SURE to clean it well, as another cat-friend found that her fountain was getting slimy (for lack of another word), and she felt that her cats were becomming ill.
I change out the water weekly and do a full cleaning monthly by taking apart all the pieces and using hot soapy water run through it, then rinse water, then hot bleach water and then hot rinse water.  I change the filter every 6 weeks.
Good luck!

[wadahoot]

Oh, and to get her to switch over, I ran it on the counter by the sink for a few days so that she could see that she could get water when she wanted, and didn't have to wait for her humans to turn on the faucet for her.  Once she started drinking out of the DrinkWell, we moved it to the floor.

Also, we have really hard water - lots of iron - so I fill it with R/O or bottled water, so the 'rust' doesn't gum up the parts.

[blackpanther2731]

Cats LOVE FRESH water!!!!!!  Why do soooo many cats go for the toilet bowl?  Because the water is replenished/freshened regularly!!!!  I suggest refreshing the water in your cats bowl at least 3 times a day, and changing to a clean bowl every few days (their spit and food bits dirty the bowl).  Cats need to be happy with their water source because they drink so little water to begin with.  I feel that the self-replenishing water bowls ought to outlawed!!!!!  Do you want to drink stale water?  Leave a glass of water on your counter for a few days or weeks, and then give it a taste - I guarantee you will be repulsed by the taste of it!  So, why should a cat be forced to drink stale water?  For anyone listening, please spread the word about self-refilling water bowls....they are inhumane.  I have no experience with a cat water fountain....do they provide fresh water on a daily basis?  The chemicals that are added to most urban water supplies are disgusting - especially after they ferment after pouring.  I have tried my cat on spring water/bottled water/tap water, etc., and he prefers the tap water - as long as I refresh his bowl several times a day.

[deborah_anne]

I have a 10 year old male who has done this since I first got him. He only drinks out of his water dish in an emergency. When I am in the bathroom he jumps on the counter and sits with his front paws in the sink until I turn on the cold water. I have caught him drinking out of my water glass and wondered how many times I didn't catch him (yuck) . I will be walking past the bathroom and he will fly by me and jump to the sink. Drives me crazy but I love him just the same.

[salmabear]

I have had 3 Himalayans since 2001.  One died after a few years and he spent a great deal of time in the shower drinking and basically staying wet.  One day he just went into a coma and never woke up.  The vet didn't know what it was.  I got another Himmy from the same cattery a year later.  He also liked to drink from the faucets and shower.  His chin was always wet and stinky.  I have another older Himmy and she is so cool and dignified and I thought this kitten was just immature and would outgrow this when he got older.  I noticed that their litter box was starting to fill up with urine.  I use the expensive stuff and I was shocked when I found a lake of urine in the box.  i also noticed that the kitten was always in the box and under a faucet.  I took him to the vet thinking that he might have a urinary tact infection.  Which he did not.  After much stress and $$$ come to find out that he had Diabetes Insipidus.  And that the cat that had died probably had the same disease.   His name is Bonaparte and he is now getting shots (Desmopressin) twice a day to control his thirst.  He has been on medication for a year now.

[cardsfans]

I have a cat that will only drink from a cup.  Only in an emergency will he drink from  a bowl.  We have to watch any cups left around the house because he will want to drink out of them.  It's hilarious! I can fill a bowl and a cup and sit them side by side and every time he goes for the cup....it's crazy!

[cardsfans]

I have a cat that will only drink from a cup.  Only in an emergency will he drink from  a bowl.  We have to watch any cups left around the house because he will want to drink out of them.  It's hilarious! I can fill a bowl and a cup and sit them side by side and every time he goes for the cup....it's crazy!

[cardsfans]

I have a cat that will only drink from a cup.  Only in an emergency will he drink from  a bowl.  We have to watch any cups left around the house because he will want to drink out of them.  It's hilarious! I can fill a bowl and a cup and sit them side by side and every time he goes for the cup....it's crazy!

[respicisj]

Haha, its so funny to hear you say that! My cat does the same thing.  Especially when i start to drink from the cup, he will stand up and stretch up to me and kind of tap his paw on my legs like "i want to have a sip".  So i usually just let him sniff the cup and then he walks away and goes to drink his water.

He also has a fascination with hopping into the shower once i have finished or the sinks and drinks the water from there.

[ucfgurl]

Ok, try having one cat who likes to drink from the sink. Not that weird? Try this.. for his picky butt you have to turn the faucet a certian amount for the water to come down, hit the sink, and create bubbles. Yes, my cat pefers to drink when theres bubbles.

That's one cat.

Another cat perferred to to have ice cubes in his water dish..