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Why does my cat move his water bowl around?


OptomisticGirl

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So I have one of those self watering things for my cat. It has like the water jug on top that I can fill up and then place it in the holder and as he drinks from the bottom the jug will let water down. Niffty invention. Anyway, Jasper, my cat, has this annoying habit he has had since he was a kitten and I was wondering if anyone could know why he does it or of a way to fix it.

 

I fill the water jug up, place it in it's holder, and leave him to his business. I can walk back in there less than 30 minutes and all the water is gone. Not because he drank it but because this cat takes and MOVES the water thing around the bathroom and it splashes water out as he does. I just don't understand WHY he does this! It's big enough for him to drink from, the water is always clean, and yet every day, all day long, when he drinks from it he will move it around. He like hooks his paw to the inside of the bottom and just pulls it around.

 

And I have tried everything to get him to stop. I have tried disciplining him when he does it, I have tried putting heavy objects on top of the water jug so he couldn't move it, and I have even velcroed the jug to the floor and he STILL moves it around!

 

I hate having to clean up water every day out of the bathroom floor. :s Any ideas as to why he does it or another method to get him to stop that I haven't thought of?

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Off the top of my head, I'm thinking he probably sees it as another toy. My cats do the same thing with their food and water bowls, and other objects around my place. They go so far as to stalk the things they try to move--it's funny to watch them pounce on something that's obviously not going to pounce back.

 

Have you tried other vessels to see if he has the same reaction to them?

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I actually hadn't thought of him seeing it as a toy. He's a few years old and isn't as playful since I nutured him but I suppose he could be seeing it that way. I know with his food when he was with another cat he would cover the food up with a shirt, rug, towel, anything he could get and move over the food. I guess he thought the other cat was going to eat it all even though he's the overweight cat, lol

 

Not many. This is the second kind of water thing I have had since owning him. I remember when I had my own apartment it got so bad I just gave up and let water drip from the sink and that's where he went to drink.

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My cats like to drink from the sink, from the tub, anywhere but their bowls--I have to be careful about cleaning up those areas as I don't want them drinking water that's been standing or dirty. Cats will sometimes drink from the water drip from the sink because the water is fresher to them, straight from the tap.

 

In the meantime, see if you can get a large tray with shallow raised sides that you can place his water dispenser in--that way, when he splashes it, most of the water will stay in the tray and you can just dump that down the sink or tub or shower for easy cleanup and not have to spend a lot of time on your floors. (I have messy cats--I know how it is!! )

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MissIndigo, your idea worked great! My mom went and bought like a plastic cake thing and set it down in it. At first he didn't like it too much but he eventually learned he could move it around to his heart's content and the good thing is if we don't get to toss the water out and he runs out of the actual water bowl he'll drink from what's in the cake pan until we are able to put him fresh water down.

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Great! I'm glad that was a viable solution! Cats are always a little skeptical of something new but they learn quickly if it's something that won't hurt them or keep them from getting what they need. Make sure he always gets plenty of water--I know it goes quickly in my house too.

 

Does he have plenty of other toys too? My cats are always nervous and inquisitive and if they don't have enough to play with, they will go do things like what you've described. But I think they also just find the movement of the water fascinating as well.

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he really doesn't have toys no but that's not from a lack of buying them. He had them at one point but he was never the kind of cat that would play with a ball or string. Honestly he has always just laid around and play rough house with whatever cat was in the house. Every now and then he will get in a playful mood but very rare.

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