Why Cats Play With Water

In spite of their reputation for tolerating only dry land, many cats are actually water lovers. Some like to play in standing water, whereas others are fascinated by running water and perfer to drink from a faucet. In The Cat Behavior Answer Book (Storey, 2007), pet writer Arden Moore writes that there are many theories as well as urban legends about this behavior, but no one knows for sure. This attraction to running water may reflect an adaptive behavior from a wild past. Perhaps because running water has fewer contaminates, many wild animals prefer to drink from streams rather than ponds.

Water bowl splashing could also be attributed to the need to test the water to make sure it’s safe. The paw pad represents one of the most sensitive areas of a cat’s body. A cat may scoop water with her paw to check for possible “dangers” in the water or to test the temperature. Cats’ long distance eyesight is superb and they see anything moving easily, but their close-up vision is somewhat weak. They rely on their noses to sample food and paws to test water. And they may be partaking in a little fun and enjoyment seeing the mini-ripples their paws create in the bowl.

Make sure that you provide your cat with fresh water every day, even if she makes a mess. Offer her more than one bowl in your home. If you don’t mind her perching on a bathroom sink, leave one with a few inches of water for her to play in during the day. You might consider an inexpensive automatic water dispenser that trickles water continuously. Many cats find them irresistible. These are readily available at pet supply stores and through catalogs.

Another idea is to take a one-gallon plastic jug and cut a hole about two inches from the bottom. Make the hole just a bit bigger than your cat’s head (don’t forget to allow for her whiskers) so that she can reach in for a drink but can’t splash too much water on the floor. If she pushes the jug around, you can attach it to a wall.

Does you cat play with water? Does he splash in his bowl or drink from the faucet? Share your cat’s water tales with us in the comment field below.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

John F.

9:20PM PDT on May 16, 2012

i just introduced my 5 week old kitten to water. She seem's to think that it is okay but not really fun. If you're giving your kitten or cat a bath, dont turn the water on high, it can be loud and scary for any feline. My kitten, zelda marley, jumped off the sink, but shes okay.

send a green star

Annabel H.

12:19AM PDT on Oct 29, 2011

the lid of our toilet was recently broken by a friend's daughter, (don't ask me how she managed to do that!) and whilst we are waiting for our useless plumber to come put a new lid on, all off my cats have taken to drinking out of the top of the toilet! its really funny to watch, they stand on the lid side by side.
They have fresh (glass not plastic) water bowls but they prefer the toilet!

Sarah M.

10:02PM PDT on Oct 20, 2011

My cat loves playing with his water bowl and if it's perched on something he can't resist trying to knock it down. It gets funny but messy.

Dawn E.

8:26AM PDT on Sep 5, 2011

My cat likes me to turn on the shower for him, so he can bat the water around & drink. :-)

Jill E.

12:55AM PDT on Sep 2, 2011

One of my cat plays with her food and her water, though not every day. She started doing this many years ago, flicking her dry food out of her bowl, but she does it with her wet food too. She loves to hang out at the water faucets in the kitchen and the bathrooms to play with the water, drink from the faucets, and drink from the toilet too, but I don't don't encourage that and try to always close the lids. Fresh filtered water is what I put in all the water bowls.

I had some fountains a while back, but they didn't care for them much. Also, I'm not a fan of the constant upkeep and constant energy use of those. I find the sound they make is annoying as well.

Linda O.

12:32PM PDT on Aug 4, 2011

My kitty, Jasper, loves to play in water! He enjoys drinking it and comes running when I clean and refresh his water bowl. It's adorable!