http://www.care2.com/greenliving/why-cats-play-with-water.html
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.
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149 comments
add your comment »My cat spills it, but then when it touches his paws his starts running away like he soooo didnt expect that!
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There’s a breed called the Turkish Van that loves water, and many of them are avid swimmers; lots of owners of Bengals (the cat, not the tiger) report that their felines are water babies, too. And, I learned, you can even find cats-swimming videos on YouTube, action footage that proves it’s not just pedigree.
r4i
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Il a été probablement moins cher qu'un billet de théâtre bien! That was priceless! If I tried to get any of my cats to do that, I'd need a hide graft. :>)
Ian
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For a hearty laugh, you might want to check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KswnjMa-MQ&feature=related
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We thought our cat was unique till we found this article :) Cosmo the ginger tabby leaps up onto the sink whenever anyone goes in there, drinks from his huge bowl of fresh water with his paw, and dumps dry cat food in the water dish.He meows to be let into the bathroom whenever someone closes the door. He is fascinated with the tub, too, using it as a springboard to the sink. One day he overshot his leap and landed in the dry tub. The shock on his face was priceless. Outside he loves to lap from dripping gutters, hoses etc.
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The cat I recently rescued, joins me in the shower. It started with cries from the toilet seat, then progressed to meows from between the shower curtain... now she lays in the back half of the tub while I get a shower.
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I use to give my cat a bowl of water every day. Every day we must clean the bowl, before she drink the water. She insists that the bowl must be empty and fresh water pour into the bowl in front of her, otherwise she will just start smelling and sit there to wait for you to change the water.
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My mother-in-law cat scoops dry food out of his bowl and deposits in the water bowl before eating. My father-in-law use to put bait fish in a bowl for him to catch. Trooper would scoop them out in a few seconds. My cat Mike, tipped over the water bowl every early moring until I got a heavier one. Now he just paws it before drinking.
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I have two Maine Coon's who adore water. Mr Coon spends hours sitting in the bird bath, just can't resist any form of water!! Girly Coon goes outside when it rains .... I often find her sitting in the outside sink under the dripping tap.
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My little Rozie Mae always splashed water around. She was our darling. But she passed away with a serious problem with her Bone Marrow. I wish desperately I could see her splashing around with her water. I also have one that drinks from her paw. My Persian, Fancie.
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