Why does a cat drink water from a tap and not from a bowl?

First, let’s look at why cats do this. To do this, you need to remember that the very first cats lived in deserts, where stagnant water is unsafe for health. And moving water is colder, tastier and cleaner. In addition, water, in principle, is much easier to find by sound than by sight. Therefore, cats are instinctively more interested in water flowing from a tap.

The cat may simply not notice the water in the bowl, but when the water flows, it, firstly, makes sounds, and secondly, it can be seen. And a cat can put its paw under the stream to get drunk.

Another reason also has to do with the past of feral cats: they never drank where they ate, because raw meat can spoil clean water. Therefore, when bowls of food and water are nearby, it can strain a cat, again, exclusively at the level of ancient instincts.

What to do?

In principle, there is nothing wrong with a cat drinking water from an open tap. The main thing in this case is not to forget to open it regularly so that the cat does not have thirst. Remember that because of the dry food, the cat needs to drink a lot of water.

If you want to wean your pet from this habit, then special fountain bowls will come to the rescue. In them, water flows in a stream, which attracts cats. You can read more about such bowls and which one to choose in our article. 

August 5 2020

Updated: August 7, 2020