Cat only drinking from water tap

Alice1996

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Hello ! I was playing with my cat and she was climbing on the water tap so I thought I can let the water on for a bit so she can play a bit . The problem is that she loves it too much now and doesn’t want to drink water from anywhere else than the water tap . I am not able to let it on all day , as this is consuming a lot , but i was wondering if you know any ways of making her drink again from her bowl . I am worried that she won’t drink at all water if I am not home .
 

UnoMama

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Some cats love having running water as a water source (evolutionary instinct - running water is likely to be fresh vs. still water).
Leaving the tap running is no solution at all though - are you able to purchase a water fountain for your cat? they're usually not too expensive, and solve the problem.
 

sivyaleah

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We have this problem too LOL

When home, I humor her and will turn on the faucet a few times a day, like when I go upstairs. So 2-3 times a day she is allowed to drink from the bathroom faucet (all others, are a no go. Powder room sink to small for her to even fit up on and I absolutely do not let the cats on kitchen counters).

She will drink out of her fountain in the kitchen sometimes also. Maybe you can try getting one of those (we use CatIt's Flower fountain) and see if she's interested in it or not. It may take some days for a cat to acclimate to a fountain so don't be discouraged too fast. They do prefer flowing water as opposed to standing water so many won't drink from bowls.

You could also try different shaped containers in lieu of the bowl and see if you hit on a preference for shape and size.

Always change the water a few times a day and best to either clean the bowl completely or use a new one. Dust and debris you can't see will land in the water pretty fast.

Last, don't keep the water bowl too close to the food bowl. A lot of cats won't drink the water if they are too close together.

If she eats mostly wet food chances are she's getting the moisture she needs from that but it's always good for them to drink more if they will.
 

UnoMama

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Maybe you can try getting one of those (we use CatIt's Flower fountain) and see if she's interested in it or not.
Agree with this - Catit's flower fountain is really good, and pretty economical I think. I had to leave it running quietly in a corner for a few days before I saw Uno drink from it, but he's been comfortable since.
 

sivyaleah

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Agree with this - Catit's flower fountain is really good, and pretty economical I think. I had to leave it running quietly in a corner for a few days before I saw Uno drink from it, but he's been comfortable since.
All of my cats have been ok with this one. I've tried others (a different CatIt included) and the Flower model is quiet, has a good water stream and isn't difficult to clean (though, wish it was dishwasher friendly).
 
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Alice1996

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Thank you everybody ! We did try the fountain but it was making sound and she is scared of it . So I will look for one that is not that noisy maybe . 😊
 

suzeanna

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Thank you everybody ! We did try the fountain but it was making sound and she is scared of it . So I will look for one that is not that noisy maybe . 😊
I think it makes less sound if you take the flower out, maybe worth a try?
 

UnoMama

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What we do for out kitties.........😻😻😻😹
So true ... #sigh. The flower fountain was a lucky first try .... I had such a time figuring out what kind of 'bed' / cushion my kitties would deign to sleep on.
 

honeybutter

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Thank you everybody ! We did try the fountain but it was making sound and she is scared of it . So I will look for one that is not that noisy maybe . 😊
I'd second the flower catit model! We use it for our cats, one of whom would come running to any tap that was turned on. She no longer does that and much prefers the fountain. It's not too loud at all, and we've had ours almost 2 years now and with weekly washings with warm soap and water, it's held up remarkably well. Still works great, no mold/mildew, and we don't even use the proprietary filters (we got some off clearance at a local pet shop made for a similarly sized/shaped fountain). It apparently has 3 settings but the only 2 I know of are flower in and flower out, and neither seem to be much different in terms of noise level. Would definitely recommend giving a shot. IIRC it took our first cat some time to get used to at first (like, a day or so) but she fell in love with it quite quickly and our second cat took to it immediately when he was allowed to roam the house lol. Hope you find one that works for you though, if the flower one doesn't/didn't!
 
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