Drinking Water

[CherylS]

I adopted Duma 3.5yrs ago when he was 8. I noticed he wasn't really a fan of drinking from a bowl and instead preferred drinking from the nap. Nervous about what he would do if I went away for the weekend, I ended up buying a fountain that continuously flows water like a faucet. He loved it!! No problems until this past Spring when he started jumping on the bathroom vanity, thinking I would give him a little "treat" I turned it on for him. Now that's the only thing he'll drink from and he wont use the fountain! Help! What should I do??

 

[ArtNJ]

Not worry about it? If your feeding moist food, especially the stuff with gravy, cats need to drink very little. If your cat actually gets meaningfully thirsty he will drink from the fountain you bought again. Unless your cat has kidney problems, crystals or something, don't think it will get to the problem point. Since your cat is 11, check if the nose is dry now and then

 

[canopener]

I adopted Duma 3.5yrs ago when he was 8. I noticed he wasn't really a fan of drinking from a bowl and instead preferred drinking from the nap. Nervous about what he would do if I went away for the weekend, I ended up buying a fountain that continuously flows water like a faucet. He loved it!! No problems until this past Spring when he started jumping on the bathroom vanity, thinking I would give him a little "treat" I turned it on for him. Now that's the only thing he'll drink from and he wont use the fountain! Help! What should I do??

Where is the fountain located? Cats prefer to have their food and water separated. Other than that I would just be consistent in redirecting him towards the fountain when he shows interest in the sink.

 

[Wile]

My cat likes to drink from the tap as well. I imagine the water taste better than the bowl I put out twice a day that his buddy likes to dip her paws into. Beyond it being a minor annoyance (he "calls" for me twice a day to turn the tap on), there's nothing really wrong with it. It's probably the cleanest and healthiest source in the house.
I imagine if your cat gets thirsty enough and you aren't around to turn on the tap he will use his fountain.

 

[susanm9006]

You can try picking him up and setting him down next to his fountain every time he gets on the sink looking for a drink. You might need to do,this dozens of times before he gives in and goes back to the fountain but i think he will use it if he gets thirsty enough. I would make sure though that there isn’t something about the fountains cleanliness or filter that he is put off by. The other think is maybe he is getting arthritic and needs the fountain raised up some so he doesn’t need to bend or crouch as far to drink from it.

 

[CherylS]

Not worry about it? If your feeding moist food, especially the stuff with gravy, cats need to drink very little. If your cat actually gets meaningfully thirsty he will drink from the fountain you bought again. Unless your cat has kidney problems, crystals or something, don't think it will get to the problem point. Since your cat is 11, check if the nose is dry now and then

That's kind of what I was thinking too, if he's thirsty enough he'll use it. Fingers crossed, thanks for your response!!

 

[CherylS]

Where is the fountain located? Cats prefer to have their food and water separated. Other than that I would just be consistent in redirecting him towards the fountain when he shows interest in the sink.

It's on the opposite wall from his food, but almost directly behind him. I tried moving it into another room to see if that would work but he didn't really seem to notice. I think I have to do tough love and redirect him each time!

 

[CherylS]

My cat likes to drink from the tap as well. I imagine the water taste better than the bowl I put out twice a day that his buddy likes to dip her paws into. Beyond it being a minor annoyance (he "calls" for me twice a day to turn the tap on), there's nothing really wrong with it. It's probably the cleanest and healthiest source in the house.
I imagine if your cat gets thirsty enough and you aren't around to turn on the tap he will use his fountain.

I certainly don't mind turning it on for him a couple times a day, I just worry about when I leave for the weekend or extended vacations. I have people that check on him for food, I may have to have them turn the faucet on as well lol!!

 

[CherylS]

You can try picking him up and setting him down next to his fountain every time he gets on the sink looking for a drink. You might need to do,this dozens of times before he gives in and goes back to the fountain but i think he will use it if he gets thirsty enough. I would make sure though that there isn’t something about the fountains cleanliness or filter that he is put off by. The other think is maybe he is getting arthritic and needs the fountain raised up some so he doesn’t need to bend or crouch as far to drink from it.

I may have to do the tough love thing lol! One thing it might be is the filter, for some reason when I pick up the unit to move it, some black gunk comes into the water (even though I have run the thing under a faucet 1000x), so maybe for some reason he's not liking the taste of it. I can try to switch it and see if that will work! Thanks!!

 

[Azazel]

Cats actually prefer water to be inside of their food. This is why they have a naturally low thirst drive. Feed all wet food and you won't have to worry about it, and your cat will be healthier too.

 

[jen]

Agree with A Azazel , up the wet and lower or ideally eliminate the dry and you won't have this issue. Cats aren't ones to drink water out of bowls so if they do that means they aren't getting enough from their diet.

 

[CherylS]

I use Pate, does that allow for enough water?

 

[jen]

That is great! Is that all he eats? What brand? You could always add a little water to it if he likes it. If you do this and he still wants faucet water all the time then I might wonder if he is developing kidney issues or something. When did he last have bloodwork?

 

[Hellenww]

One thing it might be is the filter, for some reason when I pick up the unit to move it, some black gunk comes into the water (even though I have run the thing under a faucet 1000x), so maybe for some reason he's not liking the taste of it.

It's good to take the fountain apart and give it a thorough cleaning every so often and change the filter. We do it about once a month and change the water at least every 3 days but I'm not sure that is necessary. If the windows have been open we take out the filter and give the whole thing a good rinse daily because our 10 yr old has pollen allergies.

I pop a few ice cubes in the bowl of the fountain ever once in a while to make it more interesting. Sqeeker enjoys watching me top it off by pouring water from high up in the air.

When you're petting him pinch up the skin at his scruff. Since he's healthy it will bounce back quickly. If he were dehydrated the skin would stick together or go back to normal slower. It's just a good thing for a cat parent to know since dehydration can be very dangerous.

 

[CherylS]

That is great! Is that all he eats? What brand? You could always add a little water to it if he likes it. If you do this and he still wants faucet water all the time then I might wonder if he is developing kidney issues or something. When did he last have bloodwork?

Had his last check up in December, all was well! He doesn't constantly drink, maybe 1-2x a day. Maybe I'll make another vet appointment just in case?

 

[Azazel]

Pate food is considered 'wet food.' If it comes in a can and is above 70% moisture then you're fine. Cats that eat all wet diets rarely if ever drink water. This is normal for cats. Cats that drink from water bowls or fountains a lot do so because they are dehydrated.

 

[jen]

Just checking but did his check up include bloodwork specifically?

 

[CherylS]

Just checking but did his check up include bloodwork specifically?

Not 100% sure, it may not have. My husband brought him. I'll still call the vet, but I'm just happy to know that if he isn't drinking a lot, then that's ok!

 

[jen]

Yes that is ok since he eats the canned food. Again you could always add more water to it if he likes that. No amount is too much haha especially for an older male. Next time he goes in I would definitely get some blood checked (senior panel) just so you can be sure all his organs are functioning properly. That would ideally be something to do yearly to catch any changes before they get serious. Remember cats hide their discomfort very effectively so when you SEE something wrong it is often far advanced.

 

[CherylS]

Yes that is ok since he eats the canned food. Again you could always add more water to it if he likes that. No amount is too much haha especially for an older male. Next time he goes in I would definitely get some blood checked (senior panel) just so you can be sure all his organs are functioning properly. That would ideally be something to do yearly to catch any changes before they get serious. Remember cats hide their discomfort very effectively so when you SEE something wrong it is often far advanced.

You're awesome, thanks for your advice!!