Moving water bowl away from food bowl

[pj100]

My cat has always done this and I have no idea why. Her food bowl and water bowls are next to each other , but sometimes she will move her water bowl away from her food bowl, but she doesn't stop at doing it once in a day she continues to do it, and sometimes her water bowl is LITERALLY in the middle of the room that's how far away she has moved it from her food bowl.

Then there are times when she doesn't move the water bowl at all, she leaves it right next to her food.

I would just like to know does anyone else's cat do this and why is she moving her water bowl away from the food bowl?

 

[MoochNNoodles]

My understanding is that in nature; cats do not eat where they drink because of contamination.  They don't want to contaminate their water supply with the prey they've killed.  Some cats have stronger instincts for this kind of thing.  One of my cats tries to bury her food sometimes; she'll paw all around the bowls and up the wall.

  Most of the cats I've had don't do that one.

 

[alainasmom]

 
My understanding is that in nature; cats do not eat where they drink because of contamination.  

 

 I'm not sure about this, but I read somewhere that it has something to do with their instincts - in the wild any water next to their "kill" might be contaminated. Alaina does this all the time with her water bowl, even now, when the two bowls are several inches away from each other. She'll use her paw to bring the water dish a couple feet away from the food bowl (yes, she's toppled it over quite a couple times 

).  

 

[angelinacat]

I have always put the food bowls away from the water bowls.  I had no particular reason for that; I just did it that way, and still do it.

Lately, I have noticed that my B & W always sticks his paw into the water bowl before he drinks.  Once he sticks his paw in, and he seems satisfied, he drinks the water.  I can't figure out why this is.  Little black brother, Shadow, doesn't seem to need to test the water at all...

 

[alainasmom]

Lately, I have noticed that my B & W always sticks his paw into the water bowl before he drinks.  Once he sticks his paw in, and he seems satisfied, he drinks the water.  I can't figure out why this is.  Little black brother, Shadow, doesn't seem to need to test the water at all...

I'm not completely sure about this - but I believe that some cats have stronger instincts than others. Many cats "test" the water by sticking a paw in and then drinking it - to some cats, moving water is preferable to the sort that sits in a dish (they consider it "fresh") - also, it makes it easier to see the surface of the water. Alaina likes to play with her water - more than once she's dragged a catnip toy or stuffed animal into her water bowl. 

 

[catwoman707]

 
My cat has always done this and I have no idea why. Her food bowl and water bowls are next to each other , but sometimes she will move her water bowl away from her food bowl, but she doesn't stop at doing it once in a day she continues to do it, and sometimes her water bowl is LITERALLY in the middle of the room that's how far away she has moved it from her food bowl.

Then there are times when she doesn't move the water bowl at all, she leaves it right next to her food.

I would just like to know does anyone else's cat do this and why is she moving her water bowl away from the food bowl?

Actually, she is not moving her water dish away from anything, she is moving it so that she is able to see the water level.

It will help if you use a patterned dish, or if you were to experiment yourself, try a few different dishes, some you will be able to see the water better than others.

This is the problem, and if you catch her moving it, watch her, she will stop moving it at some point and drink. It's because as the water moves in the dish, it helps her to see where it is