Reasons For Cats Splashing Water Out Of The Bowl
Pawing, playing or splashing water is a common behavior in cats. Cats have instincts to carry their food to their marked territory rather than eating where they caught the prey. The same could be the reason for moving the water bowl.
Probably, they do not like the place where the bowl is placed. In an attempt to take the water to their favorite place, they end up spilling the water out of the bowl.
Whereas, there are other reasons too for cats doing so. Let us take a look at a few reasons why cats splash water out of the bowl. Nevertheless, you can also get the cat water bowls that wont tip over to avoid water splashing out.
How Do I Stop My Cat From Scratching Around Their Food/water Bowls
Aside from the ways previously discussed in this article, one of the best way to stop your cat from scratching around their food bowl is to take it away after theyâre done eating. As for their water bowls, if the previous suggested ways, like changing up their water bowls to the fountain type or even a shallower, wide-brimmed type, you can try distracting them by playing with them. Most of the time, the reason why your cat does some weird stuff is because they have that extra play energy to burn.
For the most part, your catâs strange food rituals is not something to worry about. It could just be because theyâre a bit bored, or itâs just the fragments of their ancient wild side. Once you notice an excess of this quirk though, itâs always good to visit your local vet for safety.
Washing Off The Scent
Along the same lines, Ive spoken with some folks who believe that cats are specifically trying to hide the scent of their freshly caught prey by plunging it in the water bowl. While this does make some sense, I couldnt find any official support for this argument or examples of feral cats or other cats in the wild doing this.
Thinking through it, it seems like a big risk to drip your freshly caught prey in a water source. A typical water source in the wild wouldnt be a stationary bowl and dropping small game in even a slow-moving creek would be a great way to lose your dinner.
So does the washing off the scent theory hold water?
Probably not.
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Your Thoughts On Cats Spilling Water
Have you ever had a cat spill water out of his or her water bowl?
What type of spilling did he or she do? Why did you think they did it? Did you ever solve the issue or did the cat continue to spill water?
Did I forget to list any ways cats spill and/or splash water? Can you think up another explanation for why a cat might engage in spilling or splashing their water?
What would you advise pet parents to do if theyre dealing with this issue?
Love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Dig KittyClysm? Check out all the other blogs I pen & photograph.
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One of the most frustrating problems Ive had to deal with as a pet parent is staying on top of my cats desire to play. While this is typically hard to do, toys like these that allow cats to play by themselves make the job one heck of a lot easier.
The hits in my household are ridiculously affordable: cat springs, ball track toys, & kick sticks. I have a slew scattered around the house, so when my cats get bored, even if Im busy or not even home, my furries are able to actively play.
Why Does My Cat Paw At Her Water Bowl 7 Surprising Reasons
May 22, 2021 By MrBossCat Team
Cats are so notoriously afraid of water that its a real surprise when they start tapping on their water bowl and getting water all over the floor. It seems these beauties want to keep things interesting for their owners and always find ways to surprise you!
Tapping on water and spilling it on the floors can appear due to several reasons. Some of those are psychological, but they can sometimes point out certain health issues. The best way to be sure that nothing is bothering your cat and shes just playful is to visit your vet.
In this article, I will run through all the possible reasons behind this strange behavior. I also understand how annoying it is to constantly be cleaning up spilled water from the floor, so Ive also got some solutions you can try to prevent them pawing at their bowls. So, lets get stuck in!
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Why Would A Cat Pee In Food Bowl
Pee contains all sorts of smells that, for a cat, mark out objects or places as part of its territory. They might pee to keep other animals away from something that they view as belonging to them, or they might do it to make something smell familliar and make them more comfortable.
Tipping And/or Knocking Over Water
Lots of cats tip over their water bowls, completely toppling their dishes and spilling the water inside all over the floor.
This behaviour can be pretty frustrating for pet owners, who have to deal with watery messes as well as potential damage of carpeting or wood over time through repeated exposure to water thats not quick to dry up.
This knocking-over-the-water-bow behaviour can be a little distressing as well from the perspective of the hydration of your cat.
If a cat happens to topple his or her only water bowl over in the morning and a pet parent is at work most of the day, that cat no longer has access to much if any drinkable water for quite a few hours.
If the weather takes a turn for the hotter with no air conditioning on inside, the cat has diarrhea or throws up, or for any other reason needs to access water more than necessary, this lack of ability to re-hydrate can be a real issue.
To prevent your cat from being unable to re-hydrate because he or she tends to tip over his or her water bowl quite often, you may want to try grabbing a no spill water bowl your cat will have difficulty toppling over.
There are a lot of varieties, from heavy, weighted bowls to bowls that integrate into non-slip and non-skid silicone mats, including the URPOWER Dog Bowl Food & Water Station.
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Our Question This Week Was:
Dear Dr John, I have a 6-year-old cat that last year started to push his water bowl all over the kitchen floor making a mess of the water all over. Is this a quirk he has developed in his personality or is he trying to tell me something? I have changed his dish he shares with 2 other cats to see if he does not like the dish-but no matter which dish I put down he still pushes it all over the kitchen? I would love any insight and/or solution.
Thank You,
Lorrie Bethlehem, Pa
Make Sure The Items Are Water Safe
Whatever your cat decides to drop off in the water, make sure that its safe once its in there. While there are some obvious items that you wouldnt want your cat messing with regardless of whether or not theyre putting them in water, you need to make sure that whatever your cat is dropping into the water isnt going to break apart and be toxic to your kitty.
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Space Out The Bowls A Little At A Time
Be sure to move your cats food and water bowls gradually. Dont just reposition them all at once! For example, start by moving the water bowl a few inches away from its food bowl. If your cat responds positively to this change, you can then move the bowl further out.
Always give your cat the option of returning its bowl to its original position. It may throw a fit about the sudden change. If it does, return it to the spot and adjust it at a slower pace.
Make The Cookie Dough
In a small bowl, combine an egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract and ¾ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix 2½ cups of flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon baking powder. Set aside.
Cut 2 sticks of cold straight-from-the-refrigerator butter into ½-inch chunks.
Mix it in the food with 1 cup of sugar until combined, about 30 seconds.
Add in the egg mixture and process just until blended, about 10 seconds.
Then add the flour mixture and process until all of the flour is mixed in, about 30 seconds. Dont over-process as it can make the cookies tough or cause them to have air bubbles.
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Why Do Cats Scratch The Floor Before Drinking Water
You may find it hard to believe, but some cats do love water. This may have completely ruined your mental image of what a cat is and what they do and do not like. Most cats only appreciate water â as long as itâs not directed to them.
Cats have a bad case of shiny-object-syndrome â they love reflective surfaces. Water is a reflective surface and they love the ripple effect when they make splashes with their paws. This is especially true for very young kittens â so be sure to keep their water at a safe level.
Ironically, cats also are very picky with their water. They wonât drink dirty water, yet they put their dirty little paws in their water bowls sometimes. Cats truly are a mystery. If you find that theyâre playing with their water bowls too much, try playing with them more using interactive toys like a want. Spice up the routine every once in a while, to keep them on their toes.
Whisker Fatigue Can Be Uncomfortable Or Painful
Perhaps the biggest reason cats engage in the behavior of drinking water off their paws instead of directly from the bowl and pulling kibble out of the bowl to eat it on the floor is whisker fatigue. When cats eat or drink out of deep, narrow bowls, it pushes their highly sensitive whiskers backward. That can be extremely uncomfortable or even painful, especially over time, and the kitty will try to avoid it by getting the contents out of the bowls before consuming them.
If you believe your cat might be having whisker fatigue pain, try a shallow, wide bowl like Dr. Catsby’s Whisker Relief Bowl, which is excellent for dry kibble, or Dr. Catsby’s Stainless Steel Water Bowl, which is even wider and a tiny bit deeper, making it better for wet cat food and water.
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Could Be Acting Out For Attention
There absolutely are cats who act out for attention.
I personally hate resorting to this conclusion unless its the last option physically possible to conclude.
In my head why assume bad intent on behalf of your cat unless youve absolutely no other explanation for the behaviour?
That being said, for cats who crave attention, sometimes its not really important which kind of attention they get positive or negative.
If you find your cat acting out for attention by spilling over their water bowls or playing in it, and no other explanation seems to work, do your best to ignore the behaviour as much as possible from their perspective.
Maybe your cat will call it quits on knocking over the water bowl if he or she notices its no longer getting a fun-to-watch reaction from you.
Success With Water Dispensers Or Fountains
As stated, if all other attempts have failed and you are still experiencing regular spillages, the best solution may be to move away from using a cat water bowl entirely. There are a few options here, such as cat water bottles, cat water dispensers and cat water fountains. These solutions offer a number of advantages, such as the provision of cleaner water, and built-in protection against spillages, but there are also challenges too.
The biggest challenge is actually getting your cat to use your new water bottle, dispenser or fountain and this can be especially difficult if you have been using a water bowl for a substantial period of time. If you are transitioning to a water dispenser, similar to what you would use with a guinea pig, it can even be difficult to get your cat to even recognise it as a source of water, so you may need to offer enticement.
One option is to try to lure your cat over to the water bottle or dispenser, using treats. You can then encourage it to use the water dispenser, and employ positive reinforcement techniques to reward successful use. If you are really struggling to encourage your cat to use the dispenser, another useful tip is to apply a small amount of the juice from a tin of tuna on the end of the dispenser. You could even try adding a small amount to the water itself.
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Reasons Cats Might Dip Their Paws In The Water
Other than playing, there are so many reasons as to why cats like to keep dipping their paws in the water. A plausible reason could be whisker fatigue. Your catâs whiskers are very sensitive, and when they get overly stimulated, like when it hits the sides of their water bowls, it can be pretty uncomfortable. If your kitty is experiencing whisker pain, you can try switching out their water bowls for a shallower dish.
Can You Stop This Behavior
This behavior of scratching or pawing the floor just before or after drinking water does not have any implications. Some cat owners find it incredibly cute.
So, it is often not necessary to stop this scratching habit. However, this behavior can get excessive, and cats can mess up the area where you keep the water or food bowl.
They can damage the carpet or bring clothes or papers to cover their water bowl. When this habit becomes excessive, one can use the following methods to control it. We have curated a list of all the things you can do to stop your cat from scratching the floor.
- Keep food or water bowl on a hard surface and away from any item, a cat can drag to cover it.
- Keep an eye on the cat when it is eating or drinking water. Put away the bowls when they finish with it. It will make sure that the cat doesnt do anything to hide or dispose of it.
- Distract the cat with a toy when it starts to paw near the bowl
- One needs to be careful with the cat regarding this behavior. If you continuously scold a cat, it can become aggressive, and it will be more difficult to control later on.
- One should avoid keeping food in the direct eyesight of the cat as it can exacerbate the situation.
It takes years for cat owners to understand why their cats are behaving the way they are. It is puzzling when they scratch, paw, or knead the surface near the food or water bowl just before drinking from it.
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Why Does My Cat Move Her Water Bowl : 38 Adorable Tips That Will Melt Your Heart
Why Does My Cat Move Her Water Bowl ? You could assume that the only thing you need is to teach your pet cat exactly how to stroll on a chain. Why Does My Cat Move Her Water Bowl ? Thats the entire point of having a feline. But, to learn if your feline is absolutely the very best close friend of your cat, you require to dig deeper than the surface. Understanding your cats personality will certainly assist you to understand it better.
Quick Tip: How To Clean A Water Bowl
When a cat dips a paw in a water bowl, then dirt, bits of litter, and other debris wash from the paw. This helps bacteria to build up in the bowl. To clean the bowl, use a mild dish soap, thoroughly rinse removing any trace of it, then refill the bowl with fresh water.
Do your cats touch water before drinking?
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The Same Bowl Is Shared By Other Pets Too
If the same bowl is shared by all your pets then your cat might not like to drink from it. As described earlier, cats have a very sensitive nose and they might not like other pets smell in their drinking water. You can place separate bowls for each pet to solve this problem.
If you are living in a region where temperature drops to sub zeros then get the best heated cat water bowl to make it convenient to feed water to your kitty.
How To Stop Cats From Spilling Water
Sometimes a kitten playing in the water is just a kitten acting its age. Some young felines love patting around in the water, while others simply can’t stand the stuff. Kittens are inclined to grow out of behaviors like splashing in the water so patience may be the best solution if your young cat is using its water bowl as a toy.
Kitten object play is most active up through the five-month age and starts to decline thereafter, so if the behavior doesn’t begin to wane by the time the kitten starts reaching maturity, it may be helpful to redirect its focus to a better outlet for play by offering another toy to play with.
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