It's a drinking bowl, not a cat bath

January 24, 2018 12:58 PM

My 9-month-old kitten Dashi has recently discovered that removing the water from the cats' water dish, methodically and with her paws, brings her unbridled joy. This means that by the end of the day there is about 2 inches of dirty foot water left in the bowl. Please help me.

The mess isn't a huge deal, because it's just water, but her soiling of the water can't be good for my other feline residents. I've tried adding another bowl of water for her to play in, but that just doubles the number of bowls of water she tries to empty. Besides, her little sister, Mrs. Beasley, just comes along behind her to slurp up the foot-flavored water.

Is there a cat fountain that will somehow help keep their water clean, even if Dashi plays in it? She appears to like being wet, or possibly her coat is so thick that she doesn't realize she's wet, so I'm not opposed to giving her a dedicated kiddie pool either -- except that wouldn't stop the other cats from drinking gross water.

I'm stumped by this one. Any advice is appreciated.

posted by mudpuppie to Pets & Animals (25 answers total)

I don't think that will hurt the other cats at all. Keep in mind that cats are always licking themselves and each other clean, ingesting much of what is on their fur and skin.
I would add two extra bowls and be done with it. Dashi is gorgeous!
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:09 PM on January 24, 2018 [4 favorites]

Cats are very particular creatures and will likely not drink water THEY think is 'dirty.' Considering they're always licking themselves, cleaning themselves and their paws, I'd say the water you consider dirty is fine with them and will do no harm.

Anecdotally, my cat has been drinking toilet bowl water on and off for years and she's fine.
posted by Everydayville at 1:13 PM on January 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

Many cat fountains do have filters, which might help with your concerns, and if you get one with a large enough reservoir, she'd have a difficult time emptying it all the way. I did once know a particularly water-adoring (and large) cat who managed to knock over, entirely spill, and disassemble a Drinkwell-style pet fountain, but unless she is very motivated, this seems unlikely.

A fountain plus a 'splash pool' bowl might work. You might also try getting her hooked on sinks, as a substitute distraction?
posted by halation at 1:13 PM on January 24, 2018

We recently got a fountain for our two cats because the newest cat liked to play in water. She still scoops the flowing water with her paw and licks the water from her paw, but the water stays cleaner. I would also suggest putting a pan with high edges under a bowl so the water doesn't get on the floor if she continues to play.
posted by Katie8709 at 1:20 PM on January 24, 2018

I agree it's probably not a huge deal. I would suggest that you go look for a heavy bottomed ceramic bowl with a lip or one that curves inward like this. They aren't the easiest to find but I know they exist. I think it will be harder to scoop water out with a lip on the bowl.
posted by Bistyfrass at 1:26 PM on January 24, 2018

A fountain might solve this problem completely - cats often do this because for whatever reason they like their water to be moving instead of still. One of mine does the pawing/splashing thing with the regular water bowls in our house but she's fine with the fountain.
posted by something something at 1:52 PM on January 24, 2018 [10 favorites]

Is there a height you could place the bowl at that they could reach to drink but it would be uncomfortable to scoop the water out? Or a lid that would provide enough space to drink but less space for splashing?
posted by metasarah at 2:02 PM on January 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

This Catit fountain that 1) recirculates 2) is high up might do the trick.
posted by oneirodynia at 3:31 PM on January 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

My cat bypasses the water bowl that has water fresh from the sink in favor of drinking the water in the flowerpot saucer that just flowed through all the dirt in the flowerpot. Cats are weird.
posted by salvia at 4:19 PM on January 24, 2018 [4 favorites]

BunnyCat does this and I think it's because she was weaned too early and never saw how to drink from a bowl like other domesticated cats. My kitchen floor is always sopped when I come home due to her enthusiastic ablutions. The flowerpot fountain is a good alternative (Bun wouldn't use hers but that doesn't mean Dashi will have the same response.)
posted by Hermione Granger at 5:14 PM on January 24, 2018

I had a fountain to appease Miss Mickey, who liked to soak a paw and lick it off rather than drinking like a normal cat. They’re weird. They’ll be ok either way. They all lick their dirty feet anyway as above. Just change it morning and evening and don’t fret or get a filtered fountain.
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 7:02 PM on January 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

This might be really obvious, but I put a towel under my cat's bowl and it has helped contain the splash zone from his insanely messy drinking style.
posted by TwoStride at 7:17 PM on January 24, 2018

Cats love dirty water. Maybe it's the minerals?
posted by serena15221 at 8:29 PM on January 24, 2018

The CatIt and DogIt fountains both have small pools at the top that are fun to dip paws into and they have replaceable filters that aren't too expensive. A lot of people like the CatIt, I have the DogIt because at one point I had three cats and they're all super good at drinking water. The filters are interchangeable, so you can sometimes find one a lot cheaper than the other on Amazon.

Also yeah, cats are kinda gross and clean themselves (and each other) by licking, especially their feet, so there's probably no worries for Mrs. Beasley (holy cow they made a 50th anniversary reproduction...there's my mom's birthday present taken care of, woohoo!) but I wonder if Dashi would really enjoy a fountain anyway.
posted by elsietheeel at 9:01 PM on January 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

Another recommendation for a cat fountain + splash bowl for kitten, if only because a cat fountain really encourages cats to drink more, and if you have a boy cat this can help prevent life-threatening (and wallet-threateningly expensive) urinary blockages. Also, the built in filter will reduce crud in the water. We have the Catit fountain and love it, but we're a single cat household.
posted by nerdfish at 12:10 AM on January 25, 2018

I have a similar CatIt fountain - the flower one. It's great! Both my cats love water. They drink soooo much more now that they have one. Still get water everywhere, but that be cats.

And your cat may enjoy being wet. I have a Maine Coon, a breed whose fondness for getting soaked is widely known, but also have a regular shorthaired mutt-cat about the same age as your kitten (10 months). To my surprise, she loves hopping into bathwater and sloshing around. Cats!
posted by fraula at 3:05 AM on January 25, 2018

An additional thought while you are waiting to get your fountain if that's what you do, I have read that cats can sometimes be confused by clear bowls, because they want to be able to see the bottom and know that the water is "clean." I have a kitten who likes to put both front feet in the bowl and drink from the liquid remaining between them. For now I've put the clear bowl in a plastic leftover dish to contain splatter, but I have noticed he isn't nearly as messy with the green IKEA bowls I have in another room.
posted by possibilityleft at 4:42 AM on January 25, 2018

My cat "bathes" her paws in the water bowl, and she's almost 3 years old. (Tuxedo/short hair.) Her co-cat doesn't seem to mind, or has just resolved himself to the situation. Considering a fountain but there's not really a way to feed it/power it from where the dishes are. Conversely, other cat will "dig" in front of the bowl and tip it over, no matter how heavy it is; ultimately I placed the dish inside another dish that is now Gorilla Tape'd to the floor.

Both have survived to this day, so I've ceased worrying about it.
posted by rtgoodwin at 4:52 AM on January 25, 2018

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. I think a cat fountain plus a splash pool will be installed in my kitchen. Soggy cat feet for all!
posted by mudpuppie at 8:41 AM on January 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

Our recently adopted cat does the same - unless the water is a fountain. I think he just likes the movement of the water. So, we use a fountain, and when the fountain is in the dishwasher we set out the smallest (flat) cake pan we have and fill it 1/2" full for a temporary option.

Sidebar: this filter for the fountain saves us a ton of money.
posted by getawaysticks at 5:04 PM on January 25, 2018

I see you’ve found a solution, but I wanted to suggest that you never, ever offer a sink as an alternative as someone else mentioned. Unless you want to have your days entirely taken up with turning sinks on and off. Oh, you wanted TUB water? Yes mistress right away mistress. Oh, not that sink, the OTHER sink? Ok, ok, just a minute. Water not on enough? Oh now it’s running too much?? Et cetera et cetera ad infinitum. I love my little Maine Coon girl, but we spend entirely too much time considering sinks around here.
posted by thebrokedown at 8:05 PM on January 25, 2018

Response by poster: Yeah, so, the big ol' bowl of water in the kitchen dedicated solely to feline antics is making my cats very happy.

But.

Dashi since has taught Beasley to like being wet, and now after I go to bed at night I'm visited by two wet cats who a) groom themselves for an hour, on my bed, to deal with their wet fur, and b) appreciate the absorbency of my bedspread.

THIS DID NOT WORK OUT AS PLANNED.
posted by mudpuppie at 9:42 PM on January 29, 2018 [4 favorites]

I had a water loving beast who learned about the tub and sinks - I would NOT recommend encourage the cats to drink from these water sources. My little fella got to be very annkyoabiut begging for water and would stand in the sink when you were trying to brush your teeth.

Having a dedicated drying towel was my solution to the cat puddles. I must've towelled him off a half dozen times a day!
posted by Orrorin at 2:25 PM on January 31, 2018

One of my kittens discovered he liked water and will happily splash his front paws in the water bowl. I put a boot mat under their water bowl and water fountain, which has reduced the presence of surprise puddles on my kitchen floor.
posted by rmd1023 at 6:38 PM on February 2, 2018

Waterproof/washable comforter encasement or duvet cover. Ask me how I know. (Answer: my bed is my cat’s favorite place to cough up hairballs or otherwise vomit.) In desperation I have also used a water-resistant cloth shower curtain as a decorative/protective top bed layer.
posted by nicebookrack at 6:03 AM on February 13, 2018