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Hi All....
Ok...have a house cat. Regular gray/black tabby....got her from shelter and she's been with us now for like 4 years. Great cat except for this one thing and it's to the point of driving me crazy! This cat cannot seem to get enough WATER! Clarify: It's not that she consumes large amounts of water. It's that she is extremely insistant that her water be changed several times each day! At one point, we stooped to just dropping a few cubes of ice in her water bowl to make her think she was getting fresh water, and that only resulted in training her to run in to the kitchen every time she hears one of us getting ice.....for any reason! Before my feet hit the floor after waking up, she starts screaming at me to change her water! Every time one of us walks through the kitchen, she is right there under our feet trying to lead us to her water bowl to change the water! (No exaggeration there!) I'm tired....of the constant nagging.....and re-filling of the water bowl! Would have already given her to another home over this, but my special needs daughter really loves her. -And yes, we ALL help in her care....it's not like I am the only one who gets her naggy side over the water!
Anytime she hears water anywhere in the house, she is RIGHT THERE! Dish washing water.....bathtub.....bathroom sink.....swimming pool! I can't even get my teeth brushed without her trying to hoard my water!
Anyone else have a cat like this.........what can I do? I don't think I can put up with this behavior for the rest of her life span! : (
Should note: There are no medical issues going on here, such as diabetes, etc. She is in good shape. We got her when she was 4 months old and have been her only owners since.
Last edited by RecovringKrspyKremeAddict; 02-10-2011 at 10:19 AM..
Reason: added content
Have you tried a drinkwell fountain? I got it recently and my cats like it. It recirculates the water constantly so it's more appealing. They give it to you with a charcoal filter but I have a filter on my kitchen sink faucet so I don't use it. It's not necessary because it's only for taste so who needs the added expense. It does feel like a lot of money for a water dish, but sounds like it would be worth it for the sake of your mental health, and it's very important for cats to get enough water.
Anytime she hears water anywhere in the house, she is RIGHT THERE! Dish washing water.....bathtub.....bathroom sink.....swimming pool! I can't even get my teeth brushed without her trying to hoard my water!
Anyone else have a cat like this.........what can I do? I don't think I can put up with this behavior for the rest of her life span! : (
Should note: There are no medical issues going on here, such as diabetes, etc. She is in good shape. We got her when she was 4 months old and have been her only owners since.
Some cats are like that. My mom's cat is Bengal and loves water. Every time you turn a faucet on, he's there. Does not drink from it, just LOOKS at the water running.
I agree with the poster who suggested getting one of those fountain water bowls for her. That would be the best solution. Some cats just have weird issues. Gotta love them for who they are. LOL
Yeah, a Drinkwell fountain is the first thing I would try with that as well.
Although I have to say, mine likes ice cubes too. Or snow, hehe. Not to go out in it, but make a snowball and put in a bowl and she licks it. Same with ice cube. I wish I could still get the frozen cat treats she loved.
Mine never went gaga over other running water though. But she likes the fountain anyway. You do have to clean this too, but since it's running water maybe once a week or so is enough.
Woe there, my worry is (we had a cat do this & go into total renal failure soon after, yet no one found/saw this coming) that she can't get hydrated -- & since there's a filtering problem (via the kidneys) -- it is showing as extreme thirst. Please recheck this to rule this out.
Well, the OP says the cat doesn't consume large amounts of water. That suggests the cat isn't showing extreme thirst. And the cat is only 4 years old. It wouldn't be a horrible idea to have it checked, true, but it doesn't seem likely.
Well, the OP says the cat doesn't consume large amounts of water. That suggests the cat isn't showing extreme thirst. And the cat is only 4 years old. It wouldn't be a horrible idea to have it checked, true, but it doesn't seem likely.
Oops my bad. You're right on rereading, as I read too fast & assumed wrong. But I guess they way I read it, was that the cat can't get enough water, thus my worry. But I agree that a checkup to assess kidneys would not hurt (other than the wallet).
My cat is a Bengal, he is the same way. Whenever I turn on the faucet, he is right there he likes to drink out of the faucet. It is not a big deal to me, because aside from sleeping I am only home about an hour or two a day, with work, school, and the gym. So...but some cats are just like that. However, the first question I have is how has she developed this behavior, and take a critical look at how you may have actually reinforced, and contributed to her issue. After all, my cat meows when I open the fridge, but he usually walks away, because he does not get treats.
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