What's up with cats and water? (with guest Aurora Skye)

A few years ago, we had a cat who was completely obsessed with her water bowl. She used to consistantly stick her paw into the water bowl and SPLASH the water all over the kitchen floor! At first the thought that perhaps the fact that because cats generally do not like to get their noses wet she was just checking the depth of the water in the bowl. Hey, sounded logical to me. I was always under the assumption that all cats hated water because they could not swim, etc.

Then, we adopted our Merlin James, who, not only sticks his paw into the bowl, but continously dumps the water bowl upside down (even the heavy ceramic ones) making a complete swimming pool of our floors! We brought him home as a rescue when he was only about 6 weeks old. I fell in love with him immediately. What a "perfect little angel," right? LOL! 

However, we basically went from THIS ... 🐈

To THIS ... 😽

"Take THAT, Ma!"

"Who?Me?"

My sister and her hubby recently adopted an orange male tabby cat named "Hammy" whom they suspect to be mixed with Abyssinian. They have encountered the very same type of behavior from him as we have from our Merlin. As she recounts:

"He enjoys sitting in the shower after either Jim or I take one, because he likes the water dripping on him, and then he licks the water off the blinds that cover the window in the shower/tub area as mentioned before. He will curl up in the sink and doesn't seem to mind even when we turn on the faucet! We fill his water bowl every day, but he will still try to drink from the faucet. He used to flip over his water bowl until we put it in the kitchen sink, so now he drinks from his bowl in the sink - at least Jim and I don't step in spilled water anymore! Finally, if we don't keep the toilet lid closed, Hammy will walk on the seat and dip a paw into the bowl. Maybe he is a water sign?"

After a little bit of research, I was able to find this helpful article:

Do cats like water?

Many cats love water, at least to drink. This is especially true of running water. Some will only drink from water that's moving, to the great annoyance of their owners. But why do cats like running water so much more than, say, water in a bowl?

The answer probably lies in survival instincts. Cats tend to seek out fresh, clean water over stagnant water, probably because fresh water is less likely to contain harmful bacteria than stagnant water is. Plus, running water just tastes better.

Because they descended from desert dwellers who got most of their water from the prey that they ate, cats can be pretty picky about the water that they drink. And cats are sensitive to the smell of water, which can quickly get stale if their bowls aren't changed frequently enough or cleaned regularly. Plus, running or moving water is just more fun.

Cats are curious about water: Does your cat paw at her water dish? Many cats do. We don't know for sure why, but there are a couple of possible explanations. If your cat tends to paw at the water dish before drinking, she might be checking the water level before diving in. Since the bowl's water level varies throughout the day, as well as from one day to the next, your cat might just be gauging how high the water is. Some cats find it uncomfortable to get their whiskers wet and their fur soggy, so they don't want to shove their face into a water bowl that's filled to the brim. Let's face it, water is a fun toy. Cats love anything that moves, and water is very good at moving. Your cat might like batting at running water from the faucet because its' shiny and reflective, much like their favorite toys do. If your cat is obessesed with running water, she or he will probably enjoy a running fountain. Cat fountains are stimulating and also encourage your cat to drink more. Plus, they can save you from constantly cleaning up spilled water. Some cat breeds adore water. Although all cats descent from desert-dwelling ancestors who didn't have much regard for water in the wild, some breeds in particular evoloved to be quite fond of water. Some cat breeds will even go swimmng if you let them. Breeds such as the Turkish Van, Turkish Angora, Japanese Bobtail, Abyssinian, Norwegian Forest Cat, and Maine Coon.


  

These are pictures I took of Hammy this morning. Of course when you want him to pose, he doesn't! He enjoys sitting in the shower after either Jim or I take one, because he likes the water dripping on him, and then he licks the water off the blinds that cover the window in the shower/tub area as mentioned before. He will curl up in the sink and doesn't seem to mind even when we turn on the faucet! We fill his water bowl every day, but he will still try to drink from the faucet. He used to flip over his water bowl until we put it in the kitchen sink, so now he drinks from his bowl in the sink - at least Jim and I don't step in spilled water anymore! Finally, if we don't keep the toilet lid closed, Hammy will walk on the seat and dip a paw into the bowl. Maybe he is a water sign? ..."Hammy"