# Kitten attacks water



## camric (Mar 8, 2006)

I have a 5ish-month old kitten (former stray), one of the lovingest kittens I've ever seen. Anyway, within the last 3 weeks he has started playing with the water in the water bowl instead of drinking it. I have tried 4 different bowls, going for now with a heavy ceramic one he can't tip over. Sometimes he'll paddle water out until it's almost empty, other times he'll just bat it a few times and wander away. I am fairly sure that almost all the water he's getting now is what he licks from his paws, except for a couple of times he must have been really thirsty because he drank like a fiend when I refilled the bowl.

Again, this is recent behavior....I might have thought it had something to do with his getting fixed, but he started the week before that. I am pretty much at my wit's end here - my latest effort (today) was to get one of the dishes with a pump to move and oxygenate the water, thinking it might be the still water (and his reflection?). No dice, he emptied the new bowl in record time and was working his way through what was in the reservoir. 

Anyone seen this behavior or have any idea how to deal with it?

Rob


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## fellajetandmonster'sslave (Aug 5, 2003)

*kitten w/water fetish*

my 8-yr.old female only drinks water she has pawed from the dish---seems to be a game w/her---I just make sure the bowl is too heavy to tip over, and there is a tray under for any "accidents".........


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## Dusty&Lou (Jun 16, 2004)

Bella also likes to push her water dish around the kitchen. She likes to see the water splash around. But it splashes all over the floor. I got a really heavy bowl, which makes it harder to move, but she still manages. (She is SO stubborn!) :twisted: 

I guess I have gotten used to it. Now, I just mop up the water and refill the bowl... :roll:


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## jennifer2 (Mar 5, 2005)

I had a cat like this when I was younger. I submitted to the if you can't beat them, join them.
We ended up leaving a very tiny bit of water running in the faucet. He'd play with that, splash a little on the mirror, but it was a lot less mess than the bowls!


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## camric (Mar 8, 2006)

Well, I saw him actually drinking twice today. I've been trying to redirect him when I catch him splashing by crumpling some paper and throwing it - who knows, maybe that finally paid off. Thanks for the replies


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

Here too. Twitch played in any available water! I got a fountain, but he would often empty it onto the floor. End result was the fountain was put in a litter tray (new tray, no litter!!) and that's just the way it had to be.


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## gsc4 (Mar 27, 2005)

It could be an age thing. Schnitz went through a phase where he was like that. After a couple months he moved on to a new obsession - digging in the dirt of my plants. 

Or he could end up doing it all his life. 

Like Jenifer said, sometimes it is easier to submit than to try and change it. How about getting a tray to place under the bowl? That way when it spalshes all over it will be contained and easier to clean up. 

I figure you need to let cats do things like that because it is a harmless outlet for excess energy and keeps them from getting bored.


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## Tagster (Oct 19, 2005)

I still swear by the water bottle method. Worked in under an hour for my little guy!


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## hleighty (Jun 13, 2006)

*Cat splashes water out of bowl*

Sophie is a mixed Russian Blue and Persian spayed female strictly indoor cat now about 4 years old with lots of personality and intelligence. She came to our house from my wife's daughter's house as a 6 month old kitten after the birth of a new baby when the kitten began sitting on the newborn's chest. Sophie bonded strongly to my wife and usually sleeps on top of the bed covers at the foot of my wife's bed. Soon after Sophie arrived in our home she began pushing her water bowl around the floor and spilling water in the process. We countered by using a ceramic crock bowl that was too heavy for her to move. That worked fine and all was well until a few months ago when she suddenly started using her front paws to splash water out of her bowl, mostly at night, but more recently she is seen doing so also in the daytime. We countered by getting a large plastic tray with an upturned edge that would retain the spilled water and protect the floor. This helped control the water mess but the splashing behavior continues as a daily problem. It is a nuisance to be sopping up spilled water every day. This seems to be a play game with Sophie and she seems fascinated with the water but we are not sure about this and we would like to understand the motivation for the behavior. Although she does lick her wet paws when finished playing in the water, she otherwise drinks normally. We tried moving the location of the water and food but that made no difference. Because the splashing behavior occurs more at night than in the daytime, we have recently countered by simply removing the water bowl at night. But this is a hassle. We are wondering if there is any kind of watering appliance that will store and dispense water on demand but not provide any kind of open pool for mischievious cat paws to play in. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.


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## senga (Jan 8, 2006)

Magnum does this too.I used to come home with the water dish empty and a big puddle on the floor.He's even worse when I've just refilled it.I just put a towel underneath and it soaks up any spills.


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