{"id":636376,"date":"2024-08-09T10:00:37","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T14:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/?p=636376"},"modified":"2024-08-30T14:29:10","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T18:29:10","slug":"zelda-likes-her-water-shaken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/felines-weekly\/zelda-likes-her-water-shaken\/","title":{"rendered":"Zelda Likes Her Water Shaken, Not Stirred (with Video)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi, I\u2019m Dr. Karyn!\u00a0Read my introduction<\/a>\u00a0to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

Zelda has a really annoying habit, and I\u2019m embarrassed to admit how long it took me to realize she was trying to tell me something.<\/p>\n

Several times a day I would hear the tell-tale \u2018clink clink clink\u2019 of her paw raking over the ceramic water bowl. She would do this 10-20 times before settling down to have a drink, leaving traces of black fur and cat litter in her wake. The sound wasn\u2019t annoying, it was the water contamination she would leave behind, meaning that I would have to change the water multiple times throughout the day.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until I was talking to a client about why her cat preferred to drink from her toilet rather than her water bowl, that I realized what Zelda has been trying to tell me.<\/p>\n

\"Zelda
Zelda is underwhelmed by her water bowl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Message Was Clear<\/b><\/h2>\n

Okay, so I might be anthropomorphising a bit by saying that Zelda has been trying to send me a message, but I should have been able to figure out why she insisted on paddling in her bowl, a lot sooner than I did.<\/p>\n

When people ask \u201cHow Can I Get My Cat To Drink More Water?<\/a>\u201d, or \u201cWhy Won\u2019t My Cat Drink From The Bowl?\u201d, there are some basics to consider:<\/p>\n

1. A Good View:<\/h3>\n

A cat likes to be able to keep an eye on their surroundings when they\u2019re having a drink, so a spot with a good aspect will be appreciated.<\/p>\n

\"Good
Good location but a boring water bowl.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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2. A Quiet Place:<\/h3>\n

Cats don\u2019t want to quench their thirst in a high-traffic area.<\/p>\n

\n

3. The Right Stuff:<\/h3>\n

Ceramic and stainless steel are in, plastic is out.<\/p>\n

\n

4. Proximity to Food and Toilet:<\/h3>\n

No one wants to eat and drink where they poop, and while you want their water bowl to be near the food, you don\u2019t want to place them side-by-side. Why? It all comes down to their wild ancestry.<\/p>\n

In the wild, an old carcass lying in or near the water could indicate contamination, so a wild feline will look for another source. In the domestic world, water that sits too close to the food bowl can become contaminated with food, making it much less desirable.<\/p>\n

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5. Motion = Freshness:<\/h3>\n

As a general rule, a moving body of water is a fresh one, free from stagnation and less likely to be contaminated, which is where water fountains can really help<\/a>, and also what I realized I was missing.<\/p>\n

\"Cyril
Cyril assesses the new fountain like he assesses most things; lying down.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I Quickly Corrected My Mistake<\/b><\/h2>\n

Once the initial embarrassment of realizing I had completely dropped the ball on my feline water provisions, I went straight online to look for a high-capacity drinking fountain, and was lucky enough to find one that was pretty as well!<\/p>\n

In addition to the various water bowls already located throughout the house, I now have one that ticks every <\/i>box:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nPrevious Bowl<\/strong><\/td>\nNew Fountain<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A Good View<\/b><\/td>\n\u2705<\/td>\n\u2705<\/td>\nIt doesn\u2019t get much better than this!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A Quiet Place<\/b><\/td>\n\u2705<\/td>\n\u2705<\/td>\nThe office is a low traffic, dog-free zone.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Right Stuff<\/b><\/td>\n\u2705<\/td>\n\u2705<\/td>\nThe fountain is ceramic.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Proximity to Food & Toilet<\/b><\/td>\n\u2705<\/td>\n\u2705<\/td>\nFood and litter boxes are on the ground.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Motion = Freshness<\/b><\/td>\n\u274c<\/b><\/td>\n\u2705<\/td>\nMultiple levels keeps the water constantly moving.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n