Zelda likes to shake her water instead of stirring it.

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn, read my bio to learn more about me and meet my five delightful cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda and Zazzles.

Zelda has a really annoying quirk, and I’m embarrassed to admit how long it took me to realize she was trying to tell me something.

Several times a day, I would hear the distinctive “clack-clack” sound of my cat’s paws scratching the ceramic water bowl. The cat would do this 10-20 times before drinking, leaving a trail of black fur and cat litter behind. The sound was not unpleasant, just the cat’s dirty water. As a result, I had to change the water several times a day.

It wasn’t until I was talking to a client about why their cat preferred to drink water from the litter box instead of their water bowl that I understood what Zelda was trying to tell me.

The message was clear

Now, maybe it’s a bit of anthropomorphism to say that Zelda was trying to send me a message, but I’m sure she would have figured out why she kept paddling in the bowl much sooner than I did.

If you’re asking yourself, “How do I get my cat to drink more water?” or “Why won’t my cat drink water from its bowl?” there are a few basic things to consider.

1. Great view:

Cats like to be able to keep an eye on their surroundings while drinking water, so they enjoy a place with a good view.

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2. A Quiet Place:

Cats are not likely to quench their thirst in high-traffic areas.

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3. Suitable for:

Ceramic and stainless steel are in fashion and plastic is out.

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4. Proximity to food and toilets:

No one wants to eat or drink where they defecate. And while you want your water bowl near your food, you don’t want them next to each other. Why? It all comes down to our wild ancestry.

In the wild, old carcasses lying in or near water can be a sign of contamination, so wild felines will seek out alternative water sources. In the domestic world, water placed near a food bowl can become contaminated with food and become less preferred.

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5. Movement = freshness:

Generally, moving water is fresher, less stagnant, and less likely to be contaminated, so this is where a fountain really helps, and it’s something I realized I’d been missing.

I quickly corrected the mistake.

I was initially embarrassed to realize that I had completely forgotten about my cat’s water bowl, but I quickly searched the internet for a large capacity one and was lucky to find one that looked beautiful too.

In addition to the various water bowls already installed around the house, I now have every box:

	Previous bowl	New fountain
Great view	✅	✅	It doesn’t get any better than this!
Quiet place	✅	✅	The office is low traffic and a dog-free zone.
The right one	✅	✅	The fountain is made of ceramic.
Food and toilets close by	✅	✅	Food and litter boxes are provided on the ground.
Movement = freshness	❌	✅	Multiple levels keep the water moving.

Things to keep in mind

• Make sure you buy a fountain that is designed for pets, as ornamental or garden fountains may not be made from materials suitable for drinking.
• Keep power cords safe: This is especially important if you have cats who like to chew on things. Power cord protector.
• Keep it filled with water at all times, if the water level drops below a certain level the motor can burn out, this is something to keep in mind when you go on a trip too.
• But they still need cleaning, and while the water is moving and you often only need to refill it, you should give them a good cleaning at least once a week.

Now we have a lovely decorative fountain that all the cats love to drink from, Zelda no longer twirls her paws in her bowl, and we know that all the cats are getting plenty of fresh water.

The only problem now is that when I hear that gentle sound of water, it makes me want to pee.