Harriet has taken to drinking out of the bathroom sink. She’s so excited about it that she will sit in the sink waiting for us to come in and turn the water on.
The problem is that she’s not very good at it. Frequently, she’ll just shove her head under the running water and let it dribble through her fur and drink from the water running off her nose. She will also try to bite the stream of water. Mostly she’s been licking up the water that’s splashed everywhere.
No amount of cleaning her actual water bowl convinced her to use it and we’re concerned that she wasn’t drinking enough. Yesterday I picked up a pet fountain from PetCo for her and Marlowe.
Initially suspicious, they are both noticeably drinking more water. Hurrah. It has a deeply annoying buzz, which is deeply, deeply annoying. I’ve ordered a different one that’s supposed to be super-quiet. The deeply, deeply, deeply annoying buzzing doesn’t seem to bother the cats as much as it does me.
Meanwhile, Harriet is still sitting in the sink.
Just like our Abby! They even look vaguely similar.
And I thought our cat was the only one that did that. Sebastian will sit on the ledge next to the sink and *ROWL* like he’s dying until I turn the water on for him. I’ll have to look into a pet fountain for him.
With our cat, Clyde, it’s the tub. Anytime anyone is in the bathroom, he eagerly runs and jumps into the tub, and meows so loud you have to turn it on for him. But – it has to be just the right amount of dribbling water or he gets disgusted and really turns on the meows…so spoiled. I might just take your advice here about the fountain.
Ooh, do let me know how you get on with the super-quiet one when it arrives, please! My parents’ cat has an absolute thing for running water, with similar issues of mainly just dunking his whole head under it and hoping for the best!
Sasha and Nola insist on fresh water every day. By now getting it for them is now part of my groggy morning routine but it would be easier for me, and my cat sitter, if I spoiled then with a fountain instead. What’s the super quiet one?
FWIW I’ve also considered looking into those little decorative fountains since things have somehow worked out such that the water bowl has to be on my second desk. It wouldn’t work if I still had cats who play with water but these don’t.
Clearly, the cat in sink phenomenon is bigger than I had realized. I was just directed to http://www.catsinsinks.com.
I ordered this ceramic one for them
It’s supposed to be quiet and easier to keep clean than a plastic one.
We’ve had the Petmate Deluxe Freshflow fountain for three years, since we got our cats. It’s completely quiet UNLESS it’s low on water or something gets stuck near the pump. We had to replace the motor after a year, but the new one’s been fine ever since. I’d recommend it. Don’t waste your money on replacement charcoal filters, though. The cats don’t mind tap water.
Our cat used to love drinking out of sinks. Now that he’s older and can’t get up on the counter, he settles for drinking the water on the floor of the shower stall.
Clearly such bathroom fixtures have some deep intangible connection to the feline psyche. I don’t think I want to know.
Miles comes running whenever a faucet is turned on anywhere in the house. But he only wants to play with the water. Savannahs are like that.
MKK
Drinkwells are very quiet, all you hear is the water. My girls like theirs. You’ll also have healthier, more hydrated kitties. Mine drink so much more now, and it’s just better for them. They are healthier, and the bladder infections of one are totally in the past!
this one is a particularly egregious example of feline inefficiency… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8jiP5GAQbE&feature=related
That was hilarious. I laughed and laughed.