I'm posting here because my cat keeps knocking over his water bowl to play with it. I’ve already changed the bowl several times, and I even bought a non-slip stand for both his water and dry food, but nothing seems to work.
It’s not a huge deal in itself, but the problem is that when I’m out at work during the day, the bowl is often bone dry by the time I get back in the evening. It really worries me to think he might go without a drink for the whole afternoon.
Is there anything I can do to get him to stop? Or does anyone know where I can get a bowl that is impossible to tip over?
Thanks everyone
Translated from French
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Hi there,
When he was a kitten, my cat used to tip his water bowl over too. He’d then drink the water straight off the floor. I’d read somewhere that cats think water is fresher and cleaner when it’s moving, so I did a little test: I gave him a bowl of water I’d just filled, and he didn’t drink a thing. I picked the bowl back up, swirled it around a bit to get the water moving, and then gave it back to him. That time, he drank straight away.
After that, I bought him a really sturdy, heavy water fountain so he couldn't knock it over, and I haven't had any problems since.
It’s a PetSafe Drinkwell fountain (you can find them easily online or in most UK pet shops).
The smallest size already holds about 1.8 litres of water, but you can get a larger version if you’re worried about the water evaporating.
Hi there,
It’s really concerning if he’s left without water for several hours in the height of summer. Cats can get dehydrated very quickly. To start with, you should definitely set up multiple water stations (at least two).
Here’s what I did to solve this problem. I bought two large, wide bowls (the type meant for dogs) and taped them to the floor using double-sided tape. Then, I placed removable stainless steel bowls inside them, which makes it easy to change the water several times a day and keep them clean.
Don't worry about your floor, either. When the time comes to take the tape off, a bit of nail polish remover or solvent will get rid of any sticky residue.
Yes, it’s definitely a problem if he ends up without any water. You could try using a big, heavy ceramic bowl, a large salad bowl, or even a gratin dish.
Alternatively, try putting the bowl inside a basin, a kitten litter tray, or a container larger than the bowl itself. That way, any water spills into the container instead of all over the floor, so he’ll still be able to drink from it.
It’s also a good idea to set up a few more water stations around the place. You could try a gravity water dispenser with a clip-on reservoir; because it’s quite heavy when the tank is full, he shouldn’t normally be able to knock it over. Or you could always look into getting a pet water fountain.
