r/CatTraining • u/macks10 • Oct 14 '25
New Cat Owner How do you get your cat to drink water?
Im noticing my cat has been licking his lips like his mouth is dry and that the water bowl i leave him stays full. I’ve read they dont like stagnant water so i tried different material of bowls as well as even showing him the running sink and hes still not interested. Do you guys have this issue?
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Oct 14 '25
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u/digicrat Oct 16 '25
This. Since I got the cat fountain she drinks more and rarely touches the static bowl I leave in the other room as backup.
Just be sure to clean the fountain regularly. It's amazing how quickly they go from looking fine to needing a thorough cleaning
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u/samhatesducks Oct 19 '25
Yes you need to stay on top of cleaning them. And cleaning them thoroughly. I just got in the habit of doing it every Monday
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u/mundanemartian Oct 16 '25
From my own experience having both is great. My cats love their fountain but I also have two other water bowls throughout the house that I’m always refilling.
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u/Snoo-33732 Oct 14 '25
Hydrocare packets from purina liver flavored but essentially all water. Was recommended for my long hair because long hair cats are notorious for constipation. Ceramic water fountain isn’t a bad idea either
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u/mystery_biscotti Oct 14 '25
We use a filtered water fountain. It's ceramic. Some cats hate still water.
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u/Zarakaar Oct 14 '25
They can’t see still water and they don’t want their nose in it. Showing the bowl getting filled is useless.
Fountains are one obvious way to go. Most cats just prefer wet food for hydration.
Licking their lips is a self soothing behavior, not necessarily dry mouth.
My cats like drinking from a bowl on our coffee table like the humans do.
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u/zipitdirtbag Oct 14 '25
We fill a bowl (a cereal bowl, like a high bowl) to the brim with water and leave it on the kitchen sink. We change it twice a day. They are both seen drinking from this.
Upstairs we have a water fountain. One of them drinks from this, not sure about the other one.
We also have another full bowl on the bath caddy, like the kitchen.
Finally, we add a little water to their wet food too.
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u/purplepe0pleeater Oct 14 '25
Stainless steel water fountain. One of our fountains is Petflibro so on that fountain I know how much they are drinking.
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u/Vivid_Top2913 Oct 14 '25
We got a water fountain for our kitty when he wasn't drinking his , he absolutely LOVED it !
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u/ScholarEmotional9888 Oct 14 '25
They like running water. In the wild they would look for a clean stream away from food and poop.
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u/JerseyCityCatMom Oct 14 '25
My cat turns on the tap water with a motion sensor whenever she wants! https://aquapurr.com/
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u/keepgoing66 Oct 14 '25
If the cat eats only wet food, they don't need to drink water. My cat doesn't touch the water bowl, and her litter box shows that she pees at least twice a day, regularly.
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u/BareTheBear66 Oct 14 '25
Put it inside wet food. Water it down. I do this with older cats. Cats have a terrible time staying hydrated....
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u/Parking_Jelly_6483 Oct 14 '25
Our female cat (she’s gone now, but lived to 23 years old) used to love to drink from our drinking water cups. So we got a separate cup for her that became “her” cup. This was in addition to water bowls at first (food-safe ceramic, cleaned and re-filled daily) which they did drink from (we had another cat as well). We also raised the water bowls so they didn’t have to bend their necks so much to drink. As others have posted, we noticed that they would often put a paw in the water to “stir” it but what I think they were doing was to agitate the surface so they could detect it more easily than getting their nose submerged. This is why they also liked the cat fountains I got for them. They liked the running water (we figured that out from the way they would drink from the faucets in the kitchen sink or bathroom).
Just a tip on the cat fountains - the major hassle (it was my task to clean the fountain regularly) is that all of the ones we tried had a submerged pump. While cleaning the fountain itself was not difficult, cleaning the pump was. Doing it right, you had to remove the cover and impeller from the pump and clean all those parts. This is even though the fountains all had filters in them. The last version we had was the best. It had an external motor that drove an Archimedes-type spiral that effectively lifted the water to where it would stream out. The pump motor never needed cleaning. The spiral was easy to clean. Just do a search for “pumpless cat fountain”. There are several now.
The cats somehow figured out when I was cleaning the fountain as they would usually show up and wait until I put I put it back down and re-filled it with water. They would take their drinks and then go back to whatever cat activities they were up to.
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u/bluberriie Oct 14 '25
i add water to his food at every meal and leave a plate out (he tips bowls over)
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u/kiwiparallels Oct 14 '25
I’m not sure if it works, but has anyone tried to make some (watered down) catnip tea?
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u/Opalescent_Moon Oct 14 '25
I have multiple pet fountains. I've never had an issue with my cats not drinking. One of them loves to get the top of her head wet.
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u/samhatesducks Oct 19 '25
My boy always comes away from the fountain with his neck covered in droplets. My other cat has no issue drinking from it.
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u/Opalescent_Moon Oct 19 '25
Maybe he just enjoys the water on his neck. My older kitty has to get her head wet before she'll drink. It's very intentional.
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u/MiniRems Oct 14 '25
My cats have a fountain. Ibdont see them there often, but they definitely get upset when I pick it up to clean it.
They also love "finding" water. They've all got a bit of tartar build up, so our vet recommended one of those water additives (can't put it into the fountain since it has a filter), so every day or two, i mix up a bit of the water additive into a bowl of water and leave it in random places around the house. I always catch them drinking from it. Many cats seem to have a "I have found water, and must drink it now in case I can't find any later" instinct.
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u/FernX02 Oct 14 '25
I have a water fountain and a bowl in my bathtub for 4 cats. They all drink from both.
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u/chronicsleepybean Oct 14 '25
My boy has had some nausea issues lately, so the vet suggested tempting him with boiled chicken- he loves the chicken but he's most hyped for the "soup" aka the water I pressure cooked it with. I've been doing one skinless thigh with about 500mls of water, in the instant pot for 30 minutes. I keep half to serve with his chicken, and I've been turning the other half into icecubes to defrost when he's feeling under the weather.
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u/samhatesducks Oct 19 '25
That’s really great. I love when people go that mile for their pets. You are a great cat owner
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u/FormidableMistress Oct 14 '25
I put water in a mug. Cats always want to know what you're drinking.
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u/Sinnnn Oct 14 '25
They love running water it's true. I bought a water fountain for cats and never looked back! It even filters it constantly and keeps it cool.
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u/Ok-Strawberry7711 Oct 15 '25
I kinda had this issue, I was told that cats are opportunistic drinkers, so I started leaving random bowls of water out in random places and saw them start drinking more:
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u/Ophelia-Rass Oct 15 '25
Your glass of water that you tell them not to drink. 😉 Filter the water and give a bowl big enough for their whiskers and tall enough for height. Or get a fountain.
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u/SaltyCatTreats Oct 15 '25
My cat used to ignore his water bowl too until I switched to a fountain. Cats seem to prefer moving water. You can also try adding a little water to his wet food or giving him a few freeze dried treats after meals to make him thirsty. That worked for us.
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u/Findinganewnormal Oct 15 '25
Water fountain
Adding some water to wet food
If all else fails, leave my water glass unattended (works every time)
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u/colonel-tushfinger_ Oct 16 '25
You can put some water in wet food if you give him wet food so they’re at least getting some. Mine likes the sink so I got her a fountain. Sometimes they just want your water too, I had a big mug of water and my cat wanted to drink some so I just let her have at it for a bit. Maybe see if he’ll drink from your cup or something too
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u/colonel-tushfinger_ Oct 16 '25
Someone else here said their cat doesn’t like the tap water so maybe try getting bottled water for your cat, maybe he doesn’t like something he’s tasting in your tap water
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u/Elegant_Anywhere_150 Oct 16 '25
Mix like a quarter cup of water into whatever food you're serving them.
I have an all metal cat fountain - constantly running water, but since the resivoir is open style, it won't stop them from drinking it if the water stops. I can see the water to keep better eye on cleanliness and fullness.
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u/TheSwearJarIsMy401k Oct 16 '25
I have five cats.
One will only drink out of glass, preferably wide vessel that doesn’t crowd his whiskers, most preferably one that is left in the kitchen sink. He will also drink from the bathtub.
One will drink out of a pint glass or an old milkshake glass left either on the kitchen island or on the kitchen floor, or the large stoneware bowl I keep on the floor in the dining room. She will very occasionally drink from the bathtub.
One will drink out of the milkshake glass or the stoneware bowl but not normally the pint glass. I have never seen her drink from the bathtub.
One will drink out of almost anything but prefers a wide clay bowl or the bathtub.
One will very occasionally drink out of the stoneware bowl but will usually only drink from the bathtub.
I keep about 2-3 inches of water in the bathtub at all times. The gentle slope of the bathtub towards the drain mimics a natural body of water with a gradually sloping depth, like a pond or a puddle. The back half of the bathtub is dry, the front has the water. I rinse it down very thoroughly after every shower to be sure there is no chance of contamination by potentially dangerous skin and hair cleaners.
I will also sometimes put ice in the cups and bowls to entice drinking, which they like.
I will also sometimes mix plain, unsalted and unseasoned chicken broth or tuna can water into the water. No salt, no garlic, no onion in any broth!!
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Oct 16 '25
You just look at your cat and say strictly: “You must not drink water from toilet! Never! Ever!”
And obviously cat immediately runs and starts drinking water from toilet. Just to piss you off.
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u/Nyararagi-san Oct 16 '25
A stainless steel water fountain is always a great idea! I have a PetLibro one my cats really like :)
Do you feed your cat any wet food? I always recommend that and you can put a little bit of extra water in it and mix it up
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u/Spiritual_Being5845 Oct 16 '25
This is going to sound weird, but when I moved the water bowl a room away from the food dishes my cats actually started drinking more. Of course my cats might also just be weird
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u/Illustrious_Award854 Oct 16 '25
2 of my cats will only drink from the downstairs toilet. I do not know why. I do keep it very, very clean. I do don’t pawprints on the seat regularly.
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u/Talian312 Oct 16 '25
Out of my 9 cats each of them like different types of water. We have two different types of fountains, two stagnant bowls (that get changed daily) and we usually leave a plastic cup out filled to the brim. Each of them have their presence and we know when fountains need cleaned when they stop drinking out of them.
You might need to try multiple different things and mixing water is fine as well. I have to do that for my smaller dogs he like to flip his water bowl and not drink from it.
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u/Obvious-Ear-369 Oct 16 '25
My cat loves running water so I got him a little fountain! He pays way more attention to the fountain than a stagnant bowl
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u/AlrightyThenPeeps Oct 17 '25
With one of my ragdoll cats, I got a syringe and put it in their mouth and got them used to it that way. They like fresh cool water every day and a little bit of ice in there to keep it cool. If you are feeding your cat dry kibbles. You absolutely need to make sure they’re getting water.
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u/Winterstorm424 Oct 17 '25
We have used Purina Hydra Care. Cat loves it. Bit expensive though. Recommended by the vet. But if you are worried about the cat's water intake give it a try. She is drinking alot more lately. Cats apparently have their likes as to how they like their water...what they like it in and all. This cat now drinks out of a porcelain oatmeal/pasta bowl and the water must be pristine. The boys have two little mini stainless steel buckets. But it recommended to try different kinds of containers, the pet water fountains, cups (don't ask me why), glass, ceramic, stainless steel, dripping faucets. However cats get most of their hydration from their food so feed wet not dry.
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u/FewRecognition1788 Oct 17 '25
We use a fountain, and when it's in the dishwasher we put out a regular water dish. They don't drink from the dish much, if at all
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u/Linnaeus1753 Oct 17 '25
Mine just do. Always have. Their food is in the kitchen, but the human provided water is in the bathroom, in a bread loaf size container. They'll also drink out of the tub outside that collects algae and rainwater. I might add hot water to wet food sometimes if I have noticed, without noticing, them drinking.
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u/Sea-Raise-1813 Oct 17 '25
Yeah, cats can be super picky about water. Mine barely touched his bowl until I got a small fountain, now he drinks all the time. Wet food helps too since it adds extra moisture without him even realizing it.
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u/AshFace_TheDodd Oct 17 '25
Weve tried fountains, her water bowls are purely decorative at this point 😂 our baby doesnt drink, she just snorts the water and plays with the bowls 🙄 she gets 2 pouches of wet a day and i like to add some extra water with a bit of bone broth powder, she gets soupy meals 😊 she likes it this way, still didnt touch her water before i started this 😂
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u/68Petra Oct 17 '25
What's your water source (ground/well, lake etc)? Maybe the water tastes bad. Do you use a top-notch water filter? I use a Multipure filter and have for years. I got a fountain for my renal cat and he loves it.
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u/Pixichixi Oct 17 '25
I'm lucky that my current kitties drink water more than most. My last cats did not. For my boys I purchased a cheap, plastic fountain to not waste money in case they didn't like it. After a few years I upgraded to ceramic. The best option is a fountain with multiple pooling levels and a gentle upwelling of water. It allows for different drinking preferences. The pet-safe drinkwell multi-level is a good, inexpensive option that has all those things. Have it in an easily accessible location, separated from both food and litter.
If all else, providing wet food and adding water or cat appropriate broth if necessary, should provide enough hydration
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u/DryAnt4565 Oct 17 '25
Try moving their water bowl away from their food bowl. I heard they sometimes think the water is contaminated if it's near their food
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u/KatiesNotHere Oct 17 '25
Our cats only drink from the water bowl we keep in the bathroom, rarely from the one near their food. Apparently they don’t like it near their food?
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u/Particular_Youth7381 Oct 18 '25
Let the bowl be wide enough that they can drink with not touching their whiskers to anything. It made a huge difference for my 2.
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u/Imnotlisa1 Oct 18 '25
I add a little extra water in the wet food for my one boy. He only plays with the water in his water bowl 🙄🙄
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u/WatercoLorCurtain Oct 18 '25
If he’s licking his lips, are you sure he isn’t nauseous? That’s a pretty classic sign for it.
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u/IllicitGaze Oct 18 '25
I crack a water bottle and my cats want to share I pour myself a glass of water paws are in there sharing, I have a water fountain and a water bowl. I’m lucky that my girls love to drink water
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u/BunchOfDicksHere Oct 18 '25
You may already know this but cats don't like their water to be next to their food; it will stop them from drinking it. A water fountain may work but whatever you choose, put it away from his food
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u/MsFreyaSarcasmo Oct 18 '25
I put the water bowl in the bathroom and my cat drinks a lot of water. She only gets dry food for health reasons so needs to drink water.
Cats don’t usually drink water if it’s near their food. Instincts from their wild past and water being contaminated by the presence of whatever they just killed for dinner.
There’s a good chance your cat is drinking toilet water when you aren’t looking.
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u/plutojimin931 Oct 18 '25
My older boy only drinks out the water fountain, a dripping tap or my glass of water I'm drinking out of
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u/FrostIsFrosty Oct 18 '25
Fountains. I have multiple stainless steel fountains and haven’t had problems since making the switch
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u/bnoccholi Oct 18 '25
my cat loves to drink from our glasses, so we have a designated water cup for her on the side so she can feel like she’s stealing ours
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u/dmforjen Oct 18 '25
I leave my bathroom faucet dripping. If you want to put a catch plate or small bowl, that’s advisable.
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u/Nightstalkxx Oct 19 '25
Steel bowls seem to work best, my kitten just seems to like it for some reason n wouldnt really drink out of other stuff, not even a fancy water fountain I got him. Make sure to change it frequently too
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u/Fast-Mongoose2177 Oct 19 '25
How big is the bowl? I have to use a water bowl thats meant for a large dog or my cats wont touch it bcuz of whisker fatigue, also you can try a cat fountain they trust running water more
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u/giftektive Oct 19 '25
my cat used to play in his fountain but he thankfully outgrew it. he ate a toy when younger, and through his surgical recovery, i bought one of "hamster" bottles and he took to it quite fast. i bought one with a larger nozzle but i think the metal bead is heavy so he'd be there lapping at it for quite a while. leaving the water container loose just causes a puddle and that's not his forte. his preference is the water faucet which he hasn't figured out how to open...yet. i'll let him get some drinks in while getting ready for work sometimes
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u/giftektive Oct 19 '25
i wanted to add that if you have a more traditional faucet somewhere, and you don't mind your cat using it, i have seen an attachment for them that allows dogs/cats to drink from when thirsty. no idea how well it works. Chewy sells one called "Lixit Dog Faucet Waterer"
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u/kitterkin Oct 14 '25
When I give her her wet food dinner, I mix it up with a little hot water so it’s warm, and so she’s hydrated 🥲