Advice please, am i worrying about nothing?

[kingbimbobs]

ahhh, i see. most interesting.

i use a brita - it DOES make for better tea. 

[Christine (Blip)]

and me. i meant to say that before. they'll never drink if it is next to their food. i have two bowls at separate places in the hall. (the food is in the front room.)

anyone know why that is..?

Well, one theory is that in the wild, cats do not drink water from sources near their kills as it could be contaminated, so the behaviour is probably instinctive.

For those whose cats don't like tap water, try Brita-filtered water.  That might work - and it makes better tea for you too!

[kingbimbobs]

and me. i meant to say that before. they'll never drink if it is next to their food. i have two bowls at separate places in the hall. (the food is in the front room.)

anyone know why that is..?

[Topsy Turvey]

I agree with Rosella - mine have a bowl in the sitting room that they prefer.  there is water in the kitchen near to their food but they won't drink that!

[kingbimbobs]

in my experience, cats, like plants, MUCH prefer rainwater, or, water that's been left to sit and therefore doesn't have the chemically taste that tap-water does (to them).

[Rosella moggy]

It's been mentioned a few times on other threads but can't hurt to mention again. Cats sometimes prefer to drink water away from their food. Try putting a bowl of water in another room and see what happens.  3 out of 4 of ours prefer to drink away from their food

[Hippykitty]

Although this could just be a case of contrariness, I'd still take her to vet just in case she has cystitis. Also, check that the plants are safe, it's amazing how many are poisonous.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Mine much prefer the water from plantvsaucers or even better the buckets the rain goes into from my greenhouse roof 

[blackcat]

You'd think concidering all the different human livers London water has been filtered through, it would taste very clean and pure. 

my point precisely, PB!!

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

You'd think concidering all the different human livers London water has been filtered through, it would taste very clean and pure. 

[blackcat]

most tap water will have a chemical taint which cats can smell more clearly than we can. That is why they prefer to drink water from various holes in the ground, and bowls outside. Having moved to London from New Zealand, where the water is pumped directly out of the ground into your water mains, the difference in taste in London (and subsequently Chatham) water is enormous. The water tastes dead and lifeless, rather than vibrant and mountain spring-ish.

So probably your cat is showing a more discerning palate rather than anything more worrying 

The hot weather will cause cats to drink more frequently. I know mine are doing so, but then, so am I.

Unless she is showing other signs of cystitis I would let her do what she is most comfortable doing. At least she is getting fluids, which is very important to cats whether or not they have cystitis.

[Desley (booktigger)]

Good luck with the urine sample, but dont stop her drinking the outside water, it will help her, and probably tastes better than our water - I have stopped changing my bowls daily (unless they are empty), as they prefer it once it has been standing.

[ChrisB]

Seem to be several of us worrying with cystitus problems at the moment.    Don't worry - mine all prefer to drink from the pond (or any other dirty water) rather than from their bowls.

[alisonandarchie]

Hope the cystitis clears up quickly.

Archie and the others all like to drink out of my mini pond instead of drinking fresh water

[Hunny]

Phew! Thank you for that, she did sniff the clean water i gave her and it was only when i moved it she drank out of it. as though she couldn't see any water in it. i think i'll try get a urine sample and pop down the vet tomorrow. Don't wanna stress her out more if i can help it!

In the meantime, she can sleep beside me so i can keep an eye on her! 

Thanks again xx

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

Hi Christine,

I wouldn't worry too much about her drinking from the plant pots .... all my lot seem to prefer the plant pots full of rain water and various "floating" bits to the nice clean tap water I provide for them    I'm sure she was just drinking from it because, a) it was convenient b) it was probably slightly warm (cats seem to like water at body temperature) c) cats are contrary little so and so's 

[Hunny]

Hi All,

Hunny has had cystitis on and off for the past week. She normally gets attacks every few months but now i'm worried as i've caught her trying to drink from plants pots in the garden. It is very rare to see her drink anything which is why i'm so worried. We have a CatIt fountain and i've never seen her use it. In the past her cystitis was always stress related so this still may be the case but i'm gonna call the vet tomorrow for advice. i hope someone could put my mind at ease tonight.

She's been out all day a few times this week as the weather has been great and we'v'e been at work so it may be that other cats are stressing her out. Also the hot weather could be a reason for her drinking? i emptied the plant pots as soon as i caught her doing it but i must've missed one as i found her today searching through them until she found a full one! i put clean water out for her and she drank a little from that. Am i over-reacting and worrying over nothing. Hunny is currently curled up on my knee fast asleep and otherwise seems to be fine, and still has her appetite. She's almost 8 BTW.

Thanks in advance!

Christine x