Dear Pammy, Do Cats Have Special Water Needs?

A reader writes:

I have a filtering pitcher at home because I like the way the water tastes. Should my cats be drinking it too?

Dear Readers,

Yes.

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If the filtered water tastes better to us, then it will taste much better to the cats. Cats not only have highly sensitive taste buds, they also have a special relationship with their drinking water.

When we remember cats were originally from the desert, their fascination with water becomes clearer.

This does not mean we should duplicate desert conditions for our cats. Cats benefit from having good water sources. Both in their overall health, and in their behavior.

If we do not provide enough good water sources, in their opinion, they will draw on their desert behaviors to seek out new sources. This is what puts their head in our water glass. If the cat is asking for “drink!” then make sure they have something they like.

Cats love running water. It triggers their reassurance that the water will be clean enough to drink. Cats have limited ways of clearing toxins in their body. They are fussy because they must be extra discriminating about what they take in.

So cats will hang out by faucets or jump in the tub where they have seen the water running. Even if we do not investigate cat fountains, we can reassure the cat about the quality of their drinking water by making it as fresh and clean as possible. When the cat sees the bowl being filled from a running source, instead of just appearing on the floor, the cat feels better about their water.

This explains the attraction our own drinking containers have for many cats. As much as possible, serve the cat their water from their own version of our mugs and glasses. Pour their water from the same source they see us drinking from.

They notice.

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There’s more ways to care for our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on CAT CARE.