You may remember that I bought a pet drinking fountain a few weeks ago, hoping it would free me from having to refill the cats’ water bowl several times a day. I ended up, however, with one cat eventually deciding he liked it and the other refusing to go near the thing, so now I’ve got to refill the water bowl and take care of the fountain. Two cats, with two very different personalities (one young and always looking for something new, one old and cautious) mean two daily chores.
But I press on, trying to get the older cat to take a sip. Here’s what hasn’t worked so far:
1. Emptying the water bowl into the fountain
2. Taking the bowl away when she’s waiting for me to fill it up in the morning (I really hate doing this – I don’t even like to disturb a cat who’s sleeping on my chair at dinnertime)
3. Putting the bowl next to the fountain
4. Leaving a trail of cat treats on the floor leading to the fountain. The younger cat came along and ate them all. (Remember, it didn’t work for Hansel and Gretel either.) Meanwhile, the older cat sat a few feet away with her back turned.
She’s immune to catnip, so I can’t draw her to the fountain with it. She panics if she’s picked up and carried anywhere (except out of the vet’s), so I can’t just put her in front of it until she gives in.
She didn’t know what to think of the younger cat at first, either. Then she decided he was one of her own kittens – so is it too much to expect her to absentmindedly mistake the fountain for her water bowl?
Apparently, yes.
I may be temporarily out of ideas, but this isn’t over yet.
Cats are genetically made to store water for longer periods of time than many animals. Their origins are thought to be Egypt, hot and dry. And think of the big cats in the hot jungles of Africa.
All living beings and organism will seek food and water when they are needed. I personally would leave the fountain and put the water dish away. Natural instinct to survive will get her the first drink.
It also may take her a bit longer if you are feeding moist food, just the same as big cats can satisfy a certain percentage of their water intake through the animals they eat.
I personally don’t believe that would be cruel as you are giving her water. She may not like it, just the same as a child would throw a fit over something, but it would be pretty safe to say, her instinct to survive would take over before she shriveled up into a raisin cat.
Doc
Thanks for the reminder about cats in hot climates, Doc. It helped me resolve to take the dish away, at least for a while. I know she’ll use the fountain if she realizes she has to.