Cat is obsessed with water!

butterflyy

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Hi all! I am brand new to this forum, so I will give you some background info on my pets.

I have 2 dogs, a 1 and a half year old male jack russel, and an 8 year old female mix breed. I also have 2 male kittens, one is 9 months old and the other is about 8 months. We got both of them when they were babies at the same time, they are both from the same place but 2 different litters so they were raised together since they were born.

The 8 month old kitten, his name is Lovebug, has always drank alot of water, but recently he has become obsessed with it, guarding the bathroom and always hopping into the tub to lick the drips that come off the faucet, if we leave the toilet seat up on accident he is in it constantly. He has begun sleeping in the bathroom or in the hallway outside of the bathroom in the last month or so, and pretty much lives there 24/7.

If I turn the water on in the kitchen he comes running like it is an emergency, shoving anything or anyone out of his way to see if I am filling the bowl up. If there is water in the bowl he is in it, drinking.

Now, he doesn't urinate excessivley, or spray. He is going to be neutered on the 2nd actually, and has had all of his shots etc. He did have worms recently and has taken both doses of his medication. Both of the cats are strictly indoor cats and never go outside ever. He did have a problem with diahreah which I figured happened when he got into the dogs food. But since he has been wormed it hasn't happened, and I read that it could be caused from the worms.

I am going to have the vet check him out for diabetes when he goes on the 2nd, but is there anything else that could cause his obsession with water? The vet said that this is a common habit of kittens, and if he has always done it then it is normal. But it seems like it is becoming worse, and I am concerned about him.

He does not get aggressive or attack if you come near him and the water, he infact is always purring and is a very happy cat, which is why we call him Lovebug. He gets along fine with the other male cat and the 2 dogs. I just wanted to know if this is normal for a kitten or something I should be concerned with.

Thank you in advance for any replies!
 

sicycat

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If I turn the water on in the kitchen he comes running like it is an emergency, shoving anything or anyone out of his way to see if I am filling the bowl up.
That made me laugh out loud

He sounds like such a character. If everything checks out normal healthwise I'd just say he loves water! My friends cat acts similar as well. He always has to come drink from the sink when she turns it on and he too will drink out of the toilet
Yet she just bought him a pet fountain and he's scared of it! I bet your cat would loveeeeeeee a pet fountain.
 

miss mew

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I agree, it's a good idea to have him checked out but if everything is ok a water fountain would probably be alot of fun for him
 
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butterflyy

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Thank you both for the quick replies! I will definetley let you guys know how the vet visit turns out once I get the results back, but another question I have is if he is ok and all, is drinking water all the time like that a health risk for him?

The fountain sounds like a good idea, and alot more sanitary
Maybe if I put it downstairs I will actually see him more often if it can get him out of the bathroom refuge.

This is the first time I have ever owned cats myself, so getting used to their behaviors is semi new to me. I have always owned dogs, and cats seem to be quite the opposite of them!

Thank you again for the replies.I am enclosing 2 pictures of the little guy so you guys can see him =)
 

luxum

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I've got one that's obssessed with water as well. Dry food can contribute to them needing more water, so if he's eating dry food exclusively, you might want to offer him some wet. I got my water freak one of the Drinkwell fountains, it has a falling stream of water (some of them are more like a waterfall down a surface, but i think the free falling stream is better for cats that like to drink from a running faucet) and you can get neat little inserts for it where you can grow some cat grass in the fountain. It has a filter you can change, and she likes hers to be changed a little more often than recommended or shes stops drinking from it. She still wants me to turn on the water for her if i go to the bathroom, but she does drink from the fountain also and is a little less pushy about the faucets.

My other cat is more or less terrified of the fountain (she's a fraidy cat) so i still leave out a big bowl of water for her.
 

deljo

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This sounds just like one of my cats. She licks the drips out of the bathtub, tries to suck water out of the bathroom sink and always comes running when I'm using water in the kitchen. I have to fight her off when I'm running hot water. After I use the hot I always run cold so she won't get burned because I know whe will be in the sink licking up whatever she can find, and trying to coax water out of the faucet. Cats are crazy, but we love them.
 
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butterflyy

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I was looking up the pet fountains online this morning, and I am going to go ahead and get one today. It seems like they are good for all around health, and the vet did mention that cats love fresh water over water that sits in a bowl all day. Even though I fill up the bowl with fresh water a few times a day, I guess it isn't the same as a faucet to a cat.

My other cat isn't obsessed with water like Lovebug is, but he does get interested it if I get out of the shower or am running the water for a period of time. They both jump in the tub after a shower to inspect everything. Lovebug actually sits on the edge of the shower the whole time am in there. I should rename him to H20 because he is like the water guardian, you can't use it without his supervision


So I think (rather hope) that both of them will enjoy the fountain. I will let you all know how it goes! Thanks again for all the wonderful replies, I really appreciate it.
 

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I don't have anything more to add about the water, everyone else has covered that.
But, I just wanted to say welcome to TCS
and that you're baby is just adorable!
 

sicycat

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How funny!! Your cat looks just like my friends cat that I said is obsessed with water!!

Glad you're getting the fountain. The Drinkwell fountain comes out more like a faucet, and the Petmate one is more like a steady stream. Mine prefer the Petmate but i think your guy would love the Drinkwell or similar.
 

ptnfl

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I agree. If your cat checks out ok medically, then, he probably just loves water. I have a cat like that. My white cat (Whitey) likes to drink right out of the faucet. He is deaf, so he doesn't hear the water turning on, but whenever he sees it on in the kitchen sink, if he's thirsty, he comes running. I then lift him up (he's a big one, 15lbs) and he puts two feet in the sink and the other two on the side and drinks right out of the running faucet. When he's done, I wipe off his paws (one by one, he allows me to lift them up now) and then wipe off his face. Then down he goes.

If the water is not running and he wants a drink from the faucet, he goes in the kitchen and stands in front of the sink area and just yells for me. I have 3 other cats who could care less and just drink out of their bowls. Whitey drinks out of the bowls too, most of the time, but still likes the faucet when he can get my attention. I got it on video, it's hilarious.
 

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I'm so glad you're taking him to the vet. Excessive drinking is just about the only sign your kitty could have diabetes.

On the other hand.... he could just be obsessed with water. Ours is. She is JUST like that! She thinks water is a treat - and she'll beg for us to pour a little water in a bottle cap!


Any time we take a shower, if we don't let her in the bathroom, she howls outside. (So she's always in there when one of us showers!). She stands at the end of the tub, and drinks water we drip off of our fingers for her.

We have to keep the tubs and sinks really clean and chemical-free, because she's always in there drinking water around the drain after we've used the shower, tub, sink, whatever.

She, of course, drinks water normally out of the bowls and fountains.

We used to have the petmate fountain - but the water just runs down a ramp. We switched to the drinkwell fountains, and all the cats LOVE them. They have water that pours out more like a waterfall.


Basically - we just indulge her. She isn't diabetic, she's just a water nut!

Laurie
 

ldg

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BTW - our kitty is white and deaf too.
(White kitties with blue eyes are deaf 95% of the time - there's a genetic relationship there).

Laurie
 

zhazha

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I thought I was the only one with a crazy cat like that.

Our Bengal can be on the other end of the house but when she hears water she comes running.

I'm going to get her a pet fountain and see if she will use it --- I sure hope so! She is so bad though that if she wants water she will sit in front of you and meow until you get up and turn the water on! She likes to do this during the day when my husband is trying to sleep (he works nights) and she is about to drive him crazy.



My husband has renamed out cat (her name is ZhaZha) to "puppycat" because she is half dog/half cat.
 
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butterflyy

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Well Lovebug is at the vet now, the neutering went just fine, but I cannot pick him up until after 6pm. They are running tests on his kidneys and for diabetes, I am hoping that he is just fascinated with water and everything turns out ok! I will let you guys know the results though.

ZhaZha, thats funny you mention that about your cat bugging your husband when he sleeps. My boyfriend works night shift as well 10pm-7am and the animals (mainly the dogs) do the same to him. It is mainly the jack russell that wants to either play or go outside, but we know when he is faking it and just wants to go out and bark at the dog next door.

All the silly things the animals do, they pretty much run the house, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I am sitting here now counting down til I can pick up Lovebug because it just doesn't feel right without him here, so I could not imagine my life without my animals.
 

ldg

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I'm glad all went well!


He'll be home and happy soon.


Waiting to find out what the vet says about his water drinking - hope he's just water crazy!


Laurie
 
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butterflyy

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The vet told me that diahreah was common for cats after the neutering, but Lovebug gets the squirts alot actually. But yesterday and today he has gone ALOT and once there was a little blood in it. I am not sure if thats normal or not after neutering. Anyone know?
 

ldg

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Glad to hear all went well! As to whether blood in the stool is normal after neutering - I don't know for sure, but it's not something I've heard about or read about before (doesn't mean it doesn't happen sometimes). I'd call the vet.

There are a lot of reasons for blood in the poop - but if he gets the squirts a lot, it could easily be that he's got food sensitivities and has colitis. That's what the problem with our Shelly was. We switched food to Royal Canin sensitive stomach, and that worked. Best thing to do is get a sample (refrigerate it if you get it at night) and get it to the vet so they can test it.

I assume he's negative for diabetes?


Laurie
 
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butterflyy

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I am taking him to the vet first thing in the morning tomorrow. He has been in and out of the box all day with diahreah at least 2 times an hour. I am very worried


He has been eating normal and still at it with the water obsession over the weekend. The vet never said one way or another yet about the diabetes.

He acts normal, like nothing is wrong, but I know from experience that animals actions and what can possibly be wrong are 2 different things. Has anyone else experienced a cat having diahrhea for several days after a neutering?
 
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