won't drink out own water

My kitties, once again are driving me crazy. For some reason they won't drink out of their own water bowl. They jump up on my aquariums and stick their heads in the tank or in the filter and start drinking. Do you think it is because the water is dechlorinated? I am not sure what the problem is with their water. I refill it up, and they just wont touch it!

Are your bowls plastic? Many cats don't like the smell of some plastics. I use ceramic or glass. I also use filtered water as there is so much bacteria in tap water. Sometimes if you hook up a air stone and air pump to the water dish they will enjoy the water more. Just make sure the air is on low!

So maybe nochloranated water, like the kind of an aquarium? hmm Alright well they like the bubbles because they try to pull that out of the tanks. LOL Well, I have one water bowl(plastic), and then one is glass.

Do you have a water filter? Sorry i'm from a somewhat rural area and our water tastes like crap unless its got a britta filter or something on it. Relitivly cheap at your local walmart and installs without tools. They might not like the taste of it, they also might just like the taste of the other water more, fish flavored! I would look toward also makeing the tank approach less attractive. I've seen a couple of those motion sensored door bell type things, maybe you can put one by the tank to shoo them away whenever they get close.

haha. Fish flavored water, a cats dream right? I guess. I'll try taking the "fishey water" from the tank and put it in their water bowls. haha and a sensor wouldn't be a bad idea. Thanks

My vet says that cats prefer running water, because they were desert animals, and drank from springs and little streams. So in order they prefer: my enviroscape fountain, the fish tank, the filtered water dispenser, the dripping tap in the bathtub, and finally, last choice, a cat dish of standing water. That is Bailey will drink out of a cat dish, Sam refuses.

Running water, nontap. I guess that is what matters to the kitties. When they had a running water bowl Day-Z was scared to go near it. She would tap the water with her paw and hiss at it. 3 kittens, 3 different personalities. 1 likes something someone doesnt.

How about a petwell drink fountain? My cats love it. (of course the r/o filtered water from culligan probably helps too) no my cats aren't spoiled in the least bit. actually the reverse osmosis water(r/o) is also for the fish tanks we have but we drink it and the cats drink it too. my cats get the best of everything. They are my children.

Thanks for the info. I guess I will just change up the water bowls. They don't like cute stuff. They like plain things. I guess I will just use fish water from the aquarium. You have fish jugen? What kind? What kind of tanks?

i have the water fountain cooler type of bowl, basically it has half a gallon in a tank and dribbles it into the bowl as they drink, maybe they view this as a running water source. I have the same type of dispenser for the food, and for now i've been letting them have at as much food as they want, counting up cupfulls vs days before empty to be sure they arent over eating.

Maybe it is just me, but I don't think it is a good idea for the cats or the fish to let them drink the water from the fish tank. If I am all alone here, please ignore me.

The Petmate fountain is a silent fountain, it doesn't make any noise unless it needs water, or a new filter. Some people have found this works better for skittish cats. And it is clean. They aren't that badly priced.

By letting them drink the "fish water" isn't that encouraging them to drink directly from the tanks? I mean doesn't this put your fish in danger, and for some reason the idea of drinking the water from the tank bothers me for the clean factor, unless you clean your tanks quite frequently there is bacteria and general ickiness going on. I don't know. Not to mention that is technically the fish bathroom they are drinking from.

I don't know. I think I would try to exhaust all the other possibilities before I resorted to the tank water.

Again, just what is going on in my head when I read this. Please feel free to ignore it .

Oh, I was just joking around with the fishy water. lol Sorry, I guess I try to make my problems funny! eek! Sorry, I am going to go to Petsmart or Petco today and have a "look see"! Thanks for the info!

I had read (way back when) that cats don't generally like their water right next to their food dish. I don't know if this is true or not, but Kitty will only drink out of her water dish occasionally. She usually goes to the dog's water dish and drinks out of there instead. Now Lucky (after watching Kitty and Snickers drink out of the dog dish) is joining in. It is now a community water dish which I'm constantly filling up.

I know, my kitties drink out of everyone's water but their own. The dogs, the ducks, the fishes, the birds......I know its not healthy but I rather them drink that then nothing at all. When I wash dishes or wash my hands, my cats jump on the counter and drink out of the sink, same when I go and take a shower. I don't understand why though

Chriztal, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I have 6 fresh water tanks and 2 salt water tanks. I've never really had a problem with my cats drinking out of the filters. I guess because it's the same water they get anyway.(and they don't like salt water.) Try the drinkwell fountain, I think it'll work for you. My boys still like their AM water from the tap but then they will drink all the rest of the day from the Drinkwell. My girls will only drink from the Drinkwell though so I guess it all equals out. Like I said though, my cats are VERY spoiled! in fact, one is sitting on my lap, which is only letting me use one arm cause one ie wrapped around him and though it is hard, it doesn't bother me one bit.