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Cleaning Paws in Water Bowl

post #1 of 11
1/9/10 at 10:21am
Thread Starter 
I have two cats, one of whom will clean his paws in the water bowl several times a day, splashing water everywhere and making the water filthy. He just started doing this a week or two ago and I don't know how to stop it. Any help?
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post #2 of 11
1/9/10 at 12:31pm
You will have to live with it. A great number of cats do that, mine included. I am not sure why, I think it has something to do with instinct. Like trying to bury their food when they are done eating. Mine do that also.

I wouldn't try to stop it. I think it is natural for a cat. But I don't think they are washing their hands, they do that by mouth!
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post #3 of 11
1/9/10 at 12:58pm
Get a large mat and put it under the bowl. Some cats love to play with water, and there's not much to do about it but clean it up and try to enjoy his pleasure!
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post #4 of 11
1/9/10 at 7:13pm
The mat is a good idea.

Maybe try putting down 2 bowls of water, or a large bucket of water.

My guys are dabblers too. One seems to like drowning her toy mouse, but if I have lots of water lying around they will play in one and drink from another. When the kitchen faucet leaks they will sit in the sink and play with the water all day if I put a bowl in there to catch the drips
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post #5 of 11
1/12/10 at 7:50am
I have one cat who likes to smack the water dish till the water splashes all over the place and then drink from it. Hes a weirdo...We also have another who likes to jump in the shower as soon as you shut the water off and play in it. We constantly find her in the tub playing! Some cats are just goofballs!!
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post #6 of 11
1/12/10 at 10:03am
A mat works. My Bugsy does this as well, the odd time he will actually drink out of something other then the tap (usually my water glass!). I have come to the conclusion that his eye sight is off such as he can’t see the water but can sense it is there. He will paw at the water, splash it around, then slowly and carefully lower his head to drink, half the time he will lower it too low and he will inhale water through his nose or he will be too high and have to lower his head to where he will inhale water through his nose LOL poor babes.

I always thought it was just him being neurotic like Bugsy always is but it is definatly his eye sight, I think that’s why he only like the tap, he can actually see the water and he’s tired of water up his little nose lol.
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post #7 of 11
1/13/10 at 8:46am
I had one cat who would only drink water by dipping his paw into the bowl and licking the water off until he had enough.

What's even funnier is that one of our younger cats must have liked the idea because she started drinking this way too!

We had to clean the water bowl more often but it was worth the amusement
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post #8 of 11
1/13/10 at 7:23pm
If it really really bothers you try using a water fountain type bowl. Attitude does that and will move the bowl to the point of sloshing the water all over the floor. With the fountain she keeps her paws out of it.

I do love the amusement of her sticking her paw in it and if she didn't insist on moving the bowl everywhere thus getting water all over I would use a regular water bowl as well, but I don't want the mess.

Taryn
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post #9 of 11
1/14/10 at 4:36pm
Pirate is the only one of my cats that I ever actually catch sticking his little paws in the water bowl. I think he does it to see the depth of it, because he will stick his paw in there and watch it ripple. I also heard somewhere that cats do that to make sure the water is fresh or something? Like a wild trait I'm not sure, so don't quote me on that. He also LOVES to lick the water from his paws. He's very messy with his water- heck sometimes when he drinks he gets his WHOLE front wet. Chin, chest, everything. It's funny yet annoying.

The dish in my bedroom tends to get little pieces of kitty litter in it, mainly I think because the litterboxes are in the spare room across the hall and that is the closest water dish to them. I keep placemats under all my food and water dishes, and I clean them out. Especially when the one in my room gets dirty like that- it's just gross and ewwwwwy.
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post #10 of 11
5/18/12 at 7:06pm

I have a cat that has been doing this for a couple of years now. He will actually "throw" water at you when you walk by. I use the word throw because he has hit me in the knees from about 2 feet away from him on many occasions. My concern is that he gets litter in the bowl and 2 other cats and 2 dogs also drink from this bowl along with him. I worry that all 5 of them could get sick from this.

How can I stop him?

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post #11 of 11
5/20/12 at 7:29am

LOL

 

My cats both love to play in water too, just a cat thing. Smokie for sure as soon as shower or tub s off, will play in the leftover water. We have 2 water bowls for each cat.

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