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Ideas for Proper Water Drinking Habits

post #1 of 8
7/6/10 at 6:38pm
Thread Starter 
When I first got Pillow (my cat) he had behavioral problems, and would constantly drink water from the water dripping from my shower head after I shower. I would lock the bathroom to prevent him from drinking tap water because tap water here is not drinkable for humans.

Later I found out that he was dehydrated, so I tried:
1) Ice Cubes
2) Fountain Image
3) Fountain 2 Image
4) Porcelain Bowl
5) Stainless Steel Bowl
6) Ceramic Bowl
7) Tea Cup
8) Water in Sink
9) Water in Saucer

He is not having it. And the result when I deny him dripping water from my faucet or shower head for too long is urinating on my bed.

This is a problem when I go on vacation or trips, because I cannot leave my faucet on for 2 weeks, and pet motels don't have faucets for each cat. And he would dehydrate himself to the point of health risks (pre-symptoms of UTI) according to urine sample tests.

I have been giving him water manually about 4 times a day everyday for the last 2 years, and every time I return from a trip he looks beat up. I have also gone to a all wet diet for a little while, but he won't eat any canned food that is not all Tuna. I heard too much canned tuna is not good either, but he won't eat chicken.

I need more ideas to get him to drink proper water from a proper location~!!
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post #2 of 8
7/6/10 at 6:41pm
Does he eat canned food? That's one way to get water into him. You can always add water to it too.
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post #3 of 8
7/6/10 at 6:47pm
Thread Starter 
Only brand and flavor he consistently eats is Fancy Feast Tuna. Anything with chicken he won't touch. I heard too much Tuna can cause UTI also......

The problem is when I'm gone, because I don't mind feeding him water.

I can't leave canned food out past a day without it going bad.
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post #4 of 8
7/7/10 at 3:17am
I don't think denying him water from the faucet is causing him to urinate on the bed. Cats don't think like that.

Other probs IMO are the cause.
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post #5 of 8
7/9/10 at 3:24pm
I would have him tested for a urinary tract infection. Signs of this are improper urination and excessive thirst.

Are you sure you NEVER see him drink from any of these sources?

All of my cats LOVE and beg to dring from our faucets. Even when they are not thirsty. They just love the dripping water.

As far as when you are away on trips...I would have a friend come and take care of her.
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post #6 of 8
7/9/10 at 7:07pm
Is there anything like a Brita filter attachment there that you can put on a faucet and leave to drip for him? Would that be sufficient health-wise to treat the tap water in Taiwan?
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post #7 of 8
7/9/10 at 8:56pm
I noticed you tried the fountains, which my girl LOVES... have you tried putting them on the counter next to the sink? I don't know if you consider that a proper location, but it could be worth a try?

I would also agree that urinating on your bed could very well be a health problem.
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post #8 of 8
7/13/10 at 6:27pm
Thread Starter 
I modified my fountain and fixed my problem. I used the fountain seen in image 1, removed the cap, and jammed a drinking straw into where the water is being pumped out. The straw extends the distance between where the water comes out and where it lands. This seems to have done the trick, as he is drinking from the straw now. This cat is testing my creativity limits.
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