Seven week old kitten doesn't want to lap water

Hello All. 

I have a litter of foster kittens I've raised on a bottle since they were 3 days old.  They reached Seven weeks on June 13.  The shelter they belong to will take them back at 2 pounds for spay/neuter and adoption, and they're all in the 1 pound 15 oz range now, so they'll leave me pretty well any day.

I am worried because one of the kittens has still not learned to take water from a bowl or puddle.  He eats solid food just fine, but he still wants his bottle.  I stopped putting KMR in the bottle, but he still begs for it even if it is just water.  I have seen him inspect bowls or puddles of liquid, and he'll get his little nose in it, feel the wetness, and pull away shaking the water off of his face.  He knows it's there, just won't take it.  He doesn't like to lick water off of my fingers either.   His two siblings are drinking fine, and my own two cats drink from a bowl.  He's seen the process, but won't participate.  I hadn't pressed the issue, but now that he's getting big enough to leave me I need to get him drinking properly so he can go on to the shelter and be adopted.

Has anyone ever seen this before?  Any suggestions?  I'm sure the shelter would want him to stay until he is independent, but the transition from a home to a shelter seems like it would be easier with his siblings.

I saw this in a kitten I raised as well, she just refused to drink water from the bowl and it was super frustrating but the key is not to give into his begging and crying. He has to stop getting the bottle, even if it's just water in it. Eventually he will get thirsty enough that he'll go for it. My kitten learned to do it after about a week of me not spoiling her so much (her being so spoiled is why I think we had the issue in the first place). Too, kittens all grow up at different rates and he might just be taking baby steps to it, because 7 weeks is still very very young in terms of kittens. If you are worried about dehydration l, feed him wet food rather than dry and he will get most of his moisture from that. But really I wouldn't worry over it too much, cats are finicky little things and he's probably just being pouty over not having his bottle anymore.

A fountain might help, too.

I'm pleased to report that, 2 days shy of 8 weeks old, Stinky finally took a proper drink this morning.  He stuck his nose in the bowl and backed away about 6 times in a row.  Once he even hissed at the bowl.  But finally got it.  A few minutes ago we had another round, and after only two unsuccessful nose-dunks he figured out how to lap.  Now with some luck he'll start going to the bowl all by himself . . .