Hm. Maybe try putting the water away from the food. Some cats don't like it near the food. (Presumably related to clean water sources in nature vs. dead prey.)
My last cat only ever drank from the running tab. Jumped into the bathtub and meowed until someone turned it on, day or night.
We got one of those little water fountains, super popular. Everyone has there own place on it to drink. One likes where the water comes out, one likes the little pool and one likes the edge towards the nozzle, the water makes small waves there.
They really make sense; instinctively, cats trust running water more than stale water, for the same reasons I mentioned.
Often thought about it, but didn't get a chance to try.
Dogs : ooh that's disgusting looking puddle let's drink it all
I can't believe that there are cat owners who don't know this.
Move the water away from the food. Get bowls that are wider and shallower than those so kitty’s whiskers don’t touch the sides when drinking and eating. Cats like separation between food and water, and they don’t like their whiskers touching the bowl when they eat.
Might make mealtimes easier for kitty.
Also, get ceramic bowls and keep them clean. Plastic and metal ones are associated with cat acne....
Except for some cats that show their face down a glass to drink, with their whiskers completely squashed between them and the glass.
And apparently prefer it that way. Most cats will not like it but some do.
Your water is always worth the effort. It hasn’t been sitting in a bowl all day.
That is true, but the glass could also stand on the table the whole day and ge didn't care. By the end he got his own glass and he loved it just the same, our water was however still a bit better.
Deep in thought. "Is this what my life has become? I used to be a legendary hunter."
"My ancestors could take down water buffalo. Look what I've let myself become. I could probably only take down a Zebra now."
This can actually be a large part of it. Cats are obligate hunters so they can be pretty regimented in wanting a 'hunt' to spur their appetite.
A play session may be that fourth thing.
They prefer to have the water away from food bowls, is a sanitary instinct for predators
Split water and food bowls by a good amount of space. Opposite sides of the room, or different rooms altogether. And more than 1 water bowl. Apparently these tricks are useful.
Yeah I only learned a couple of years ago that cats hate having their water anywhere near food. Moving bowls into different rooms made a huge difference to their water consumption.
The fourth is catnip. Always the 'nip.
Once my mom asked me to clear out a planter box that had become overgrown because she wanted to plant tomatoes. I pulled up this 3ft tall stalk plant with little purplish flowers, and as soon as I shoved it in the trash bag, the cat came running from the other side of the house and dove face first in the bag. After a minute or so, it was backing out of the bag with the stalk between his teeth dragging it out of the bag and once it was out of the bag started nibbling on it and rolling around on the plant. Looked up what the plant was and apparently I had just pulled up his catnip grow operation. When he came down, he was mad at me for a few days.
He's lookin in the pantry for whatever magical thing you're eating comes from
Your mind will be blown once you learn about 'different flavours'. I wish I could ask my cat which he prefers.
I finally figured out mine doesn't have a favorite and he rotates through multiple flavors. Variety is the spice of life and all that. I mostly have it figured out now and only have to give away about a bag a month. Took nearly $200 of food research to get here though I hope he knows how much I care
Treats:
This is the answer.
My cat is 18, and she has become extraordinarily picky in the past year. The only thing she will eat reliably is Churu. She gets her medicine mixed in it twice a day, which means that now she wakes me up at 5 a.m. daily to beg for her breakfast.
It looks like a human looking into the fridge full of food but finding nothing to eat
For me this 4th thing is “tub”. It’s when my cat asks me to fill the bathtub with a small puddle of water so he can stand on the dry side and drink from the puddle. He’s 18 years old but he can still climb in and out of the tub and I think that’s pretty cool.
Sometimes I wish I can read cats' minds so I can finally understand what they want
Be careful what you wish for.
Indeed.
That thing is BLOOD!
<< the taste of the laser dot's blood that one time in a dream when I caught it >>
My cat wants food she can kill herself. That and cheese. I have no idea why she is so interested in cheese. Also, we tend to not eat tuna to avoid her pestering.
Mine likes cucumber
Years ago, I had a cat that loved cantaloupe. He was a stray in terrible shape when we got him (he adopted us). Our theory was that he found a cantaloupe that saved him from dehydration when he was feral. One of the nicest cats I have ever known.
I can be on a different continent opening a can of tuna, yet my cat will still be next to me in a jiffy with his "you gonna finish that" look
For my little Chloe, it's deli meat. I don't know how she does it, but she always knows. I could go to the kitchen 10 times, and she wouldn't react, but if I quietly make a sandwich and bring it to the living room to eat while watching TV, she's right there, purring for her share. You can't sneak it past her, she always knows.
I have unlocked the fourth one! It is attention, they want just you to notice them.
Typical internet cats. Videos, pics, memes, and discussion welcome!
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