Why do cats do such things

[packman]

He's got a bowl of fresh water and a very expensive water fountain that passes the water thru a charcoal filter inside the house.

[Siwsan]

1. Perhaps because it is flavored with an 'essence' of bird?

[flibbitygiblets]

4. Ding ding ding!

Birdy water, yummmmmn.

[hlthe2b]

5. Yup... you betcha

[3Hotdogs]

14. Eau, de Robin.

[radical noodle]

2. He's a handsome little guy

Love the pic!

[Sanity Claws]

3. I used to ask a similar question.

My cats had nice beds in the house and soft low-growing ground cover and grass to lie on. Instead, they would choose to lie on the bare ground under a shrub and peer out.

[raging moderate]

6. The bare ground is cooler.

It soothes the tummy and cools the body in the heat.

[Sanity Claws]

9. Yes, they have criteria that are different from ours.

Also, the shrub provided some coverage, allowing them to hide but yet see what is going on.

[SkyDaddy7]

35. I remember as a child...

When they first built a “Shopping Mall” within a half hour from our house there was also a pet store inside it. I was young but I do remember my Mom & her friends being so excited for the Mall to open & one the stores my Mom had to see was the new pet store. Anyway, that day final came & my Mom came home chew toys for the dogs who were like HELL YEAH! & ran off each to their own spot to enjoy their gift. But my Mom must have spent a TON OF MONEY buying toys, a bed & one of those scratch pole climbing pole with two levels & bed. And “Precious”, the cat, wanted nothing to do with any of it except the big paper bag all the cat toys & dog chew toys were in before Mom pour them out on the floor. She went over & got in the bag & went to sleep!!! My Mom’s feelings were hurt!!! LOL!!

Precious eventually took to the kitty scratch pole or kitty condo whatever they’re called...She could sit up there about a foot above the dogs when they walked back & forth from the kitchen & living room...If she was in a mood she would not allow the dogs, who are 5 times her size, to enter or exit either the kitchen or living room! She would fly over the side of the very top level of the kitty condo while still holding on pop the dogs in the nose or butt with 5 or 6 slaps before the dogs even had time react!! Never with her claws it was always a big game but the dogs KNEW there were claws in there! My brother & I use to laugh so hard we couldn’t breath!!

[dlk]

7. Because They Can - It's the Novelty of the Experience

[MontanaMama]

8. Because they can.

What a gem of a photo!

[fleur-de-lisa]

10. He licks his butt and balls (if he still has balls). I'm sure it tastes fine.

[spooky3]

11. I've got one that drinks any dirty standing water despite

Clean options inside. We’ve had to treat for giardia more than once. He also likes inside faucet running water. So maybe it’s just the novelty.

[pansypoo53219]

19. yes. 1 cat LOVED xmas tree water. GIN! last 2 found a plant in water in a spittoon pot.

the spittoon became THE water dish. ceramic. heavy as hell. insists on spittoons.

[spooky3]

22. Yes! My cat also liked that, as did one other cat. I may

Not be able to get any more Xmas trees because of the messes they would make (the tree skirt always ended up wet).

[Rebl2]

21. I've had

three cats that absolutely loved drinking from the faucet. They always had clean water in a bowl, but it’s more fun drinking from the faucet I guess. As for the kitty in the picture, I agree with others that posted. It’s the yummy bird water.

[CatMor]

12. That is one cute cat ...

photo made me laugh, maybe that's why they do such things.

[procon]

13. Cats Rule!

He is the lord of his domain, if he wants to sip water from the fount of the intruders who challenge his might, so shall it be, knave. Obviously your paltry offering of drinking vessels have met with disdain and been rejected. Please bring on a greater variety to regain his approval, spare no expense, he's watching.

[jmowreader]

15. At least he isn't drinking out of the toilet

I’ve found the ultimate cat watering devices to be an open (or even just slightly dripping) faucet and a desktop water feature.

[kiri]

17. Move water bowl far away from food dish.

It is very important that the cat's water bowl be some distance away from the food dish. Our indoor cat never drank from the water bowl when it was next to the food dish in the kitchen--preferring toilets, dripping faucets, shower stall,...

We moved the water bowl to the dining room. She immediately began lapping from it routinely.
Cats' instincts are not to drink near where their "kill" (food dish) is.

(Curiosity is how a cat's tongue manages to bring water into the mouth. Subject of research studies. Turns out that speed is crucial.)

[Rhiannon12866]

29. Thanks!

I did not know that! My cat seems to prefer the dog's water dish - both to drink from and to play in. I was told that cats can't actually see water - which explained to me why he often sticks his head in the way when I'm pouring fresh water in the dog's dish.

[BillyBobBrilliant]

16. 'Cuz Cats Be Crazy!

In the most lovable way!

[brooklynite]

18. My cat insists on drinking out of a cut glass bowl...

...unless there's rainwater collected in one of the outside planters.

[lastlib]

20. My cat preferred rainwater to fresh faucet water.

We had to SAVE rainwater for her.

[Kajun Gal]

23. All cats have to show off. Be proud of him! He's showing you his special trick! 😸

[RKP5637]

24. What a cute kitty!!! n/t

[PatrickforO]

25. LOL, yeah we have four cats, and like you a very expensive water fountain.

Only one cat uses it.

One drinks out of a regular water dish.

One drinks out of the toilet.

One catches me when I'm filling my 'bubba mug' with ice water. I let him drink a while first, or else make him a little dish with an ice cube and some fresh water.

Funny little animals.

[Rebl2]

36. We had

a cat that if you dropped a piece of ice on the floor it was game on. She would chase it all over the place. Miss you Minnie Pearl and all your funny quirks.

[fierywoman]

26. The fancy-schmancy water has no got de terroir!

[Xolodno]

27. Ours drink from...

...either my wifes or my water cup....when we aren't looking.

[MFM008]

28. Box

Remember. Buy an expensive cat toy and cat will play with box.

[sakabatou]

30. Cats are weird.

[LisaL]

31. He is a beauty.

[marble falls]

32. They can get intestional worms from drinking out of a bird bath, from bird feces in the water.

[LakeSuperiorView]

33. Instinct for moving water? As opposed to still water in a dish?

Still water in nature tends to be stagnant and filled with bacteria and other creepy crawlies while running water tends to be safer to drink.

[lark]

34. My cat loves to drink from a water bucket outside.

He has fresh water in a clean bowl every day, but still wants to go out and first thing he does is drink from the rain catching bucket. Maybe the rain water tastes better than house water?

[forgotmylogin]

38. I've always wondered if they don't like the chlorine in tap water.

They can smell much better than we can and are easily offended.

[lark]

42. That is the most logical answer to me too.

[forgotmylogin]

37. Cats are basically assholes.

Mine will spend hours outside and then beg to come in and then hairball-vomit the grass they ate outside on my carpet. Then run to the litterbox.

I guess because they don't want to mess up outside.

Oh, and I have four litterboxes in a two bedroom apartment because they are picky.

One also pees and occasionally poos in the bathtub, so I get to clean it every day. The other has made it a personal quest to soak every bit of my carpet in urine because he doesn't like to pee in a litterbox. Part of that is because he's old, but he's playing the long game. I have spray bottles of enzyme urine destroyer in every room.

[Le Grand Pronounceur]

39. DO NOT QUESTION THE WAYS OF THE OVERLORDS!

BAST IS WATCHING! ALL HUMANS WILL BE NEUTERED! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!

[Xolodno]

40. I'll add one more...

Our "alpha cat" one day pulled out a grocery bag that we keep. They are reusable, we live in California. His first one was a Walmart bag. He plays, sits and sleeps on it, like its "his" bag. Then he got tired of it, and pulled out a Target bag and does the same. Wondering which bag is next.

[Yavin4]

41. Is he drinking water or sticking his tongue at you?

I can't tell.

[A HERETIC I AM]

43. Because cats are stupid assholes.

I do these things just to piss you cat lovers off!

My Main Man, the late, great Mr. Beau Brummel and his boy Fred;



The Fredster on my pillow. Shortly after we broke up, Fred ran away from my ex's house, presumably to go look for me. He was cool.



Man, how time flies. The above pics are circa 2002 or '03 or so. BB and Fred have both been gone 14 years this past June. I miss them every single day.