Why does my cat drink my bath water?
It can be a puzzling sight and slightly concerning when your cat starts drinking bath water. However, to the surprise of many cat owners, it’s a common reality in numerous households.
Cats are known to rush towards bath water and it’s something they will prefer doing from time to time. Of course, there are many different ways for a cat to drink water at home.
This can include:
- Drinking Out of a Bathtub
- Drinking Out of the Pool
- Drinking from a Running Tap
In this guide, you are going to find the answer to your question, “Why does my cat drink my bath water?” while also learning how to find the right pet fountain for cats to stop this problem right away.
Best Pet Fountain For Cats (EDITOR’S CHOICE)
No products found.
The MOSPRO Pet Fountain for Cats is one of the best options available for cat owners to use. Use this as a water source and your cat is going to enjoy the fresh flow of water readily available throughout the day.
This is a quality pet fountain for cats because it offers a 2L capacity, quick-release designing, and multiple water flow settings to choose from.
It’s an ideal option for those worried about the cat drinking bath water. Have this ready to go and it’s going to make a tremendous difference in your cat’s life.
Why Does My Cat Drink My Bath Water?
Cats prefer to drink bath water because it mimics a natural, flowing water source. This kickstarts their desire to stay hydrated from the freshest water source in their vicinity (i.e. the bathtub). In some cases, a cat may not have enough water in the water bowl leading to this type of behavior.
It’s important to understand the root cause of this problem before finding a solution.
In most cases, you are going to have to only get through a few reasons before nailing down what is causing this type of behavior from your cat.
The reasons include:
- Limited Amount of Fresh Water
- Easy Access to the Bath Water
- Natural Instinct to Drink From Flowing Water Source
If you are someone that is worried about the cat drinking out of the bathtub, it’s important to implement the right strategy as soon as you can.
Most cats will stop as soon as you make a few adjustments at home and follow the tips mentioned in this guide.
Tips For Stopping Cat From Drinking Bath Water
Tip #1: Use a Pet Fountain
The first step cat owners should take is to find a simple replacement.
If the cat’s natural instinct is telling it to find a natural, flowing water source, why not use a state-of-the-art water fountain at home? There are several high-quality water fountains available for cats and can make their lives easier.
Set up one of these pet fountains and watch the change it brings to your life as a cat owner.
The benefits include:
- Constant Stream of Water
- Easy to Access
- Easy to Set Up for Cat Owners
Most cat owners enjoy this solution because it gets the cat to stop venturing over to the bathtub. Instead, they are going to know it is a lot easier to simply drink from the pet fountain.
Remember, for those asking, “Why does my cat drink my bath water?” most of them are not going to have any other option available in sight. This means they are going to go for the one in front of them (i.e. your bathtub).
By setting up a simple pet fountain, you are going to keep them away from the bathroom and they will still remain fully hydrated.
Tip #2: Set Up a Gate in Front of the Bathroom Door
For anyone asking, “Why does my cat drink my bath water/” you will have to think about what’s in the way between your cat and the tub.
Is there something guarding the cat or are they able to saunter in without an issue?
Cats are clever and will always look to find a way through, especially if you are on the other side. This means you have to be proactive and set up a small gate. Even if you leave the door open, the gate is going to be more than enough to keep the cat out.
What type of pet gate is good for a bathroom?
You can go with any type of gate that is tall enough to keep your cat out. Remember, each breed is different and an adult cat will be far more agile when it comes to getting over top of hurdles.
Keep this in mind as you look to create some type of stoppage in front of the bathroom door.
When done properly, this is going to yield amazing results and the cat won’t be able to get through even if it feels like doing so. This is a change any cat owner can invest in.
Tip #3: Keep the Water Bowl Full
A lot of the times, your cat is going to be drinking bath water because it doesn’t have any other source to go to.
This is unfortunate and it is an easy adjustment to make. Simply give them more water to drink than they get right now!
Water isn’t bad for the cat and is a sign they want to stay hydrated. If you are able to make the adjustment, they may not want to rush to the bath water. In fact, you should be making this change right away before they get set in their ways.
Keep tabs on when your cat drinks water and make sure the water bowl is full throughout the day.
You may have to keep checking the bowl and that’s okay. it is a simple adjustment that isn’t going to take a lot of your time and will make sure the cat is hydrated.
When the cat is hydrated, they are not going to want to spend as much time drinking out of the bath tub.
A good comparison would be feeding a cat enough food, so they don’t feel like hunting outdoors. Yes, they might do it for play, but the chances are far likely than when they have a grumbling tummy to deal with!
Tip #4: Keep Your Cat Occupied
How occupied is the cat when you are taking a bath?
It’s easy for cats to want to rush inside when they don’t have anything else to do. Just like humans, cats will want to do something and that is a way to take advantage of their attention span.
By using something as simple as a good cat toy, you are going to have them stay busy while you bathe peacefully. In a lot of situations, this is more than enough to keep the cat away and they won’t get as desperate to drink your bath water.
The benefits include:
- Making Sure The Cat is Happy
- Provides Peace of Mind
- Helps Redirect Their Energy
What type of cat toy should you use?
It is going to depend on the cat and what they prefer. You want to focus on their likes and dislikes because it is all about keeping them pre-occupied.
If the cat doesn’t like the toy, how are they going to stay happy? They will hate the toy and are going to rush back to drink your bath water!
Focus on using a good set of cat toys and keeping them in another part of the home as you start to take a bath.
Tip #5: Use a Different Bathroom
If you are wondering, “Why does my cat drink my bath water?” it may be time to focus on your bathroom and where you are bathing.
If your cat is always near the same bathroom, why not change your location?
Yes, this isn’t always possible when you only have one bathroom, but for those who do, this is a great adjustment that is free of cost. You can implement it the next time you bathe and it may be enough for the cat to stop.
There are several advantages of simply changing where you take baths.
The benefits include:
- Reducing the Likelihood of the Cat Coming In
- More Affordable
- Easy to Implement
The main reason you want to change bathrooms has to do with what the cat knows. They may not feel as inclined to rush into a different bathroom because they are so used to the other one. This means they may feel apprehensive and that is enough to keep them away.
Yes, they are still going to hear the eflowing water, but they won’t have the experience of going inside to drink.
This is a good deterrent and one you can easily test.
If it doesn’t work then it’s time to start looking at other options such as a quality pet fountain or even re-directing their attention using cat toys.
Final Thoughts
This is the answer to your question, “Why does my cat drink my bath water?”
It is a challenging issue and many cat owners want to nip the problem in the bud right away. However, this is easier said than done until you invest in a good replacement. For this, you are going to have to buy a good pet fountain.
The pet fountain is going to allow the cat to still act on its natural instinct (i.e. finding a fresh water source) without getting into the bath water!
Also take the time to implement the other tips as you figure out what stops your cat from drinking out of the bathtub.
For more on getting your cat to behave, here are a few articles to go through – finding the right outdoor cat enclosure for your home, which mouthwash to use to get cat from peeing on furniture, How to get a cat to stop hissing at dogs, ways to convince a cat to sleep on your lap.