Why Does My Cat Drink Dirty Water?

You know that cats should always have a supply of water, especially if you are feeding them dried food. There on your nice clean kitchen floor is a bowl of nice clean fresh water, in a nice clean bowl.

What does your cat do? Maybe gives the bowl a sniff and walks away from it, or just ignores the bowl completely, as if water were the last thing a self respecting cat would consider drinking.

"Okay", you think to yourself, "Kitty just isn't thirsty at the moment". But then later, you happen to spy your cat busily lapping up stale water from a puddle in your garden as if it was nectar.

Cats are self-reliant, independent creatures, but surely your cat is not going to turn its nose up at the nice clean water you provide, just to let you know it can survive without you? After all, kitty does not reject the food you provide even though it is perfectly capable of catching mice.

No, the answer is not your mouser's independence. Tap water is usually treated with chemicals, often chlorinated strongly enough for a cat to smell it. Cats noses are far more sensitive than human noses and many cats find this chemical odor very offensive. Stale water in puddles and pools has a far more attractive smell are far as a cat is concerned. Puddles may be full of rotten vegetation and microbes, but cats find this organic soup very tasty.

As well as the off-putting odor of chemicals in tap water, cats find the smell of detergents repugnant. So, because you diligently clean your cat's water bowl in the interest of hygiene, the detergent that you use deters your cat from drinking from it. You use the same detergent to wash your cat's food bowl, why then, does your feline friend eat heartily from the bowl, and not be repelled by the smell of the detergent? This is because the aroma of the fish or meat is stronger than the smell of the detergent.

With the water bowl, the combination of the two unpleasant smells, the chemicals in the tap water and the detergent, means that your cat will only quench its thirst from the water bowl if there is no better smelling option to be had.

So, what can you do? You need to rinse your cat's bowl more thoroughly than you would a plate for a human. Remember feline noses are far more sensitive than ours, every trace of detergent needs to be rinsed off. Secondly, let the water from the tap stand for a while before putting the bowl down for your cat, this will allow the chemicals to dissipate.

These two things should have kitty drinking happily from the dish, unless, of course, kitty has got so used to drinking from puddles it just can't kick the organic water habit!

About The Author

Larry Chamberlain

If you have a pet related web site and you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and live link to http://www.best-cat-art.com.

Cat art posters, art prints, cat calendars and cat collectibles. Great cat gifts for yourself or your cat loving friends.

In The News:
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/state_regional/article/usda_report_details_more_involvement_for_vick_in_dogfighting_ring/21787/cid=1272977745ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNFz47WJN3FJMH52DhXrHGgcF20KLAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=iVLv8lp6QwkJimgurl=media.wsls.com/wsls/img-story/images/uploads/MichaelVickWebMugshotHopewellRegJailNov21.jpg width=64 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2WSLS.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hgBg8ezB642mJiz-8MV6QzwYqVAwcid=1272977745ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNHAtrM4Y2U63Xuy-2xgHUHbCCHlegEx-NFL player Vick allowed dogs to savage family bpets/b: report/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAFPnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1RICHMOND, Virginia (AFP) — Jailed ex-National Football League star Michael Vick allowed his fighting dogs to savage family bpets/b, a federal government agency b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tmz.com/2008/11/22/sick-vicks-new-dog-trick/cid=1272977745ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNGfiaELGdMUkm20JHp19lYBJ-vchgSick Vick#39;s New Dog Trick/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTMZ.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/sports/2008/11/vick-laughed-as-dogs-were-injured/cid=1272977745ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNHuBZq_O86EXzWjqp-9aYijWC8abAVick laughed as dogs were injured/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBlast/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jRTbrNuO65z9nbnlv2DD6WLWGe3AD94JO6BG0cid=1272977745ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNFg5ZU3nJq3aHVWnC3A09Zq5jSbIQUSDA report details more involvement for Vick/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Associated Press/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story%3Fsection%3Dnews/sports/pro/football%26sa%3DNFL%26eid%3D3718304cid=1272977745ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNHg4PY-Y9sjWyrbsGeR-UE70S5dygnobr13abc.com/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1272977745hl=ennobrall 294 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/21/pets.foreclosure/cid=1272995956ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNEWdpqQiHdooAT45CuQUmyrYt3wKgMortgage meltdown results in bpets/b going to pound/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCNNnbsp;-/font nobrNov 21, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1With foreclosures disrupting life, from the family house down to the dog house, and as Americans toil through a tough economic landscape, some of their bpets/b b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/morning/story.aspx%3Fstoryid%3D94597%26catid%3D25cid=1272995956ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNGksBBQa33rYy3isEWOJFw7RJiiEAbPet/b of the Week: Calie/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTampa Bay's 10/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/nov/22/humane-society-st-lucie-county-established-fund-sa/cid=1272995956ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNFbCwfooi3ChiJ0e3lhb78n7Kgd-wHumane Society of St Lucie County established fund to save special b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrFort Pierce Tribune/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1272995956hl=ennobrall 4 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.projo.com/lifebeat/content/lb_No_Exotic_Pets_11-23-08_0VBRA8D_v8.19469c4.htmlcid=1273329846ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNEnAO-pylud3ejmL2GfYBMLxu6jmQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=cEaff2phFhsJimgurl=www.projo.com/photos/20081123/LH1123_Pets_Hedgehog_11-23-08_T4CBQT7.jpg width=80 height=39 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Providence Journal/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.projo.com/lifebeat/content/lb_No_Exotic_Pets_11-23-08_0VBRA8D_v8.19469c4.htmlcid=1273329846ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNEnAO-pylud3ejmL2GfYBMLxu6jmQExotic bpets/b risky for young kids/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fProvidence Journal,nbsp;RInbsp;-/font nobr1 hour ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By LINDSEY TANNER AP AP / TIBOR OLAH CHICAGO — Warning: young children should not keep hedgehogs as bpets/b — or hamsters, baby chicks, lizards and turtles b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/pets/detail%3F%26entry_id%3D32793%26type%3Dpetscid=1272938401ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNHmzFnt2lKu9t04x8n8y7NgHFnKQQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=8ys2Hct_xCcJimgurl=www.sfgate.com/blogs/images/sfgate/pets/2008/11/20/dog_in_sand500x375.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2San Francisco Chronicle/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/pets/detail%3F%26entry_id%3D32793%26type%3Dpetscid=1272938401ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNHmzFnt2lKu9t04x8n8y7NgHFnKQQWould you choose your bpet/b over your partner?/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSan Francisco Chronicle,nbsp; USAnbsp;-/font nobrNov 21, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1In a study of 900 bpet/b parents by BizRate Research, women said they had a deeper emotional connection with their bpets/b than men did. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20081122/LOCAL/811220304/1002/LOCALcid=1273270456ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNEIwGhLpheZkWMSeMKkkGM444XeDQbPets/b feel heat of meltdown/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fFort Wayne Journal Gazette,nbsp;INnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1People are asking for help with bpet/b food and housing, and people are leaving bpets/b in abandoned homes or apartments after they move to parts unknown. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.pal-item.com/article/20081122/UPDATES/81122010cid=1273270456ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNHg8sssKnZiW0R7F5NhfpD71qdRlAWinchester shelter competes in national makeover contest/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrPalladium-Item/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1273270456hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Homeless-Pets-Finding-Families-Petland/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B6E3F5147-CB9A-4068-B3F4-C63E87BAF9EE%257Dcid=1273036434ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNHfHeBKp5uZ0CVFTPNLlhEiSDq4SwHomeless bPets/b Finding Families at Petland Stores Nationwide/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr23 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1CHILLICOTHE, Ohio, Nov 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The results of Petland#39;s Adopt-A-PetSM survey mean good news for homeless bpets/b at Petland stores b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/nov/22/holidays-can-be-stressful-for-pets/cid=1272964224ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNEtyUr7MBaeOEa0-ojXfv0F-fh6aQAsk Vet: Holidays can be stressful for bpets/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKnoxville News Sentinel,nbsp;TNnbsp;-/font nobr16 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1However, our time of celebration can sometimes be stressful for our bpets/b. Thanksgiving is the holiday with the highest travel rate; the highways and airways b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/A-Recommended-Sales-Use-Tax/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B7BCC05E8-DA48-4D12-AF64-F97F804E8332%257Dcid=1272964224ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNEiaYuIWMrS1PYAKOXdHUMPIGn0jAA Recommended Sales and Use Tax Proposed by Governor b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1272964224hl=ennobrall 6 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11050423cid=1273014077ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNExry1HPyjE_Ld4B795f978bq6H_gGoats#39; killings outrage activists/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSalt Lake Tribune,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Latest crimes» The bpets/b#39; decapitations follow the shootings of cattle and attacks on dogs in the county. By Melinda Rogers William Linnell, 1, b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.kutv.com/content/news/local/story.aspx%3Fcontent_id%3D609a7ac2-56ee-4915-a9af-73683c3b75c2cid=1273014077ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNGuerMqjN4CQdWTSIPVV6D-DBJvOAGroups Offer Rewards in Killing of Pygmy Goats In Tooele/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrKUTV/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.ksl.com/%3Fnid%3D148%26sid%3D4863511cid=1273014077ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNE0cNjyGjA1i6gn1WvCF9bstXXgNwReward offered in pygmy goat case/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrKSL-TV/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1273014077hl=ennobrall 3 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/3500882/Reptiles-now-more-popular-pets-than-dogs.htmlcid=0ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNFigAWvh4uuLWWZdQ5auF6vZBIzBwimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=qmd5zngti2AJimgurl=www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01119/prep1_1119043c.jpg width=80 height=50 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Telegraph.co.uk/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/3500882/Reptiles-now-more-popular-pets-than-dogs.htmlcid=0ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNFigAWvh4uuLWWZdQ5auF6vZBIzBwReptiles now more popular bpets/b than dogs/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTelegraph.co.uk,nbsp;United Kingdomnbsp;-/font nobr28 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Reptiles like snakes, geckos and bearded dragons have become such popular bpets/b that they now outnumber dogs, new research has found. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.courant.com/features/pets/hc-opobit1122.artnov22,0,1006238.storycid=0ei=WX0oSa-BA6GO6AOHzsmIDwusg=AFQjCNH8lMURr-fS7iHuk3oGZ7VHW25QzgMore Choosing Cremation for bPets/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fHartford Courant,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr17 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1A clipping of the bpet#39;s/b hair is optional. quot;If you lost a special member of your family, you would want a special fond farewell to them,quot; says LeBoyer. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
pets - Google News

Mosquitoes Are a Hazard to Your Pets Health Too

None of us likes to be bitten by mosquitoes and... Read More

How Cats With Feline Diabetes Can Lead A Happy Life

"Your cat has feline diabetes." If this is your vet's... Read More

Acclimating New Birds

Now that my services have expanded into the "matchmaking" business,... Read More

Stop Your Dog From Pulling You Down The Street

From the first day of life on a leash, most... Read More

Introduce Your Puppy To New Situations And Ensure Good Behaviour For The Rest Of Her Life

They may seem to be bold explorers - sniffing at... Read More

My Fathers Daughter

My dad was an avid animal lover. We grew up... Read More

Pet Food Label Secrets Revealed! Know What You Are Feeding Your Dog And Cat

Reading a pet food label, how difficult can it be?... Read More

One Of The Benefits Of Using RecoveryPets.Com

One of the benefits of registering your pet with a... Read More

Does Your Dog Miss You Too Much?

Your dog seems to be driving you up the wall... Read More

Are Exotic Cats a Threat to Public Safety? Why Exotic Pets Are Not Dangerous

I would like to address some of the statements I... Read More

Breeding Clownfish

Thanks to Disney's Motion Picture 'Finding Nemo,' almost everybody is... Read More

A Dog Name is Something To Be Chosen Carefully

How important is a dog name? Well let's think about... Read More

How To Grow Daphnia For The Aquarium

The benefits of feeding live food to fish in a... Read More

How To Choose A Dog - There Is A Lot To Consider, But A Lot Of Help Too

Choosing a dog is a fun adventure. The search for... Read More

Pets Looking for Humans, Humans Looking for Pets

Attention breeders, livestock owners and pet lovers! *Pets looking for... Read More

Cat Scratching Solutions

For a cat, scratching is a natural, necessary act. Besides... Read More

Birdie Body Language

Most parrot people are aware of some of the basic... Read More

How to Make Your Cats Life, and YOUR Life, Happier - Training Your Cat

Imagine that you are scolding your cat for scratching at... Read More

BARF Diet For Dogs - Not As Gross As It Sounds!

Are you just starting to research the BARF diet for... Read More

Dog Lover Gifts

Whether you are searching for something to say "Happy Birthday"... Read More

Why Does My Dog Have Bad Breath?

"Doggy breath" ? that unpleasant odor emanating from the mouths... Read More

How to Maintain Your Love Affair With Your Dog: Part One - Training

Training Tips for a Happy and Healthy Relationship with Your... Read More

Natural Approaches to Dealing With Pesky Fleas

Problems with Commercial Flea Killers & TraditionalFlea Bite Treatments***Chemicals that... Read More

Does Your Dog Have Allergies?

Many people don't realize that their dogs, just like human... Read More

Christmas Gifts For Cat Lovers

The act of offering Christmas gifts is always enhanced if... Read More