At the Watering Hole

Question
My cats and dog share a bowl of water. Whenever my cats go to drink, they always sit on one side and drink from the far side. Why is this? When we got Apples, she did it, so I thought that she was just eccentric, but now Jack does it to. Why is this??

Answer
Hello Sydney,

Hard one to answer without seeing this happen myself! It is most probably due to the placing of the bowl. For example, they may feel more secure drinking from a particular side because it gives them a better view of their surroundings and if anyone is approaching, it may also be that this particular side places them away from anyone walking past. It may also be that this is the furthest side of the bowl away from their food, many cats do not like to drink or have their water next to their food.

It could also be due to shadows. Cats cannot see things very well at distances of 25cm and under. It is hard to see where the water level is in certain bowls and coupled with the poor visual aspect, this is why sometimes you see cats lean down to the water and stare at it a while, do a tiny 'test' lap and then start drinking, this is mostly due to the fact they cannot see where the water level is. It may be the case that your bowl is in a position whereby if they stand at a particular side of it there may be some kind of shadow from something that casts itself onto the bowl, breaking up the 'look' of the water, and giving them a better view of where the water level begins. It is also true to say that cats can be creatures of habit and this is simply where they choose to stand.

There are a few reasons why they may be doing this, but again, without personally seeing where your bowl is positioned and witnessing their behaviour when they go to drink from it, it is very difficult to give you a definitive answer.

I hope this has helped you a little.

Thank you

Kelly