My cats don't like tap water anymore..

Not sure where to put this please move it if necessary.

Ok guys, just a quick observation here, I would like your input.

I know there is a lot of stuff in the water that shouldn't be there, but this was so odd to me. My cats hate the water I give them. Between two of them they have been sharing a bowl. I will fill it up before I leave for work. When I come home, it is still half full, but the food will always be all gone.

No big deal right? Well, here is where it gets weird.

My bf mentioned how he was drinking some bottled water(figi), and when he noticed the bowl was almost empty he filled it up with that. My one cat ran over and drank it ALL, so he filled it up again, then here came the other one. He said they both drank it all until it was gone, which is wayyy too much water for one sitting of course.

I thought that was weird, but didn't think too much of it.

Well on my way home, I stopped at the gas station and also got a bottle of figi water. I gave some to my cats and they both just drank it all!!

They HATE our tap water. I won't lie, it freaked me out.

[edit on 15-1-2010 by ohh_pleasee]

Animals in general have better senses than us. That cats prefer rainwater they find outside to the tap water you give them is nothing new or special. They can sense the chemicals in it and they avoid it if possible (I'm hailing from Germany - our tap water isn't better then yours in the States). I'm the can opener for a stray cat and she does the same. She won't touch tap water and looks for her own sources in the garden.

Namaste,

Deckard

Yeah man, if your cats don, then give them filtered water or bottled water. Be nice to kitty! You can spend more and help the economy. You'll be buying more kitty litter too since they'll be making more kitty clams.

My cat doesn't go outside.
We moved here a few months ago, from a house with well water (no softener needed, either) and the water is poison. Admittedly, I moved from the east coast to the middle of the country, but this is the worst water I've ever tasted.
This water will actually make your stomach ache.
I never had to buy bottled water before, but now, even my cat gets bottled water.

my cats dont generally like tap water either. I buy a jug of Kroger water and they drink that as long as its chilled.

But they do like to drink from leaky faucets but that might be because the dripping water fascinates them or something

It it nice to know it's not just me!

I knew it was garbage but talk about a wake up call. It's funny. Anytime I would make a little can of chicken noodle soup for myself, I would always feed my cat the chicken. It was his favorite for years. Now when I try to give it to him, he smells it, looks at me like I'm crazy, and goes about his business..

I haven't been buying processed foods anymore. He is a good freshness meter that's for sure!

Double posted somehow

[edit on 15/1/2010 by Pilgrum]

My cat waits by the cellar door in the spring and dashes down to drink the water that seeps up through the floor. If there isn't any water there, he drinks from the sump pump well. We put fresh water out for the cats every day, but he wants the yucky stuff. In fact, if you leave a dirty sock laying on the floor, he will carry it to the water dish and drop it in and then drink.

Noticed the same thing here in Oz and most likely it's the smell of chlorine in the town water. In summer here I can smell it plainly myself so it has to be really disturbing to animals with a sense of smell 1000 times more acute than humans. Chlorine is always added but the dose needs to be increased in summer because bacteria and algae are more active in warmer weather (higher water temperature).

Let the water stand uncovered for a couple of days and the chlorine will escape - I had to do that before adding water to my tropical fish tank years ago.

Before anyone swears off tapwater completely, the chlorine dosing is usually sodium hypochlorite which loses chlorine in solution leaving a trace of sodium chloride (table salt) in the water while the freed chlorine escapes to the atmosphere if it doesn't encounter a micro-organism first.

novacs4me, that is too funny about the sock thing! Haha.


It is funny, we used to buy gallon jugs at the store. I noticed it was bottled in Ohio or somewhere not so irregular, so we called just to ask them if it was fluoridated water. They WOULD NOT tell us. After referring us to about 5 different people in the company who would not answer a simple question, they then wanted all of our personal information, address, number, you name it. We kindly gave it to them and they said they would get back to us.

Turns out they just sent us a piece of sh*te letter saying thanks for your interest in our products! Unbelievable.

Ha, it was funny either way.

If any of us buy a lot of bottled water, you might consider getting a Berkey water filter -- it quickly pays for itself, can save you a lot of money in the long run, but most importantly, puts the control of your water quality where it belongs -- in your hands.

Our cats (and us) are fine with drinking the tap water most of the time, as it is all recovered rainwater, however I like using the Big Berkey, as sometimes the mosquito truck comes by and the wind direction might drift the fog onto our roof.

I don't want to drink even diluted bug spray. We have an automatic system which wastes the first bit of rainwater,, but the filter really makes me feel secure. It'll filter our brackish well water equally well, to where I can't taste the difference between it and the rainwater.

Check it out. You and your catz will like it.

reply to post by argentus


Awesome, I have been in the market for some new water filter. I use a Brita and it makes a difference, but not That much of a difference. Thanks!

reply to post by ohh_pleasee


My husband and I have three cats.We have a reverse osmosis system
in our kitchen.I only give our cats filtered water.

reply to post by mamabeth


yes - i was going to mention that before i saw that you already had

i think that is the best way to get good water - it's perfect

I live in Auvergne, in the "center" of France. Lots of old volcanoes and stuff here. This is where most of bottled water sold in the country comes from. So, basically, the water we get from the tap is the same than the one people buy in bottles. Actually, I love the water from the tap, but hate it when I'm out of Auvergne.
And my cat LOVES IT TOO ! Actually, every time I turn on the water, wherever he is in my home, I can hear him running towards me, and drinking the left water.

I can't drink the tap water in my place. As soon as I turn on the faucet, the whole place smells like chlorine or bleach.

I filter it. Water for coffee and tea, too.

Chlorine... Blah.

We give our cats distilled water. Sodium can cause crystals in the urine and lead to big problems. If I were you, I'd switch to distilled. We buy jugs of it at the grocery. And since they're on canned food, they don't drink NEARLY as much as when they're eating kibble.

This thread made me think of this cat...

How exactly is this a conspiracy?
ATS has gotten out of control with these posts.
Animals can get picky, and can tell when there is a contaminant in water...no conspiracy there.

Oh and FYI Fugi isn't great water, as it still contains chemicals.
Look for spring water for the better source.

This is what sold me on Rainsoft!

The sales guy put our two bowls of water, one with Rainsoft water and one with my tap water.

Called my dogs and they went straight to the Rainsoft, and didn't want anything to do with the tap water!

Pay attention to your pets...they know things you don't.

BTW Rainsoft is a whole house water treatment system, and I highly recommend it!

Maybe this could be part of the reason your cats won't drink the water.

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