Change the location of the water and your cat will start drinking more: A simple trick that mimics the behaviour of beasts in nature

I am the owner of two cats. And until recently, there was only one place in my apartment where my pets went to drink. I always put a bowl of water next to their kibble bowl, in a place where I also put their canned food or pouches in the morning. It just wasn’t quite right. Cats are not used to finding a water source where they have food. In nature, they come across a watering hole rather randomly and it’s not natural for them to have the two things connected.

It has happened to me several times that although I have given the cats clean water, they have looked elsewhere than the bowl for options. One time it was the pool on my balcony that I filled with water for my niece in the summer, another time it was the ditch under the dripping heating pipes, and a few times I even caught them drinking water from the bowls under the pots of my houseplants. And for a long time I wondered why that was. Now I know the answer, and I’m going to reveal it to you.

How do cats do in nature

In nature, it’s not common for cats to have food and water in close proximity. These animals find watering holes, various streams, ponds or puddles, randomly during their wanderings through nature. And this instinct is deeply ingrained in them, which is why it also applies to domestic cats.

“Cats are biologically programmed to avoid drinking water near their food because of an instinctive fear of contamination,” explains ELC. In nature, if a cat finds a dead mouse near some water, for example, it perceives a risk that the liquid is toxic and could harm it. That’s why domestic cats often seek out water in other parts of the home, and often prefer it to the one right next to their food.

How to distribute water to the cat in the home?

My grandparents have outdoor cats. However, they have several food bowls set up in the shed for them and they also put water in one of them. Still, I often see cats drinking water from ponds around the garden or perhaps from puddles. And the reason is exactly the same as for domestic cats. In this case, the solution is simple. Simply let the cats choose where to drink from. If the water is dirty or has pathogens in it, the animal will usually know.

But how to place the water bowls in the apartment? It is usually a good idea to keep the bowl in a different corner of the home than the cat’s food is located. But it is even better to have more bowls in the home. I have a smaller apartment, so I put the water bowls in two places for the cats: one opposite their food, but far enough away from it, and one on the balcony, where they have access on warm days. I haven’t seen them drink from any random place since.