Kitty lovers (or intelligent people who understand cats who may not even have one): My kitty has been drinking from a cup/glass on the coffee table...
Since he was a baby. He's probably 14 yrs old now. Anyway, he [b]loves[/b] water (especially filtered water from my refrigerator 🙂). He can drink it and drink it and drink it. Lately, he's been wanting my water (my cup) instead of his. I've been thinking and thinking about it trying to understand. He knows his cup vs mine. Bottom line --- he's been getting water up his nose when he's drinking from his cup lately. I believe, he thinks he'll have a different experience, if he uses a different cup (mine). I feel really bad for him, because he seems thirsty enough to want water but will stand in front of his cup and kinda swallow like "I'm thirsty but it will hurt my nose." It took me awhile (maybe months) to come to this conclusion, but I have. I'm not sure
what he's doing different, but I know he's getting water in his nose. It does burn and hurt and make you not want to do whatever caused it again as it happened to me in the shower the other day (and, my behavior was [i]exactly[/i] like his). How i got water in my nose at 35 years old in the shower... I don't know. That's actually strange.
His tongue seems to go all the way up to his nose. Is he feeding water through his nose with his tongue (just watched him as typing this)?
Anyway... whatever is happening is happening right after he drinks water. He acts like water is burning and hurting his little nose.
I've put down a bowl down with filtered, cold water including crushed ice as he prefers, but he won't drink out of it. He wants to drink from the table and a cup.
Will a water fountain help, or will he merely ignore it like he does his bowl of water?
I wonder if the water fountain will help him drink it from a different angle and maybe not get water in his nose?
Whatever it is, he associates it with the water. My brother thought maybe he has allergies but i can tell he is 100% positive it's the water. He thinks he won't have the same issue with my water.
Bottom line? There's definitely something wrong here. I wouldn't guess. I would immediately at least call the vet and tell them what's happening so you can get it resolved. I feel sorry for him. You're a good mom. .
@hartfire I give him fresh water and crushed ice every single time he acts like he wants mine. I know I drink my water faster therefore it's constantly fresher. But, he still wants mine when i give him fresh water and a fresh cup.
I really think it's him getting water in his nose. Will a water fountain give him a better angle?
[@perceptivei ]There's no harm in trying the water fountain. It would be a lovely feature in your house anyway. But it would also need constant cleaning. Just dust and bacteria from the air would be enough to taint the water from a cat's point of view.
I'm not discounting the issue of the angle. Clearly water up the nose is horrible. You could test the angle theory by placing his bowl on a stable platform to raise its height. Naturally, the fresher it is the better.
It's also possible that what he loves about your fresh cup is the special attention from you (as well as the angle and freshness.)
I love that you love your cat enough to study him and put some thought into his actions and well being.😻🤗🤗🤗🤗 I think a fountain might help, they like moving water and it might change the angle he's drinking at.
Cats like water that is really fresh, like drinking from a slightly running faucet. If they make something that flows and recirculates that way he might love it.
