your cat's drinking water

@scribe1 (1203)
United States
September 25, 2007 7:12pm CST
I read that cats should be given distilled water, not tap water. Tap water is polluted and has the potential to cause internal problems in cats, or so that author argues. Funny, I've been giving my cats fresh tap water all this time without a problem. I clean my cats' water dishes every day and refill them with fresh water. My vet hasn't said anything about giving cats distilled water either. Has anyone ever heard of giving distilled water to cats? Or do you and your cat prefer good old tap water?
4 people like this
10 responses
@RuneAmok (13)
• United States
3 Oct 07
Yes I have. Distilled or purified. Since I read that I've been filling their bowl from the pitcher we drink from. One of those Brita deals. I don't doubt those who say that tap water is bad and that purified is better. After all, many here in Milwaukee got crypto a few years back, straight out of the tap. So I figure if we don't drink tap water, they don't need to either. I'm not a purist about it - I sometimes give them tap water but more often than not it comes from the pitcher. I figure every little bit helps.
1 person likes this
@cblackink (969)
• United States
26 Sep 07
Well, I have a water filter and since I drink filtered water, so do they. I'm not sure I'd give my cats regular tap water if I'm not willing to drink it. But that's just me...
1 person likes this
@Stiletto (4579)
26 Sep 07
I've always had at least one cat and every single one of them has been given tap water to drink with no ill-effects that I'm aware of. They have all lived past their average life span so it doesn't seem to have done them any harm anyway. I've never heard of giving cats distilled water. Personally I've no intention of changing now either. Really if we listened to every new theory or suggestion that comes along we would go mad with worry lol!
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
26 Sep 07
My cat gets and has always got plain tap water. I keep bottles of tap water in the fridge b/c I like my water extra cold so I will fill her bowl with one of my bottles but it's just extra cold tap water. LOL **AT PEACE WITHIN** ~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
@sures77 (44)
• India
26 Sep 07
Thinking to much on such lines has spoilt the resistant power of us humans. The body has its own resistant-immunity mechanisms. Playing with nature has cost us heavily. We should leave the animals alone. Their resistant power is much more than us.
• United States
26 Sep 07
I don't know about that. I think it may depend where you live. In boston they did an article on tap water vs filtered and bottled water it turns out that the city tap water is the safest water out of all of them
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
26 Sep 07
I tend to look at nature as nature gives, I think cats are smart when it comes to things like that, I have fresh water for my cat but I have seen him go and drink dirty water that has accumulated somewhere, I think you would find dirty water is usually what most animals would have in their natural way of life.
• United States
26 Sep 07
I think tap water is just fine. In fact, it is probablly better, think about it. Distilled water has ALL the trace elements and minerals removed from it. This is not good for you or your cat, it can acctually cause a deficit of essential nutrients. Along with that, tap water keeps your immune system strong by exposing your body to weak pathogens to keep it busy, the same goes for your cat. Tap water is just fine.
• United States
26 Sep 07
Hey, the way I feel about it is, if it's safe enough for us and our children, then it should be for our animals as well. My cat will also drink out of the toilet, so fresh tap everyday or two should be completely fine. If you ask me, its just another hoax to get people to spend money - the author probably knows someone in the distilled water industry :) Ha Ha Just kidding
• Canada
26 Sep 07
My cat likes to drink tap water and never seems to complain. I give it to him in a glass, he won't drink out of his bowl. He used to only drink out of the toilet so this is an improvement. I'm trust our tap water.