does your cat drink from the toilet?
By applsofgld
@applsofgld (2506)
United States
January 24, 2007 4:25pm CST
My cat nearly scared the life out of me today. It was so quiet and I was in here on the computer, thinking I was all alone in the house when all of a sudden he comes from out of nowhere and jumps up and into the commode and starts drinking the water!! He is as big as Garfield and looks just like him. Funny but it gave my heart a start!! He has always loved commode water for some reason.
3 people like this
16 responses
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
7 Feb 07
If I kept the lid up, my little one would be drinking water from the toilet. For now, the two of them drink only from running water out of the faucett. No water dishes for my two.
1 person likes this
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
7 Feb 07
We used to have one that was raised by this old tomcat of ours. His name was Buckwheat, and he was so pretty for a male cat. He too was orange and white and so soft. But he didn't like the toilet, the bathtub was his playground. Even as a tiny kitten he was always walking around the edge, once he even fell in!! But he would sit there for the longest time swatting at the water dripping from the faucet, or he would drink it up from the bottom where it had dripped. Funny how cats personalities are so different.
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
7 Feb 07
Yes, they all are very different. I have one that is like Garfield, and one that is the most affectionate sweetest thing. That's a funny story you just shared with me.
1 person likes this
@maildumpster (3815)
• United States
27 Feb 07
I no longer have a cat but one of my cats loved drinking out of the toilet. Even funnier; he would flush the toilet all the time. He would even do it to entertain one of the other cats. Scared the heck out of my mom one day LOL.
1 person likes this
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
27 Feb 07
That is a cute story about your cat!! I've seen videos of cats doing that for entertainment. They are so funny sometimes. Thanks for sharing.
@TerryZ (22076)
• United States
26 Feb 07
I know alot of animals from my friends do that. I keep the lid closed I have three of them and no doubt they would do it too. But I put something in my tank that cleans your toliet and turns the water blue so I cant let them drink it. I think they drink out of toliet is because the water is so cold.
1 person likes this
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
27 Feb 07
I think so too. Because I keep cold clean water in his dish. I caught him the other morning when I was watching my hubby leave for work, our kitty went to a plastic bucket he keeps by the grill to dump the ashes in, it has a rusted out scraper on the side of it, we had had some really big rains and our kitty was drinking that water too! Hubby says it must have flavor or something. Can't figure the old cat out. He likes toilet water and rusty flavored water.
@theproperator (2429)
• United States
6 Feb 07
My cat doesn't really drink from the toilet ever since he lost his balance and fell half-in. Maybe the other posters are onto something about the larger bowl, though, because my cat always drinks from the larger dog bowl instead of his own.
1 person likes this
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
6 Feb 07
You may be onto something. Come to think of it, my cat did drink more from the dog's water dish when we still had our dog. She was killed last year. He doesn't like to eat his canned food in a bowl either, he prefers a small plate. Maybe he doesn't like to bowl to touch his extra large head or may be he feels he needs more room. He is very old.
@cheetah311 (343)
• United States
6 Feb 07
I learned many years ago that cats have a fascination with drinking from the toilet. The first cat I had when I was on my own loved to do that. Even though I keep the toilet clean I didn't like him drinking that water so from then on I kept the toilet lid down, problem solved.
1 person likes this
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
6 Feb 07
That would probably do the trick, but then he'd sit in there and cry until I opened the lid back up. My kitty is old and set in his ways. Thanks for responding.
@jbrowsin66 (1321)
• United States
6 Feb 07
They like the water from the toilet because it's cold. My cat doesn't drink, but he loves to watch the water swirl when the toilet is flushed. If only we could teach them to use it for what it's meant for instead of drinking! ;)
1 person likes this
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
6 Feb 07
Wouldn't that be something!! I've heard stories and watched video clips of cats flusing the toilet just to watch the water swirl and then disappear.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
24 Jan 07
Our female cat s doesn't like the toliet, but she will drink the water in the tub after you shower. Our male cat will drink out of the toliet and he plays in th etoliet all the time. We have to remember to close the lid or the seat gets all wet.
1 person likes this
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
5 Feb 07
This is too cute. I think some kitties just like to play in the water. Mine is too old to play, but we did have one that was a lot younger that would get into the bathtub and play. He'd bring his toys with him sometimes. Thanks for responding.
@hitzphillygirl (1235)
• United States
24 Jan 07
No, but he fell in the toilet once. Haha. Now he just licks the water out of the sink.
1 person likes this
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
5 Feb 07
Smart cat to stick with the sink. I think if I were a cat that fell into the toilet I would stay away from them too. Cat's don't usually like water anyway, well not to fall into water anyway. Thank you for responding.
@pendragon (3348)
• United States
6 Feb 07
Yep, he sure does, he's almost been sat on umpteen times, and we leave plenty of water bowls around for all the animals.Maybe toilet water stays colder.
1 person likes this
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
6 Feb 07
Same with my big kitty, he's old and set in his ways so I doubt I will change him now. He drinks from his bowl which is fresh, but more often than the bowl, he still heads for the toilet for some colder water. At least he is not like the video I saw recently where the cat was fascinated with flushing the toilet repeatedly!!
@emeraldisle (13138)
• United States
5 Feb 07
To a cat or a dog it's just a big margaritta glass. They see it as fresh cool water. Ours will drink out of it occassionaly as well. Doesn't matter if we just washed their bowl and put water in it, they still will from time to time. As long as you keep it clean and do not put the chemicals or dyes that go in with each flush then you won't have a problem. The water is fresh with each flushing.
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
5 Feb 07
I always just keep it clean, not for the cat only, but it's clean and I quit putting those bowl cleaner tabs, etc. in there b/c he loves to drink from there. I guess it's not as nasty as the pond water and mudhole water they drink from occassionally. Thanks for responding.
@jumpinjack00 (3054)
• United States
24 Jan 07
In general about 50% of cats drink from
the toilet. They will also drink from the
faucet in the bathroom or kitchen, if they
leak at all. A big reason why they do is
because their water bowl probably needs to
be washed. The bowl develops a film after
about a week. Don't just rinse it. Wash it
every week. Also change the water more often.
Remember, the water in the toilet is fresh
many times a day after being flushed. ‹(°¿°)›
1 person likes this
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
5 Feb 07
I really do keep his bowls clean. No film, that is disgusting to me. I mean I wouldn't drink from it like that either. I think he just likes that it is cold, b/c his dish water gets room temperature fast b/c it is a small bowl. Thank you for responding.
@yahooguy (508)
• Romania
5 Feb 07
sometimes my cat does like that to ....i don't think it's hared to keep your cat out of the toilet you just keep him out of the toilet and that's all but don't let him drink any more :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
5 Feb 07
He's so funny, b/c he is a great big orange cat, like Garfield, and you can hear him when he jumps off the sofa and he's heading for the bathroom. I guess to him it's just a clean , cold drink of water. To me it's nasty. But I'm not a cat so maybe he's ok since other cats do it too : ) Thanks for responding.
@mbarryton (1871)
• United States
25 Jan 07
my cats do,the other day i opened the bathroom door the same the cat jumped off the toliet and it scared the living daylights outta me lol
1 person likes this
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
5 Feb 07
I know, they are so cunning and quiet and sneaky. They can be in the room or in or on the toilet or sink or whatever. And you will not hear them b/c they are so quiet. Then when you startle them by coming into the room, they jump real loudly, well mine does anyway. Thanks for responding.
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
6 Feb 07
I've owned several dogs in my life too. Trust me, my dogs are worse than the cats. My last dog was an absolute angel, but... she loved to go out by the pond and drink the stagnate water and get all muddy, and better than that, her all time favorite place was a little mudhole that would fillup with water whenever it would rain a good bit out here. Couldn't keep her out of it, she just loved it. My husband said it must be flavored water she wanted.
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
24 Jan 07
The ceramic from the commode keeps the water cooler than room temperature. Also, the water is always fresh because it gets flushed several times every day. So, many animals (cats and dogs) like toilet water. Just be sure you don't add any chemicals or dyes to the tank - that isn't good for them or you can keep the lid down all the time. I solved this by getting a water fountain for my cats to drink from. They love the running water and I keep it clean and filled with fresh water for them. It is so much better than a bowl.
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
24 Jan 07
He has always loved the toilet, I do keep it very clean and do not use chemicals or leave cleaners in them. I am a clean freak so to speak. I had a dog that ALWAYS had fresh clean water too, but PREFERRED to go outside and sneak off to a mudhole and drink the water from there, I used to have to scold her for not staying out of it, my hubby said it obviously had flavor that she wanted. Old Yellow is a spoiled, beautiful kitty and I love him. But I appreciate the advice on the water, maybe he wants a bigger dish for his water.
@judyt00 (3496)
• Canada
24 Jan 07
what he likes is cold. clean water, try putting a few ice cubes in his dish and cleaning it meticulously every day.I had a catt hat didthis too, and he stopped when i gave hin a bigger dish ans put a block of ice I made specifically for his dish into it, and ensured his dish went into the dishwasher every day afterthe ice melsted. My sister used to leave the water in her bath tub dripping, but she also used to ensure all the drainied tub water went to watering her tomatoes and lettuce.
1 person likes this
@applsofgld (2506)
• United States
5 Feb 07
Thank you for sharing this information with me. Your sister is very creative and conservative, not to waste the water from the tub drain. He does like fresh, cold water. I should try this for him.
