Question
I have a ~4 year old cat of uncertain breed. For as long as I can remember, he's had the rather unfortunate habit of drinking out of cups containing water instead of his own water bowl. Considering that we let him outdoors where he hunts a lot of rodents and small birds, this makes the prospect of continuing to finish said beverages an unpleasant one.
I could start rambling on about how this is all my fault for allowing him to drink out of a near empty glass of water as a kitten, but I'd really just like him to stop.
Every time I get a glass of water, I have to be careful to drink the entire contents of the container, lest my cat jump up on the table and stick his head inside. Indeed, if the glass is empty, he'll sometimes come over to sniff it. Indeed, he just likes sniffing things in general, but that's probably a non-issue.
Thankfully, he doesn't seem to like the smell of anything that isn't tapwater, but that's a small grace considering the fact I almost exclusively drink the stuff!
I've tried putting various things on top of the cups. Coasters, screwdriver kits, books... Coasters are easy to fit and they appear to discourage this behaviour slightly, but it's not uncommon to see him push them away with his nose. Heavier items seem to be more effective, but also make it easier for me to knock the glass over, and I'd rather he not jump up on my table and desk in the first place.
I should also mention that the water bowl I actually want him to drink from is a used, plastic tin of Celebrations chocolates that we empty, clean and fill whenever it starts looking like it's running low. We take our cat for regular checkups and I've never heard the vet mention anything about him being dehydrated. When there are no cups of water around, he'll drink out of the bowl just fine, usually after taking a bite of food first.
What can I do to stop him stealing drinks?
Answer
I propose replacing his assigned water bowl with something he likes drinking from, like a dessert glass bowl or a drinking glass with a low rim.
Different containers can add their own smell and taste to the water in them, especially containers that aren't supposed to hold liquids for a long time. The main reason why water bottles have a use before date is not that the water somehow goes bad, but that the bottle itself slowly breaks down and releases weird chemicals into the water.
To make him unlearn that he can find drinkable water in your glass, you should always put a lid on your glass. There are different types available online or in stores for kitchenware. I think it would be best to find a lid that fits your usual drinking glass as best as possible, or maybe buy a new glass with a lid included.
Answered By - Elmy