Each of my 5 cats simply had little to no interest in drinking from their bowl. I would clean the bowl, change the bowl, ensure the water was fresh but still very little interest. This concerned me as water is essential for their health and a basic necessity.

Before I tell you the 10 reasons why, let me explain some interesting and some alarming facts I found through my research:

Why cats won't drink from a bowl

Not all cats have this issue, but for those who do here are some of the reasons why they can refuse or you may see are hesitant to drink from their bowl:

1. It is believed cat's primal instincts warn of potential harm of drinking still water. Instinctively they know the water being stagnant is not desirable to drink as it can quickly harbor and breed germs.
   
   
2. Tap water is also full of contaminants although you may find your pet will happily drink out of a tap when it is dripping or running, tap water in general contains many potentially harmful substances including fluoride which is toxic to animals.
   
   
3. Actually one of the biggest but least known reasons is to do with their whiskers. If their whiskers are getting pushed and squashed (from the bowl), this causes them great discomfort, even pain. As a result they can develop whisker fatigue which can be distressing for cats. These cats can also become aggressive at meal times. Cats will refuse to drink and sometimes eat, they can meow at you and pace up and down in efforts to let you know about the issue.
   
   
4. Cats are stimulated more by sounds than sight so the quiet of a still bowl does not attract them to drink.
   
   
5. Cats do not like their water being close to their food. The food particles can go into the water bowl contaminating the water. The food can also make the water smell. Also ensure the litter box is a safe distance away from both water and food bowls. Kitty litter can easily enter food and water bowls posing serious health risks.
   
   
6. The position of the bowl can also create discomfort for the animal when crouching down to drink or eat as it is not at an ideal position to support their spine and can also cause vomiting in cats due to the position.

Is Tap Water Actually Bad For Your Pet?

As mentioned, some cats will happily drink from bowls unlike others. And if so that's great, however is tap water potentially harmful for your pet?

Here are some of the reasons why tap water may not be ideal for pets.

Tap water contains the following:

• Minerals: Such as iron which is a corrosive and can be damaging to pets digestive organs
• Lead: Consumption in large amounts can cause acute stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea in some pets.
• Fluoride: Is toxic and dangerous in high levels. Putting unnecessarily strain on the kidneys to eliminate it from the body. Plus, it can cause cancer in pets – as well as humans.
• Arsenic: Although high amounts of arsenic are rarely found in tap water,  ingestion can lead to abdominal pains, sluggishness, or even unconsciousness. No amount of arsenic is ideal.
  
• Giardia: A parasite transmitted by discharges of fecal waste into water, food, soil, and other surfaces. Giardia can cause diarrhea in animals as well as humans.
• E. coli: Some strains of E. coli bacteria are harmless. But when infected with a dangerous strain, your pet may show symptoms like low body temperature, depression, increased heart rate, diarrhea, vomiting, lack of appetite, lethargy, and weakness.
• Water Hardness: Water containing high amounts of dissolved magnesium and calcium could cause pets to experience urinary health issues, such as incontinence, tract infections, cystitis, and crystalluria (an overproduction of crystals in urine).

What happens to stagnant water in a pet bowl:

Stagnant water can be dangerous for drinking because it provides a better incubator than running water for many kinds of bacteria and parasites.

Potentially fatal bacteria, including E.coli, salmonella and MRSA, which can all be transferred from pets to their owners, harbor and breed in pet bowls.

The water bowl has previously been identified as the third most contaminated item within the household, which suggests that they are capable of illness transmission.

10 Reasons To Have The Pettish Fountain Of Health - Pet Water Fountain

Each of my 5 cats quickly and positively reacted to the introduction of The Pettish Fountain Of Health and started drinking the water. I could see from the level indicator that they were drinking more water than they had previously and I could feel reassured that they were now properly hydrated.

Here is a list of the potential benefits The Pettish Fountain Of Health offers:

 The Pettish Fountain Of Health offers continual fresh, clean, filtered water that is oxygenated supporting pets health, well-being and longevity

  The fountains filtered water has a unique replaceable filter design with multi-stage filtration that removes impurities, heavy metals, chlorine with an additional carbon filter to filter out contaminants, pesticides, and herbicides as well as remove odor and improve the taste

 Cats are attracted to drink due to the running water which ensures their hydration unlike still water that can often be ignored

 The running and circulating water prevents harmful germs and parasites harboring and breeding as they do in still water. Cats are more auditory, therefore the sight and smell of water does not peak their instincts as much as sounds does, therefore the sound of running water also encourages them to drink more

 Cat's naturally have a low thirst drive. In the wild, most of a cat's water intake would come from their food, which is high-moisture-containing meat, so they do not naturally have high thirst. However they don't receive this moisture from their pet food which may cause or exacerbate a myriad of feline health problems for indoor, domesticated cats, including urinary tract and kidney health issues. The fountain encourages them to drink more 

 With the encouragement to drink more pets hydration requirements are more likely to be met, potentially reducing the risk of numerous health issues

 Works quietly. The unique designed blue pump DR-DC160 is deployed with a customized suction cup to keep noise to a minimum. The high-quality impeller guarantees durability and longevity for this product.

 Water fountain being at the right height supports the pets posture, making it comfortable to drink. Water fountain does not obstruct the cats whiskers making drinking comfortable and reducing the risk of whisker fatigue

  Quality materials made from food grade quality to ensure your pets health. Parts are also easy to clean and dishwasher safe.

  Has a large capacity.Offering 5-7 days of clean fresh health drinking water, means less time refilling and cleaning for you!

If you would like to purchase the Fountain of health for your pet you can find it here: https://pettish.co/fountain

Click here >> https://pettish.co/fountain

About The Author

Being a fur-parent of multiple cats, as well as an experienced breeder of Ragdoll cats, I am always looking for the best products to offer my cats to support their well-being, health and longevity as well as their overall happiness.

And if it makes my busy-life easier, that's a bonus!

I can then, confidently recommend the product to my customers and assist them to offer the same to their furbabies.