Why does my cat knock over the water bowl?

¿Por qué mi gato tira el agua del bebedero?

Cats are animals with a very special and unique character at the same time, and they love to have control over their things, in this case, we are talking about the water in their bowl. Have you ever wondered why they spill everything?

There are many reasons why a cat might spill water everywhere; these are the possible motives:

Is it trying to get the water? 

This is often one of the most frequent problems; if it puts its paws in trying to get the water, it simply does so as a natural behavior. Just like with food, they usually do it as part of their natural behavior: they prefer to take their food to a safer place where they can eat peacefully and at their leisure.

When this happens with water, we can try several things, including placing the food in a quieter part of the house, or where the cat usually is, changing it more regularly (perhaps the cat doesn't think the water is clean), and most importantly: always make sure it can reach to drink it and that the bowl or feeder is at the right height. Although it may seem strange, some cats don't want to bend down that much; try using a taller container where the water almost reaches the rim.

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Does your cat have toys?

Sometimes the lack of distraction or motivation leads our cat to want to play with the water bowl. This can be one of the fundamental reasons why my cat spills water from the bowl; it is simply playing.

Spend more time with your pet, distracting it with cat intelligence toys, etc. Anything that makes it forget about the water bowl will be a good option. You can also consider getting a large (and heavy) feeder that it cannot manipulate.

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It doesn't like the water bowl

It may be that your cat doesn't like the water bowl and prefers to drink directly from a flat surface. What you can do is buy a wider one so it feels more comfortable, an automatic waterer, to make it much simpler, or a water fountain.

It can also happen that the cat doesn't get along with the other pets in the house. In this way, if the water bowl doesn't allow it to observe its surroundings well, it might spill water everywhere to create a sense of security. In this situation, get one with low edges.

Hygiene

We are not at all surprised by cases where many cats spill food, water, or relieve themselves elsewhere because they believe their belongings are not entirely clean. Spilling things is their way of telling you to change or clean them. Remember that cats are particularly fastidious animals; pay attention to that.

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Is it not any of these causes?

Still haven't found a solution to "why does my cat spill water from the bowl?" It may not be any of the causes we mentioned before. For this reason, and if you are truly concerned, consult your veterinarian about this issue, and they will surely clear up your doubts.