Why Do Cats Paw At Water ? – Understand The Cat Behavior
With all sorts of weird things that cats do in a day, the thought ‘why do cats paw at water’ must have also floated through your mind upon seeing them dip their paws in the water bowls for no easily understandable reason. In such cases, you may have gotten confused if the matter is serious enough requiring to be dealt with cautiously. We are here to help you with all such confusion by explaining the theories that are believed to be functional behind this habit of cats and then telling you how to deal with it.
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About the cat behavior of dipping paw in water
The first thing to note here is that not all the cats put their paws into the water where some of them choose to drink their water simply by reaching out at the bowl, ducking their face towards the water surface, and then slurp the water through their tongues. Next is the case of a cat drinking water with a paw that begins with pawing at the water first before drinking it. This means that they lift their front paw to dip in the water bowl first and then continue to drink the water in various ways.
There are a lot of actions that cats carry out around their water bowls that are collectively referred to as cats pawing around their water bowls. This includes kneading the ground, scratching the surface around the bowl, splash the water with their paws, etc.
All of it might seem very unusual but it’s very common to observe with most of the felines around the world. Another important thing to note is that the cats don’t act this way to cause any type of harm and it is an instinctual behavior purely.
Common reasons behind cats pawing at the water
The factors that motivate the cats to paw at water can be a mix of both natural as well as environmental origins and here are some of the major reasons to understand:
Primal instincts
The first reason we would give to your query ‘why does my cat paw at his water’ is their genetic primal instincts that make the cat mess with their water a bit before drinking it. The feline ancestors survived in the wild by drinking water from moving water bodies like streams, lakes, and fountains and that habit has continued down in all the generations.
Preference for moving water
Another reason related to the one given above, cats associate moving water with freshness and coolness and this is why they churn the water with their paws to create that effect of natural water bodies. Moving water also appears more appealing as it thrills their senses and generates curiosity in them. Stagnant water is usually not liked by cats as it can have bacteria, bad smells, and other unwanted objects making it unfit for their consumption.
Solely for fun
Most cats show a close liking for water and it is not rare to spot them having a great fun time in the water. The reflective surface of the water attracts them and they like splashing it to observe the ripples and images that form. The young kittens can be mostly spotted playing with the water in their bowls and either rolling in it or splashing it around.
Save their whiskers
Cats are very sensitive about their whiskers and they don’t like anything irritating them anyhow as that causes the tingling sensations. To avoid that, they prefer to drink water from shallow containers, and to ensure the right shape of the container and depth of water; they dip their paw first and then drink water accordingly.
Check water level
Cats also like consistency in their diet and servings and this applies in the case of the amount of water served to them. So if you think that ‘why does my cat paw at the water bowl’, a probable reason can be that the cat is checking the water level and temperature too. This action is usually done by the aging cats with poor vision abilities as they try to check the water depth before drinking so that they can avoid any mishap.
Due to feeling of insecurity
Cats remain very attentive about their surroundings and they would make sure that it is safe to indulge in drinking water from the bowl with their head down. So for that, they would first dip their paw in the water to ensure a safe distance from other pets, clear routines, change of their bowl, level of the water, or other things.
Scent marking the area
Cats have scent glands present all over their bodies and they would knead the ground around their bowl or dip their paw in the water to leave their scent on the spot. This is how they mark their territory to keep the other cats and pets away. The cats that have to live with other pets in the same house tend to show this behavior more often.
Tips on dealing with the cat dipping paw in water
Like we said above, this behavior of cats doesn’t have any feeling of harm associated with it and they do it purely because of their instincts. You may even find watching them play with the water cute most of the time. Thus, we would suggest you let them do it and not try to prevent them from doing so in the first place because it won’t cause any mishap.
However, if the habit of turns into an obsessive behavior that puts anything at risk, use these tips to prevent cat drinking water with paw:
Conclusion
We hope that you must have thoroughly understood by now that why do cats paw at water and are ready with observing your cat accordingly to decide if its behavior is safe for letting it be or needs treatment. Don’t forget to maintain gentleness with the cat and your feline friend will obey your teachings.
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