That My Water!
By derlilaStern
@derlilaStern (1756)
United States
May 10, 2009 9:40pm CST
My husband and I just realized a few weeks ago that our cat drinks from out cups of water. It isnt really a huge deal, but it can be quite annoying. Sometimes he will spill the cup all over the coffee table. Other times he will leave fur on the cup. I hate going to drink some water only to find out that I have a mouth full of cat hair! Sometimes I will try to pick up my cup to drink it, but I have to push the cat out of the way first!
The cat didnt used to do it in front of us. He always waited until we were in bed or at work. After he starting spilling the glasses of water too often, we stopped leaving them on the table. (We had gotten new glasses that he cant get his head into as well.) After that, he started to be more daring and drink out of our glasses in front of us! That is what enabled me to take a picture of him doing it!
The cat gets the same water I do. I pour water into my cup and into his bowl from the same pitcher. I also make sure I regularly clean his bowl, so that there is nothing growing in it. The problem definitely isnt because the water tastes different. It almost seems like he is being a kid and trying to be like his parents!
Do your cats drink out of your cup? Is there a way to stop it? Would it bother you to share your glass of water with your pet?
2 people like this
10 responses
@oyenkai (4394)
• Philippines
12 May 09
I'm confused... so you don't mind if you and your cat drink from the same cup as long as the cat doesn't leave fur in the water? o.o Isn't that unsanitary? I know that you probably keep your cat clean, but still... it's not even human. Anyway, we also do have a cat and it never drinks from our glasses. What it does is it goes up to the sink and waits until he gets someone's attention then we open the tap water a little and it drinks straight from there - it doesn't really lick the tap, it just lets the water drip :) I don't know why it started doing that - it has only been a few months since that habit was formed. We do give it water but I guess it feels hot since it's summer and all.
Thanks for the response on my discussion!
1 person likes this
@derlilaStern (1756)
• United States
12 May 09
No, it actually drives me crazy that he drinks from my cup! The hair is just one of the problems. I think the picture may make it confusing. I purposefully left that cup there so I could get a picture of him drinking from it. I have thought about leaving a cup on the coffee table that could be 'his' cup. But I think that would get annoying too!
My cat isnt allowed on the counter top, so the habit of drinking from the tap will never happen! That does sound pretty cute though! 
@inkstainedheart (455)
• United States
11 May 09
My kitten used to do the same thing (and still tries to occasionally). We trained him using a spray bottle and tapping on his nose. If you sit a glass of water down and keep an eye on your cat, tap the bridge of his nose when he/she bends to drink from it or tries to knock it over. Or spray with a squirt bottle. After a few times, your cat should avoid glasses more often (unless they're full of milk...that's a hard one to break cats of).
Good luck!
1 person likes this
@derlilaStern (1756)
• United States
12 May 09
Unfortunately, I think he has actually been doing this for as long as we have had him! We have had him for 2 1/2 years. So it is hard to break him of it. We just recently caught on to it because he didnt used to do it when we were home or awake. We did train him to listen to verbal commands, though.
Thanks for the tips!
@mjhicks (317)
• United States
11 May 09
I thought we were the only house with cats that like to drink from cups. One of our cats especially likes to drink my water instead of his own. Now instead of a bowl for their water they have a large plastic iced tea tumbler just like the ones we use. I have to put something over my cup if I leave it unattended so the cats won't get to it. Usually if I see them get close and say "NO! my water" they will leave it alone. Even when they have fresh water they still want what I have. lol
1 person likes this
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
11 May 09
Our cat would do it on occasion but really preferred the toilet. If he had no water in his bowl and the toilet lid was shut he would come looking for water where ever he could get it. He used to sit at the kitchen sink and lick the faucet. He would do that even if he had water though I think he liked the fresh water.
I would get cups that you can put sippy lids on and start drinking out of those. Or you could go to a restaurant supply store and get some cups with lids, and use straws. Some of the Tupperwear sippy lids fit on some of the larger adult glasses, so you could have an adult sized drink with a sippy lid and the cat would not be able to get in to the cup and if he knocked it over it still might drip out a little but the spill would be less quick, unless he knocks it over just right.. That is probably what I would do. Or start saving the plastic cups from fast food restaurants and getting some extra lids and straws and wash and re-use them.
. That is probably what I would do. Or start saving the plastic cups from fast food restaurants and getting some extra lids and straws and wash and re-use them.1 person likes this
@derlilaStern (1756)
• United States
12 May 09
So far, we have had pretty good luck with just not leaving glasses out unless we are drinking from them. We still have to watch him! But he will usually listen to verbal commands really well. We got him as a tiny kitten so we trained him pretty well. If only we had known about this little trick earlier... 
Thanks for the advice. I might have to start saving some of those cups. They would also be helpful when nieces and nephews come around to visit!
Thanks for the advice. I might have to start saving some of those cups. They would also be helpful when nieces and nephews come around to visit!
@astrosoccergirl (71)
• United States
12 May 09
My cats are fairly good about not doing something if they get yelled at for it. Really, we have more of an issue with the cats drinking out of the toilet (which is hilarious, too, in that they dont actually lean down to drink, they reach their paw down to scoop up water and lick it off of their paw), so to solve that we just try to keep the toilet seat down.
I'd say making sure your cat knows that she isnt allowed to drink out of the cups would be the number one thing--any time you catch her getting close to it to drink, yell at her and move the cup away. Cups with lids might help in the short term, but if you ever want to drink out of a cup without a lid, that's not really a practical solution.
I'd also really advise against getting your cat a cup like yours to drink out of--that just sort of encourages the behavior, because it's so similar.
1 person likes this
@Tikvah57 (22)
• United States
12 May 09
Our cat is very much a part of the family. (just me and my husband now)..Any how she is very curious about everything we drink. She is more curious about the smell of things... Because we drink bottled water she has to come and check it out. Usually though it is a sign she is out or low. She is silly though, she paws at the water and licks her paw.. I hardly see her lapping her water.
@sudalunts (5523)
• United States
11 May 09
I do not tolerate that, but my husband does not care. Whenever he pours himself a glass of milk, my cat Jake will hop up on the chair and help himself to my husband's milk. Whenever I set a small bowl of milk for him, he will not touch it, he seems to like to drink out of my husband's glass. Silly kitty
1 person likes this
@zhuhuifen46 (3483)
• China
11 May 09
Good to share your observation. I have similar experience but with a duck. We fed it with dry food, which it could not take. Then a friend to us that it can eat only food in water. I made it at last. Animals are our company, which gives us fun, but it takes time to learn about it. Enjoy life, and enjoy your pet.
1 person likes this
@tabsnlos (587)
• United States
11 May 09
That is so funny!! I don't have a cat. I have a dog but she hasn't tried that one on me yet. I am not one to share my food or drinks with animals...But my dog does try to be sneaky sometimes and lick me in the mouth when I am least expecting it. I hate when she does that, but hey shes a dog so what can I do. =)
Your cat is so cute by the way =D
@BishounenNerd (373)
• United States
11 May 09
I have a cat at home, and she was kind of curious about the glass of water I've been holding. All I do is try to move the glass away to discourage the cat from drinking out of it. Also, I don't meant to be vulgar, but the cat is drinking water with the same tongue it uses to clean it's butt off, so there's something to think about.
1 person likes this
