While the behavior can be frustrating due to the mess, your cat splashing their water out of their water bowl and all over the floor is normal and usually no reason for concern. Despite having a reputation for being afraid of water, many cats are attracted to water and enjoy playing with it, even if they may have an aversion to being immersed in it.
Of course, this act can be highly frustrating, as you may not enjoy spending your day mopping and filling their water bowl repeatedly! It is especially common in kittens, who tend to swat at everything in their vicinity with their paws. Several cat breeds are naturally more tolerant of water and even enjoy it, and splashing water is their way of tapping into their natural instincts.
In any case, the constant mess can be tiring, and while there is usually no reason to worry about the behavior, it is certainly something that you’ll want to stop from happening. In this article, we’ll look at five common reasons your cat splashes water out of its bowl and what you can do to stop it.
The 5 Reasons Cat Splashes Water Out of Bowl
1. Access
The simplest and most common reason your cat splashes water out of their bowl is to access more water. Luckily, it is also the easiest to stop. Most cats prefer shallow, wide bowls to narrower, deeper bowls. This may be due to their whiskers, which come into contact with the sides of a narrow bowl and cause discomfort, but it may be easier and more comfortable for them to drink from a wider bowl. Some cats tip over a narrow bowl to get easier access to the water.
You may consider buying them a wider bowl or even a spill-proof bowl or dispenser that will give your cat the hydration they need without them being able to spill or knock the water bowl over.
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2. Play
It may seem overly simplistic and obvious, but some cats are just playful and see their water bowl as a toy to be played with. It is especially common in kittens, which do not usually have an aversion to water. Stainless steel bowls are often seen as toys due to their reflective surfaces and how the water casts light when they move and splash it. Even the scraping sound of the bowl across the floor may cause endless excitement for younger cats.
Again, a grippy, non-slip ceramic bowl may be the best option since it will not produce exciting reflective patterns. A specially made spill-proof bowl or water dispenser will also do the trick.
3. Boredom
Understimulated and bored cats tend to do strange things at times, which can include knocking over their water bowls. They’ll see their water bowl as a toy to be played with, especially reflective bowls. If your cat doesn’t have many toys around, has grown tired of the toys they do have, is left alone for long periods without interaction, or does not have a friend to play with, they may be bored and are simply using their water bowl as a form of entertainment.
If possible, spend 30-40 minutes of interactive time daily with your cat playing stimulating games. Make sure they have access to several toys, and change the toys regularly because they can grow bored of the same ones fairly quickly.
4. Stress
Anxiety and stress can cause cats to behave in strange ways. Your cat may try and climb into their water bowl to escape a stressful situation, and separation anxiety may cause them to knock over their water bowls to get your attention.
There may have even been a particular moment that caused fear in your cat around their water bowl, and they are knocking it over out of frustration. Something inside their water bowl may have frightened them, like a spider or insect that they’ve attempted to fish out.
Assess the possible causes of your cat’s stress and anxiety, and see if they have any associated stress around their drinking area.
5. Health issues
While this is rare, an underlying health issue may cause your cat’s water bowl splashing. Diabetes and kidney disease typically make cats more thirsty than usual, and their frantic desire for hydration may cause them to spill water. You’ll likely notice them drinking from other parts of your home, like leaky faucets or the bathtub, and there will be other signs, like lethargy or lack of appetite.
If you notice your cat drinking more than usual, take them for a checkup with your vet immediately.
Final thoughts
When your cat splashes water out of their drinking bowl, there is usually no reason to worry, and the problem is typically easy to fix. A spill-proof bowl or water dispenser will solve the issue, but you may need to train your cat to use it. On rare occasions, the behavior may be a sign of something more serious, but most of the time, you just have a playful, mischievous cat on your hands!
Featured Image Credit: Nils Jacobi, Shutterstock
