Owner’s Trick to Get Her Cats to Drink More Water Has Internet in Stitches

A cat owner’s trick to encourage her cats to drink more water has proved to be a successful tactic.

In a February 7 TikTok video posted by the user @stormimartini, the owner placed a glass filled with water on a desk, believing her cats would drink from it. They proved her right, with one cat climbing onto the desk to drink the water.

“I started realizing that every time I had a glass of water, if I left it unattended, I would come back, and they were drinking from it,” the owner told Newsweek via TikTok.

She decided to use that knowledge to her advantage—well, to the advantage of her black cats, whom she wants to keep healthy and hydrated.

To the cats, it seems, what’s hers is theirs—except the water is not for the owner. She tricked them into drinking more water, and they do not seem to have the slightest clue.

“I do leave them a decoy cup out daily just to help them get more water!” the owner wrote.

As of March 26, the TikTok clip has received over 215,600 views, 37,600 likes and 218 comments, with other cat owners sharing similar hacks.

“I do this and also pick it up sometimes and pretend to drink from it,” one commenter wrote of their commitment to make sure their cats do not catch on to the trick.

Another added: “Omg yes, they always drink mine and never theirs but it’s the same?”

“Maybe it’s cuz they wanna be like you,” a user said.

Reasons Cats Do Not Use Water Bowls

Cats can be picky when it involves their water, leading to them not drinking enough. Their food might give them an extra boost of hydration, but it is often not enough. Cats need between five and 10 ounces of water daily, depending on their size.

Catster, a cat-focused website, dove into vet-reviewed reasons cats do not use water bowls. The first reason, it said, is instinct. In the wild, cats do not drink from stale water sources, as the water may contain bacteria, algae or parasites. Instead, they prefer drinking from running water sources, such as rivers or streams. That could explain the many social media videos of house cats drinking from water faucets. Owners could use a running water fountain to encourage their cats to drink fresh water.

It is possible, Catster said, that cats do not use their water bowls because a blind spot under their chin may prevent them from seeing the water. This is another reason a running water fountain would come in handy, as the sound would lead them to the water.

Other reasons cats may not drink from water bowls include their dislike of the water temperature or specific bowl. They may also feel uncomfortable in the house with other animals watching them. It’s important for owners to keep their cats’ bowls filled with clean, fresh water, and they should contact a vet if their cat stops drinking water completely.

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