Pets have various needs that is why it is so important to know what your cat’s favorite food and drinks are. As pets will go out of their way to chew and drink on anything you leave lying around, making sure they have the right foods available is a must. The question is why does my cat drink out of the toilet?
The most common reasons why cats do drink out of the toilet are that they’re thirsty, bored or desperate for attention. Cats are also notorious water drinkers, and will often drink right out of the toilet.
Drinking out of the toilet is actually an instinctual behavior that cats learn when they’re kittens as their mothers always bring them to a clean source of water. Cats have this urge to drink water from a faucet because a steady stream from the faucet makes it easier for them to drink.
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Why do my cat drink out of the toilet?
If your cat drinks out of the toilet, it could be due to the fact that you only give it a small bowl of water at a time. This is why cats are often seen drinking from the faucet as it comes in a steady stream and is easier for them to lap up. Always keeping your cat’s water bowl filled will help curb this behavior.
However, if your cat prefers to drink straight out of the toilet, there are some preventative measures you can take to discourage this behavior.
- You should always cover your toilet seat with a lid as cats like pushing down on the seat in order to see whether or not they can drink from there. Cats may also use the toilet as a substitute litter box.
- Fill any bowls of water that your cat has access to by placing a bowl under the faucet. Cats will not want to drink straight from the bowl and will only drink from the faucet.
- Put catnip in your cat’s water bowl and spray it on top of its food. This will help stop cats from drinking too much water and becoming dehydrated. Cats don’t tend to like this effect, but it will help curb the excessive drinking in most cases.
- Make sure you keep any food or snacks away from your cat’s water bowl as they can easily pilfer bites while you’re not looking.
- Make sure to check your cat’s drinking water every day to make sure that there are no chemicals or toxins in it before giving them any of it.
- When your cat stops drinking, try changing its water to see if it will make it drink more. Cats will not drink from dirty water and sometimes need a way to get themselves back into the habit of drinking again.
Cats also drank out of the toilet when they feel desperate for attention, so it may be a good idea to pay your cat extra attention or play with it before going to bed or when you’re busy in the kitchen. However, this should not be considered a substitute for providing regular playtime or interaction with your cat because cats require interaction and physical stimulation on a daily basis.
There are numerous reasons why cats drink out of the toilet, but what works best will depend on the cat and how it responds to treatment.
You don’t have to be a veterinarian to know how important your cat’s health is. That’s why I’m here and that’s why I’m sharing these tips with you: a simple way of properly training your cat by using praises, an effective way of keeping your cat happy and healthy and this simple technique that will help you train and stop your cat from drinking from the toilet.
What To Do If You Find Your Cat Drinking Out Of The Toilet
If you have found your cat drinking out of the toilet, don’t freak out. This is a common behavior that is normal for cats and can easily be curbed with proper training. Here are some steps that you should take:
- Call your vet right away as this can indicate health problems or other issues with your cat. Make sure they recommend the appropriate tests and medications if they feel your cat needs them.
- Read up on the issue before trying to fix it yourself. Finding out why your cat is drinking out of the toilet will help you stop this behavior.
- Do not punish your cat or yell at it as this will only make it anxious and frightened. Punishing a cat for doing something that is natural for them is not recommended at all.
- Don’t give up as correcting this behavior can be difficult and time consuming. Make sure you stay patient with your cat and try not to get angry if they continue to act out. They are acting on instinct and are just acting out because they feel insecure or anxious about something else in their environment that needs fixing.
It’s important to know that your cat will never outgrow their toilet drinking habit.
- Don’t use tablets, sprays or other chemicals to curb your cat’s drinking habits as this only teaches them the behavior. Try using lures as a deterrent instead if possible.
- Use noise makers and catnip instead of punishment if you feel that your cat has started drinking too much water out of the toilet. You can also try putting some of the smell from the toilet in its food and treats which will help deter them doing it in the first place.
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Is drinking out of the toilet toxic for cats?
It’s okay for your cat to drink out of the toilet if it only does it from time to time. Some cats may do this due to boredom and long term usage of the toilet as a water source could cause them to stop drinking altogether.
However, if your cat seems drawn to the toilet and drinks out of it on a daily basis, then something else is wrong. This can indicate health problems or there are environmental factors that are driving this behavior. Do not punish your cat and try to find out why they are acting in this way so that you can stop them doing it in the first place.
This is ultimately the best course of action, but if you find that this behavior is becoming a permanent one, then it may be time to seek medical assistance from your vet and see what else could be causing this.
You should never Resort to severe punishment for cats that engage in this behaviour because the punishment could make them feel insecure or anxious about what’s happening. Instead, try using treats and games to keep them happy and stop them drinking too much out of the toilet.
This will curb their habit without punishing them as they will associate unpleasantness with drinking out of the toilet.
Overly drinking from the toilet on a regular basis can cause some adverse effects to your cat. I will be discussing these side effects and what you can do if they happen below:
- Health problems
Drinking excessive amounts of water on a regular basis can lead to health problems in cats. It can lead to dehydration and low blood pressure which could result in fainting, coma or death.
You must NEVER punish your cat for this as it will only cause them stress and anxiety which could potentially kill them. Instead, see if there are any underlying issues with their health or diet that are causing them to become dehydrated as a result of excessive drinking out of the toilet.
- Constipation
A constipated cat is a painful one and can be very difficult to rectify. If a cat becomes constipated, vomiting is usually the first step in fixing this problem. You can try giving your cat some laxatives such as Milk Thistle, Aloe Vera Pills or Apple Cider Vinegar, but if these don’t work then you may need to feed them an enema or use some other treatment to fix their problem.
You MUST NEVER punish your cat for this as this will only make it feel insecure and anxious about what’s happening so that it continues to drink from the toilet. If you do feel that you must punish your cat, try using any of the methods listed above instead of using punishments.
Conclusion
Cats can develop a habit of drinking out of the toilet and this is not uncommon.
Instead of punishing your cat and yelling at it, find out why they are acting in this way. A common cause is simply due to boredom or your cat being scared as a result of something else going on in its environment. This could be anything from a new pet coming into the house to their food bowl being too close to their water bowl.
It’s important that you don’t punish your cat if it has started drinking from the toilet excessively but instead try some alternative tactics such as (but not limited to):
- Using lures or other methods to curb the behavior
- Using games to keep them interested in their food and water.
- Using Catnip to deter it from drinking out of the toilet.
- Giving it some Milk Thistle, Aloe Vera Pills or Apple Cider Vinegar as a laxative instead of using punishments.
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