Why Does My Cats Drink Out Of The Toilet?

This might not be an ideal topic to discuss, but have you ever seen your cat drinking out of the toilet? It would be best to deal with this kind of action effectively and quickly.

There are several reasons why a cat likes to drink toilet water. It might be the temperature difference between the water in their bowl and the toilet. Your feline might be getting entertainment and fun from this kind of behavior, or it’s just easy to access.

To give you more insight, below, we have discussed in detail why do cats like to drink out of the toilet? And how to stop your feline from drinking toilet water?

Why Do Cats Drink Toilet Water?

Let’s start with the basics: why do cats drink out of the toilet? Even if you have a separate water bowl for your cat, your feline sometimes prefers the toilet over the regular bowl. For humans, this action is quite disgusting. So, it’s rational to ask, why do cats drink from the toilet?

Here are some of the most common reasons why cats prefer toilet water over a regular bowl:

Entertainment and Fun

Cats are considered curious by nature. They might be drinking in the toilet just for fun. If your cat was playing with the toilet roll and lapped into the water, it might do that again and again just for the sake of entertainment. 

Additionally, there is a big possibility that your cat is drinking toilet water just out of boredom. They usually do that to get your attention and play with you. So, in that case, just spend a little extra time with your cat to satisfy her cravings for attention.

Easy to Access

If the water flow in your toilet is high, your cat will be more comfortable while drinking it. Physically, drinking from a total bowl is much easier compared to drinking from a regular bowl due to neck, leg, or back issues. 

So, your cat might seek toilet water if they are in some kind of pain. For instance, if your feline has a dental issue, the water bowl will cause discomfort as well as pain. 

Appealing Scents

Due to the colognes and perfumes, most bathrooms offer an appealing scent. As cats have greater olfactory epithelium than humans, they might enter a bathroom to find you. In some cases, cats even get attached to the smell of cleaning products or soaps. 

If your cat spends most of its time in the bathroom to enjoy appealing scents, he/she might get thirsty and drink from the toilet as it is easily accessible.

Moving Water

Cats are way smarter than we think. These felines are born as imitators. If a cat sees someone flush the toilet, he will surely try to repeat the action. 

As moving water is fascinating to cats, your feline will flush the toilet again and again to satisfy its multiple senses. According to many experts, moving water is the most sterile approach for a feline to drink. So, they will surely flush the toilet and drink the water as much as possible.

More Flavorful

This might seem like a disgusting reason, but some cats prefer toilet water over a clean bowl because it is more flavorful. If the toilet is flushed recently, the water will be oxygenated and refreshed, which is more appealing to your cat than stagnant and warm tap water.

Furthermore, cats are considered fussy drinkers. They can smell the chlorine in tap water. For cats, this aroma is new and strange. Therefore, they try to avoid tap water and consider toilet water cleaner, safer water sources.

Convenient Location

If you forget to add fresh water to a cat’s bowl, your feline will find a water source on its own. As most people forget to lock the bathroom, this one is the most convenient and fun location for chlorine-free water. Here are some reasons why cats like to enter the bathroom:

• Porcelain baths, sinks, and tiled floors are cooler on a hot day
• Curious to see what’s behind the door
• Litter is in the bathroom
• Want to play with a toilet paper

Once your cat enters the bathroom, they will surely drink toilet water to satisfy their thirst.

How to Stop Cats from Drinking Toilet Water

Now that you know the common reasons why a cat drinks out of the toilet, it’s time to learn how to solve this problem. You should discourage this cat’s behavior quickly because it is disgusting and can cause some severe health complications, including vomiting, diarrhea, and more.

Keep reading to learn how you can stop your feline from drinking toilet water:

Change Water Bowls

First of all, check if your cat has problems with its regular water bowl by changing its location. Remember that if the water bowl is near a litter box or food, your feline won’t use it and find an alternative water source. If it’s the material causing the issue, you should get your little furball a new water bowl.

Provide Alternative Sources

As mentioned earlier, cats hate tap water. They don’t like the smell of chlorine. So, you should offer your feline a fresh and clean alternative to the water source, such as bottled spring water, filtered water, regular water.

Use Smell Deterrents

If your feline is obsessed with the toilet and spends most of its time in the bathroom, you should use a scent deterrent. Cats hate several scents, including:

• Cinnamon
• Mint
• Geranium
• Citrus
• Pine
• Eucalyptus
• Cedarwood

Final Verdict

We hope you have understood why cats drink out of the toilet. Cats usually do this because they are bored or don’t like their regular water bowl. 

Keep in mind that drinking from the toilet is not an ideal approach for cats. This method can lead to severe health problems, including vomiting, diarrhea, infections and more. So, try to discourage this behavior of your cat and offer them a clean and fresh source of water.