Do you ever check up on your cat’s water bowl just to find a toy floating? You aren’t alone! Many cats will put their toys in their water bowl or fountain.
If you’ve ever wondered why cats put toys in their water, the answer isn’t so straightforward. Unfortunately, we can’t ask cats why they put toys in their water, but we do have a few good guesses as to why this happens.
The good news is that you don’t need to fret — a toy in the water bowl isn’t anything to be worried about. It shouldn’t prevent your cat from drinking more water, though you should take the toy out of their bowl so it doesn’t get ruined.
Here are some reasons your cat might be putting toys in their water bowl.
Reason #1: For Fun
Your cat might put toys in their water bowl because it’s fun, simple as that! Cats interact with their toys in different ways, and putting their favorite toy in their water bowl could be your cat’s way of having fun. Other cats may just be curious to see what happens if they put their toy in their water bowl. In any case, if your cat looks like it’s playing with its toy in the water bowl, then this could be the reason.
Reason #2: Your Cat is Hunting
Many odd cat behaviors can be traced back to instinct and nature. Cats are natural born hunters, and they’re known to “hunt” their toys. Putting the toy in their water bowl could be part of the hunting process — some natural prey may go to a watering hole to drink, leaving them vulnerable to an attack.
Reason #3: Your Cat is Protecting its Toys
Cats can be territorial, and this might include the protection of their toys. Probably most common in homes with a second cat, toys in a water bowl could be a sign that your cat is trying to keep its toys away from its siblings. Essentially, your cat is looking for a way to keep its treasures safe and it chose its water bowl!
How Do I Stop My Cat From Putting Toys in its Water Bowl?
Unfortunately, there aren’t many ways to stop your cat from putting toys in its water bowl. You don’t want to restrict access to your cat’s water or toys, so you just need to help clean up after your cat.
One thing you can do is purchase a cat water fountain. This might not stop your cat from putting toys in its water, but it could help keep the toys from getting completely soaked.
Just rest assured that it’s perfectly normal for cats to put toys in water bowls. While we may not know exactly why, we can always have fun guessing!
Why Do Cats Put Toys in their Water FAQs
Cats swat at water bowls for various reasons. Running water from a fountain could resemble prey, while swatting at still water could be fun for some cats.
Cats might put their paws in water to test the water’s temperature, the same as you might do at the pool or before going into a bath. In hot weather, water on a cat’s paw could help it cool down.
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