If your cat has been tipping over his water or food bowl or causing a lot of water or food to spill out, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about it.
So, why does my cat tip over his water bowl? Likely reasons why your cat tips over his water bowl are to eat without his whiskers getting wet, being very thirsty, your cat thinks there is an issue with the water or that there are other animals around causing your cat to be anxious.
There are actually a number of possible reasons but there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Why does my cat tip over his water or food bowl?
Below are likely causes and what would make each of them more likely.
To drink without getting their whiskers wet
It could be the case that your cat has been doing it because they want to be able to drink without getting their whiskers wet. This would be more likely to be the cause if the bowl is tall and narrow because it can result in your cat getting their whiskers wet more easily.
Health issues
It might be the case that there are health issues that have been causing your cat to be very thirsty and to splash more in the process of drinking. This would be more likely if your cat has started doing it suddenly and if they have been showing other signs of having health issues such as wanting to drink constantly.
Alternatively, it might be the case that your cat has been being very thirsty because of only being given the chance to drink once per day or because the weather is hotter.
Anxiety
It might also be the case that something has been causing your cat to be anxious and to try to drink more quickly. This would be more likely if your cat tends to splash more in situations such as when there are other animals around or loud noises inside.
Your cat thinks there is an issue with the water
It might also be the case that your cat thinks that there is an issue with the water. Your cat might think that it is contaminated or that it is not fresh enough. This would be more likely if your cat tends to do it more when you have not replaced the water recently.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.
If your cat has always tipped over the water bowl
If your cat did not always tip over the water bowl, it would help to consider what else happened when the behavior first started. If it started suddenly, it could be due to things such as something causing your cat to be anxious, you stopped replacing the water as often or getting a new bowl.
The timing of when your cat tips over the water bowl
It would also help to consider if your cat tends to do it more in certain situations. For example, if your cat does not have access to water overnight and tends to spill a lot of the water in the morning, it could be because your cat is very thirsty.
How to get my cat to stop tipping over the water bowl?
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Change the bowl
If it seems like there might be an issue with your cat’s bowl, the first option would be to try replacing the bowl. Typically a shorter bowl that is wide is better than a tall and narrow bowl.
Ensure the water is replaced daily
If you have not been replacing the water very often, it would help to try replacing it more often, at least once per day.
Change the location of the bowl
If your cat currently has to eat or drink at the same place as other pets, it could also help to try changing the location of where you put the bowl.
Get help
If your cat has bene behaving very unusually or won’t eat or drink, the best option would be to take your cat to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat and to rule out medical causes.
Why does my cat knock his food bowl over?
Likely reasons why your cat will knock his food bowl over are that your cat wants to take food away from the place that they found it due to evolutionary reasons, your cat does not like the bowl, or because your cat does not like the food.
Why does my cat push its food bowl around?
Likely reasons why your cat pushes its food bowl around are that your cat has an urge to bury his food, to take his food to a different location than where he found it or because your cat simply does not like the position of the food bowl.