meowing at water bowl

[Connie & Em (GA)]

Water is fresh, and full so it isn't that.

I am pretty sure it is a sign of a health issue but I can't seem to find an answer on google. Anyone know what a cat meowing at the water bowl means?

 

[tuckers mom]

When my senior hypert kitties were here, sometimes they would meow even if the bowl was fresh and I had to get fresh water again and let them see me put it down, then they would drink.

Could the kitty be trying to tell you something, like maybe there's a kitty dental in your future.

 

[Connie & Em (GA)]

not my future It is Boots, my aunt's cat who I am sitting till the first.

He's got a couple of things that seem odd to me, but since he's not my cat I don't know what is normal for him. She said he had been to the vets recently, but I'm not quite sure what recently is to her. I wanted to be able to say "You should probably get this checked out because of this"

Thanks for the post. I appreciate it.

c

 

[Becky and AJ (GA)]

My civvie, Albert, who is 18 (his birthday was yesterday) has been meowing at the waterbowl for about a year now. I've taken him to the vet about it but there's nothing wrong with him, other than his CRF. It's only the waterbowl that he howls at. When he does it, I look at him and he looks at me and then starts drinking. It's the weirdest thing. Since he's been doing it for so long and the vet can't find anything wrong, I just put it down to old age and/or the CRF. Of course, if it progresses, I will get him looked at again.

 

[JJ & Gwyn [GA]]

When Gwyn wouldn't drink, I often found that, even when the water was fresh, the bowl itself wasn't. So I'd take it in for a good thorough scrubbing or run it through the dishwater and start her off with a fresh bowl.

 

[Jayne & Sweety]

Maybe he thinks it's empty? (since the water is clear...)
I use a drop of food coloring in a gallon of water so Sweety can see it's filled. I remember she used to just look at me, and then the bowl a few times and then attempt to drink, before I started to add the color....

 

[alexanne]

I have just joined this group today and am browsing - when I found this discussion, I was quite amused - My male cat - Vegas - is 14 years old and he does this meowing at the water bowl every so often. He also wipes his front paws on the floor when he does that. I never thought for one moment that it was health related.

I joined the group because my female cat, Peachy, has been diagnosed with diabetes only about two weeks ago. The site was recommended and I look forward to obtaining as much information as I can on that subject.

 

[Becky and AJ (GA)]

I have just joined this group today and am browsing - when I found this discussion, I was quite amused - My male cat - Vegas - is 14 years old and he does this meowing at the water bowl every so often. He also wipes his front paws on the floor when he does that. I never thought for one moment that it was health related.

I joined the group because my female cat, Peachy, has been diagnosed with diabetes only about two weeks ago. The site was recommended and I look forward to obtaining as much information as I can on that subject.

Welcome alexanne. You've come to the right place to help with your sugarcat. I'm not sure what insulin Peachy is on but make sure to look at the Insulin Support Group forums, if you haven't already. There's a wealth of knowledge to be found there.

Becky and AJ
BTW: My Albert also splashes the water out of his bowl sometimes while he's howling at it. Weird.

 

[Jayne & Sweety]

He also wipes his front paws on the floor when he does that.

Ha, that's funny, Sweety does the same thing...weird...
I don't think that's a health thing, is it? I thought it was something...ingrained in them from ancient times...like the circling before laying down that comes from when they used to have to flatten grass to make their bed in the wild...

 

[JandB]

He also wipes his front paws on the floor when he does that.

Ha, that's funny, Sweety does the same thing...weird...
I don't think that's a health thing, is it? I thought it was something...ingrained in them from ancient times...like the circling before laying down that comes from when they used to have to flatten grass to make their bed in the wild...

My cat does that too. Think it's really cute! I think of it as him turning the tap on to make the water come out of the bowl! :smile:
If he goes on my lap he walks back and forth too, and then flattens my clothing with his paws. Sounds like what you said about " flattening the grass ".

What interesting creatures cats are! :smile:

 

[Les]

So happy to find this thread. Not sure if anyone is even monitoring it anymore, since it's 8 years since the last post, however my 18-yr-old cat, as far as I know otherwise healthy, sits in front of a full water bowl with fresh water from the fridge and meows continually. It's not a painful sounding meow (not howling or crying). He sees me take the water out of the fridge and fill the bowl, so it's not that he thinks it's old. I am wondering if he's diabetic but he seems otherwise to be ok. When he drinks, he usually pees right afterwards in the litter box. Since he's 18, and perhaps it's cruel, I don't want (and can't) to spend hundreds of dollars in vet bills, yet I certainly don't want to think he's in any kind of pain or discomfort. Any thoughts? Thank you.

 

[Sean & Rufus]

So happy to find this thread. Not sure if anyone is even monitoring it anymore, since it's 8 years since the last post, however my 18-yr-old cat, as far as I know otherwise healthy, sits in front of a full water bowl with fresh water from the fridge. He sees me take the water out of the fridge and fill the bowl, so it's not that he thinks it's old. I am wondering if he's diabetic but he seems otherwise to be ok. When he drinks, he usually pees right afterwards in the litter box. Since he's 18, and perhaps it's cruel, I don't want (and can't) to spend hundreds of dollars in vet bills, yet I certainly don't want to think he's in any kind of pain or discomfort. Any thoughts? Thank you.

Not drinking water is usually not a sign of diabetes. Usually its massive thirst and peeing a lot that leads us to thinking diabetes. Does he have any other symptoms going on?

 

[Les]

Not drinking water is usually not a sign of diabetes. Usually its massive thirst and peeing a lot that leads us to thinking diabetes. Does he have any other symptoms going on?

Thanks, Sean & Rufus
No, actually nothing at all, he seems perfectly fine otherwise. He is 18, so he's not as spry, perhaps, as he used to be but he looks great and eats normally. No litterbox accidents, just likes to sleep a lot, but which one of us doesn't?
I took someone's advice and switched out the water bowl from a ceramic one to a plastic one, filled it with fresh water (out of the fridge), and he drank it without any meowing. I'm hoping that's what the issue was.
Now I feel really awful because when he was sitting there meowing I got angry with him and locked him out of the kitchen for a few minutes. Hopefully he has forgiven me. I'll update this thread if anything changes.

 

[Sean & Rufus]

Now I feel really awful because when he was sitting there meowing I got angry with him and locked him out of the kitchen for a few minutes.

Hahaha! Yeah, I've been known to do that to my cats. Gotta remember cats are cats and do what they please! Like to drive us crazy. Good luck with your dude, hopefully he's just not into ceramics

 

[Les]

Hahaha! Yeah, I've been known to do that to my cats. Gotta remember cats are cats and do what they please! Like to drive us crazy. Good luck with your dude, hopefully he's just not into ceramics

Thanks for the moral support. His brother, also 18 obviously currently has his own problems, a growth on his lip that looks awful to me (it's right around the bottom of his tooth, I think ... he won't let me pull his lip up to look at it, so I have to wait until he meows LOL). The thing is, he is 100% normal. Eats, drinks, plays, purrs, sleeps all completely as if he didn't have this. The issue is that trying to get him into a carrier - he turns into the Tasmanian Devil - so I have been unable to take him to a vet. Since he's not in any visible pain whatsoever, I have been assured by my friends and family, all pet lovers, that I am doing the right thing and letting him live out his life normally. 18 yrs is a long time for cats to live. I love my 2 beyond belief but I don't believe in putting them through any unnecessary tests and procedures that could have even a worse effect. (Sorry I know this post is somewhat off-topic, apologies). Anyway the two of them give me endless joy and I just hope they're ok. (BTW they are Ben & Jerry , Jerry is the one in my avatar and the subject of my posts here.)

 

[Sean & Rufus]

Ah no worries, nothing is off topic. Yeah we all want the best for our kitties, and I sure worry about mine too. As long as they are eating, drinking, pooping, purring, playing (at least somewhat, right?), that's all we can ask for! I know my Rufus hates going to the vet, we were going almost weekly for a couple months. Can't blame him for hating the car rides and the pokes and the prods!

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

Dre has started yowling at the water bowl and it drives me crazy not knowing why-he is not in pain and seems content otherwise.
Banging my head! He does knock the dish (as does Rico they are 19 and 20) to see the water level .... the food coloring is a good idea tho. Frustrating!

 

[Butterball]

My cat usually hangs out at the water bowl when his Novolin is getting his BG too low at around the +3-4 mark. It’s actually pretty useful because I know he needs a quick small meal to take the edge off

My non-diabetic cat Boots hangs around water because she’s weird. She’s obsessed with water. Dripping sink, the left over puddles after someone takes a shower, any glass of water you leave unattended. She just has to get a piece of it. She also insists that the massive bowl of water we set in the kitchen that’s bigger than she is (have big dogs) be filled to the very top with fresh water before she’ll address it