A Webbox treat stick.
this post was submitted on 17 Jun 2025
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Hm. Maybe try putting the water away from the food. Some cats don't like it near the food. (Presumably related to clean water sources in nature vs. dead prey.)
My last cat only ever drank from the running tab. Jumped into the bathtub and meowed until someone turned it on, day or night.
We got one of those little water fountains, super popular. Everyone has there own place on it to drink. One likes where the water comes out, one likes the little pool and one likes the edge towards the nozzle, the water makes small waves there.
If they're an indoor cat, buy a cat harness and take them on a walk. Preferably one with a long leash.
Do not try to walk them like a dog; that will never work.
Cats are fiercely independent; try to force them in a particular direction and they'll protest. Let them lead the way.
If they try to go somewhere dangerous, simply stand in place and do not allow them to progress any further. Do not tug, they will eventually get the message on their own.
Be prepared to spend a half hour minimum outside, ideally an hour or more. Cats like to take their time on a walk.
Also be prepared to let the walk take 5 minutes or less if the cat doesn't feel like it. Or if they find it too scary (but might want to try again a little while later).
If you want this to be successful, you would be wise to devote time to harness training (i.e. getting used to the harness) first. Don't just put the harness on - it can be a bad experience for the cat and move you further from the goal of a walk.
Move the water away from the food. Get bowls that are wider and shallower than those so kitty’s whiskers don’t touch the sides when drinking and eating. Cats like separation between food and water, and they don’t like their whiskers touching the bowl when they eat.
Might make mealtimes easier for kitty.
Except for some cats that show their face down a glass to drink, with their whiskers completely squashed between them and the glass.
And apparently prefer it that way. Most cats will not like it but some do.
Your water is always worth the effort. It hasn’t been sitting in a bowl all day.
When you're gf doesn't know where to eat and shoots down every restaurant in the tri-state area.
Sometimes I wish I can read cats' minds so I can finally understand what they want
Be careful what you wish for.
Indeed.
Shit that's how my life feels basically at all times.
My cat wants food she can kill herself. That and cheese. I have no idea why she is so interested in cheese. Also, we tend to not eat tuna to avoid her pestering.
Mine likes cucumber
Years ago, I had a cat that loved cantaloupe. He was a stray in terrible shape when we got him (he adopted us). Our theory was that he found a cantaloupe that saved him from dehydration when he was feral. One of the nicest cats I have ever known.
I can be on a different continent opening a can of tuna, yet my cat will still be next to me in a jiffy with his "you gonna finish that" look
They prefer to have the water away from food bowls, is a sanitary instinct for predators
I keep telling my girlfriend this but she doesn't listen. "I see her drinking her water all the time!", she says. Yeah well she'd drink a lot more if you moved her water bowl!
It frustrates me so much because kidney failure is extremely common in cats due to low water intake. She claims that she loves her cat so much yet refuses to research this shit.
Meanwhile I have two water fountains for my kitty—both far away from the food—and let him drink from sink anytime he wants. She never lets him because he gets in the way of her "skincare routine", but I am of the opinion that you should never pass up on an opportunity for your cat to drink more water.
At this point jusk ask her to move the water for your peace of mind. I'm worried this will breed resentment otherwise when her cat's health fails, even if it's only due to aging. If she respects you she will move the bowl, even if she believes it is totally unnecessary.
That or suggest a second water bowl, as a can't harm to give the cat more water to choose from.
When we got our two cats (they were buddies in the shelter, so they came in a bundle) one was super scared of everything. The first two weeks we only noticed his presence in the middle of the night, when he came out of hiding to eat. Then he started drinking out of my water cup, which is on my desk next to me. A year later I'm drinking out of a bottle and he has still his favorite cup on my desk :) the other one is using a fountain.
The fourth is catnip. Always the 'nip.
Once my mom asked me to clear out a planter box that had become overgrown because she wanted to plant tomatoes. I pulled up this 3ft tall stalk plant with little purplish flowers, and as soon as I shoved it in the trash bag, the cat came running from the other side of the house and dove face first in the bag. After a minute or so, it was backing out of the bag with the stalk between his teeth dragging it out of the bag and once it was out of the bag started nibbling on it and rolling around on the plant. Looked up what the plant was and apparently I had just pulled up his catnip grow operation. When he came down, he was mad at me for a few days.
That thing is BLOOD!
Deep in thought. "Is this what my life has become? I used to be a legendary hunter."
This can actually be a large part of it. Cats are obligate hunters so they can be pretty regimented in wanting a 'hunt' to spur their appetite.
A play session may be that fourth thing.
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Split water and food bowls by a good amount of space. Opposite sides of the room, or different rooms altogether. And more than 1 water bowl. Apparently these tricks are useful.
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For me this 4th thing is “tub”. It’s when my cat asks me to fill the bathtub with a small puddle of water so he can stand on the dry side and drink from the puddle. He’s 18 years old but he can still climb in and out of the tub and I think that’s pretty cool.
It looks like a human looking into the fridge full of food but finding nothing to eat
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For my little Chloe, it's deli meat. I don't know how she does it, but she always knows. I could go to the kitchen 10 times, and she wouldn't react, but if I quietly make a sandwich and bring it to the living room to eat while watching TV, she's right there, purring for her share. You can't sneak it past her, she always knows.
You think that's crazy, try being in the same house as a cat when you're tripping on psychedelics. They know when you've entered their realm, and the cheeky little bastards like to take advantage of that fact.
I had this one cat that was a normal cat when I was sober, but liked to pop in and out of existence whenever I was on 25i/2c-e/LSD/etc. This one time I hear him meowing from across the house; I turn towards the sound, and suddenly he's rubbing against my legs and purring. Reach down to pet him and he's gone. It was some seriously freaky shit.
All cats have a +15 on perception.
and Detect Food as a cantrip
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