You shouldn’t let your cat drink fish water. There are plenty of problems with your cat doing that, but the main ones are a high possibility of a bacterial infection, damage to the water tank, your cat causing trouble for your fish, or your cat falling inside the fish tank.
Countless things can go wrong if you allow your cat to drink fish water. For starters, you probably use plenty of chemicals to keep the water clean for your fish. And that’s something your cat can’t drink. If your fish need some sort of medication, that could harm your cat as well.
On the other hand, your cat could damage the fish tank too. It can fall inside the tank, damage the filters, paw at the fish (and probably hurt them), and your cat could bring outside bacteria into the fish tank (or it could happen the other way around: your cat catching bacteria from the tank).
At the end of the day, you have to look at it like this: your cat and your fish live in two different worlds, and these two places shouldn’t mix.
Why does my cat like to drink fish water?
Cats seem to love to drink fish water – but nobody knows why. Some people believe it’s because of the bubbles, others believe it’s the smell of the fish water, and some people believe it’s simply because cats love running water. It probably is a combination of the three!
Lots of cat owners know their cats love to drink water from the fish tank, even if they have fresh water in their water bowl. It’s really weird! Most people can’t wrap their head around that fact – unless they see it from a cat’s point of view.
There are no water bowls out in nature. There are rivers, lakes, and the like. When a cat needs to drink water, it’ll do so in places where fish are swimming below.
Domestic cats may have never seen a lake – but their genetics still have a grip on them! If they can choose between the owl and the fish tank, they’ll probably go for the tank as it’s the closest they have to nature.
You should also consider a cat’s curious personality. Cats love interesting stuff – and drinking out of the fish tank is way more interesting than doing so out of a dull water bowl.
What can I do to stop my cat from drinking fish water?
If you want to stop your cat from drinking fish water, there are two options: you can either protect the fish tank or get your cat something that will make it stop paying attention to the tank. Nothing else will work!
Your first option is to protect the fish tank. You can cover the top, buy something that protects it, or place it somewhere that your cat can’t reach. Covering the tank is usually the preferred option because it takes less effort.
Other than that, you can buy something that catches your cat’s attention. A cat water fountain is a perfect gift for your cat. It’ll be just like the fish tank but safer!