Why does my cat dip its paw in the water?

It looks pretty cute: Your cat dipping his or her paw in the water bowl and then licking it off. But why does your cat actually do this? Is it as cute as it seems?

Whisker sensitivity.
Cat whiskers are thick hairs with lots of nerves at the ends. They are therefore very sensitive. They are good advisors for cats and help them navigate their environment. However, in some cases they can also get in the way, such as when drinking from a bowl that is too deep . Such bowls cause the whiskers to bend backwards when drinking. For many cats this is very uncomfortable or even painful . Not so cute then ... For these cats, a shallow drinking fountain is much nicer. Take a look at this Pets Pride drinking fountain !

Preference for moving water.
By nature, most cats love moving water . In stagnant water, the chance of bacteria or poisoning is greater and cats want to protect themselves from this. This could be the reason that your cat walks past the regular drinking bowl and prefers the tap. You also have cats that try to make the water move with their paws. It is wise to keep an eye on this behavior , because it could be that your cat is not drinking enough. In that case, a water fountain is a good solution to stimulate drinking (clean) water. The Pets Pride drinking fountain (with WIFI) has a filter for the cleanest water and even gives a signal when the water needs to be refilled, the filter needs to be replaced or the fountain needs to be cleaned!

Even with a water fountain, it is possible that the cat will still use his or her paw for a while, because it can take some getting used to: that moving water fountain. But after that, your cat will be very grateful !