How does your pussycat drink?

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 16 Nov 10 - 09:01 AM

I can't speak for Toms but when my oldest cat Misty (female) was alive she was a tiny built little thing and used to drink and eat so delicately infact she was the only potentially annorexic cat I have ever known. She was a nightmare to feed and water. Misha the other female cat a Siamese cross on the other hand was like a gangly walking eating drinking machine and often Misty would leave her her food and water. Then when I had a Cavalier Spaniel puppy she did the same for her.

Going back to Misty she preferred to drink drops of water from the tap or even stranger she liked to lick the sweet moisture from a wash peeled carrot.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Becca72
Date: 16 Nov 10 - 08:39 AM

Ed,
thanks for that info. Makes me glad I drive a green car!

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 12:30 PM

Gonna get rid of that cat if she can't stay outa the liquor cabinet....

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 11:41 AM

Sort of

lap,lap,lap,lap......only quicker

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 05:23 AM

Kat - use a blob of bluetac to hold down the paper plates

Cats eat the small shit birds and big shit bird tries to eat cat

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Genie
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 01:49 AM

But as is shown in a couple of the videos I posted links to, some cats like to get water by sticking a paw under the faucet and then licking the water off it. Kind of the reverse of the way they lick a paw and then 'wash' the fur on the back of their heads with it.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 12:32 AM

review of the kitty science news (NPR) has both the cat video and a dog video, for contrast. The dog does the scooping with the underside of its tongue -- it's very counter-intuitive.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 07:32 PM

I guess with a tongue like this.

OT but poor little delia, She was an ill feral who we nursed to health then became a friend of mine then what we think was a dog killed her...

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Rapparee
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 07:16 PM

Straight from the bottle. Little forepaws lifting it up and taking that whiskey right one down.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Ed T
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 06:22 PM

"The research also showed birds can be selective about the cars they hit.

Just 86 per cent of drivers of green cars have been hit by bird droppings in the last year, compared to 92 per cent of drivers of silver cars. Green car drivers are also hit less often".*source


On relection, I am not so sure that cats can elimate the "big shitters"...pigeons and seagulls? I suspect most cats focus on the "small shit" varieties,which likely do less harm.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: olddude
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 06:09 PM

But the blond pussycat in college that I was sweet on liked "gin and tonic"

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: open mike
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 05:55 PM

ha! this was just posted to facebook (hope you can see it by the link)
http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=1696772776129
and this is one of the comments added to that video
"the physics of how cats "normally" lap has just been described. Apparently they flick the liquid in the air and with perfect timing catch the liquid. Completely different than how dogs lap water. Interesting trivia."

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: gnu
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 05:05 PM

Brian... hahahahahahaa!

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Genie
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 04:56 PM

Method 1a
Method 1b

same technique but not sure what they added to that water

Ladylike technique

Advanced "sneak attack" technique

combined drink/shampoo/shower technique

combined drink/bath technique

Who says cats don't like water?

   learning to use the faucet 101

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Brian May
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 04:39 PM

http://www.springerlink.com/content/g462245897502720/

This states the world's population of birds is between 200 and 400 billion.

That's say 300x1000000x1000000 or 300,000,000,000,000 birds. Let's just say that each bird only craps 1 gm of birdshit a day (considering the size of many birds, it's a conservative estimate).

Each metric tonne is 1,000 kg or 1,000,000 gms. That means then that birds crap approximately 300 million metric tonnes of shit hit the ground everyday.

Now we get to the point:

Of that 300 million metric tonnes, most of it seems to hit my car - that or it's personal.

Yo cats - eat as many of our feathered brethren as you can!!! Oh, and drink water by whatever means to want afterwards.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: olddude
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 04:34 PM

Jim
naw, they use a straw ... then they don't break the surface. It is one of them kind ya get at McDonald's fer stirring the coffee ya can't drink

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Ed T
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 04:30 PM

One of my cats, a female, had a problem a few years back. She had a problem moving her water (crystals). So, on Vets directions, we had to put her on a special diet, and temporarily monitor how well her water passed. How did we do that? Well, we isolated her and put glass beads in a litter box, and took samples, using a syringe. It is not an understatement to say that she did not take to pee in glass beads. Anyway, we got through that.

Two weeks later, I had to reintroduce the glass beads in the litter box. She did not like it a bit. I took a half-day off work, and isolated her in the bathroom with food and water. After four hours, no go. She would get in the litter box; seem to want to go, only to get out when she saw the glass beads. I was frustrated, as was she. She crossed her legs, refusing to relieve herself in the beads.

Suddenly, I had an idea. I used one of the syringes to pump water into her. I tried it. After ten munites, in desperation, she entered the litter box, and a massive stream of water flowed.

I srynged up the fluid and took the sample bottle to the vet. He looked in amazement and said, "Wow, I have never seen a sample that large from a cat, we normally get a small amount to test, the sample bottle is full. How did you do that?"

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 04:11 PM

JOhninKS, we use one of the auto-waterers, too, and yes, they do dribble bits of food in it, then refuse to drink. We use small paper plates for their tbsp. or so of wet food each day. One of them has always "anchored" it with his paw. We hadn't used them in a long time, but just started again, recently. The other cat apparently paid attention because he is now using his paw to keep the plat from scooting around the room, too.

When I had six cats, I bought darling white porcelain fish-shaped bone plates, small things wouldn't hold many bones of fish or fowl, but they were perfect for a dollop of kitty "fishie." I got tired of gathering them all and washing everyday, though.:-)

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 02:47 PM

Thats a bit like a freind of ours who lives in Holland. She is a nurse and had to learn Dutch very quickly. Of course she knew a lot of medical words, but was a bit rusty on other words.

Anyway, one day she went into the greengrocers and waited in the queue. When it was her turn, she asked in her best Dutch for a kilo of "aambeien". The shop fell about laughing. She asked what was so funny. They said so you want a kilo of hemorrhoids.

Unfortunately the Dutch word for strawberries was "aardbeien" and she used "aambeien" by mistake.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 02:35 PM

"...without breaking the surface of the liquid"?

I find it hard to ... visualize that.

Does it mean the liquid flows from the bowl into the cat's stomach in one continuous unbroken stream, until the cat stops drinking?

Sometimes I think "science reporters" don't have a clue what scientists are really doing.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Becca72
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 02:30 PM

Arthur - LOL
That is one of the downsides to being a professional medical transcriptionist. I often type "liver" when I mean "live" and "gland" when I mean "glad"   :-)

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 02:16 PM

Cross-posted with bobad, who links a video with a little more explanation than what's left at MSNBC.

An important comment resulting from the study is, as some cat persons have admitted knowing, that cats don't like a bowl that makes their whiskers touch anything while eating or drinking. Most "kitty bowls" sold by pet outlets are far too deep and usually too small in diameter to please a cat, and may account for a significant number of "fussy eaters."

For their canned food, we use hard glazed ceramic "saucers" intended to hold your flower pots so the moisture doesn't leak out of the pot, about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Unglazed ones don't work well because cleaning them is about like removing the old concrete from used bricks.

It's entirely possible, if you have a cat that doesn't like drinking out of a bowl, that the bowl is just too small in diameter or that the water surface is too far down in the bowl. We use an "automatic dispensing" water dispenser, but it needs cleaning and fresh water more frequently than it actually runs low on water since the cats seem to like to dribble bits of "stuff" in it and then refuse to drink when the water gets nasty.

John

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 02:13 PM

Quote from Becca72
Mikey has always refused to drink from a bowel of any kind
Unquote

Is Mikey a tiger or something?

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 02:07 PM

indeed... keep kitties inside... better for them and all the little critters outside.

My Squeaky, more often than not, dipped her paw into the bowl and licked the water from her paw. When she lapped, she would start the water moving by dipping her paw in first.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 01:59 PM

I observed several decades ago that our cats curled their tongue "backwards," with the backside up, when drinking, whereas most other animals, and dogs in particular, drink "front side up."

After attempting to discuss the phenomenon, and being ridiculed by know-nothings, I gave up on trying to inspire curiosity or to find anyone who'd ever actually looked at a drinking cat.

It was quite rewarding to finally see that someone has had the curiosity (and adequate facilities) to examine the cat way, although I was not sufficiently encouraged to start a thread here when I saw the report a week ago, due to my past experience regarding discussion of the subject.

The note on the cat drinking method at MSNBC has been replaced by an article about how dogs shake water off, but a brief video of how cats drink, showing the experimental apparatus used by the researchers, is still available. (The commercial is longer than the video).

John

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: bobad
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 01:53 PM

Slow mo cat lapping video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-JUo_2eyuU

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Becca72
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 01:46 PM

Not sure how a new boyfriend would help, Lizzie, as Mikey is my cat...excepting that the cat would have another toothbrush to choose from...

Out of the 3 cats I share residence with, Mikey has always refused to drink from a bowel of any kind (toilet lid is ALWAYS closed - think about what you do in there!!) and only takes water from the bathroom sink faucet. The other two used to be content with their water dishes but recently have decided that Mikey knows his stuff and so now all 3 of them will only drink from the faucet. I am a well-trained human and accommodate this.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 01:27 PM

"Yeah well, they need to wash down the bits of the poor wee songbirds they murder, in enormous amounts."

It's true. KEEP YOUR CAT INSIDE YOUR HOUSE. For its sake, for the birds' sake, and for your wallet's sake.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: GUEST,crazy little woman
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 01:24 PM

There's something about the taste of toilet water that draws him to it"

Probably that it's fresh and cold.

I read in the paper once that in some households, there are more germs on the handle of the fridge than in the toilet. So cats may not be as dumb as all that.

My cats definitely prefer fresh, cold water. One cat liked to lick hers from the bathtub faucet. All prefer stainless steel bowls. Plastic bowls are bad - they can lead to a nasty infection called 'feline acne.'

my current cat has a lot of fears. She prefers to lap water from her stainless steel bowl while I stand right near, so that no cougars or dinosaurs can get her while her head's down.
======
Arthur itis, thanks for starting this. That's interesting that cats don't break the surface of the water.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 01:20 PM

One feels this could cause some ambiguity re. the saying "cat's got your tongue".

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 12:47 PM

Ya shoulda gotta a new boyfriend! ;0)

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Becca72
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 12:41 PM

Dude, I can do you one better.
I once caught my Mikey chewing on my still-wet toothbrush. I, of course, immediately got a new toothbrush.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 12:36 PM

Well I hope the cat hadn't been cleaning it's bum first Dan.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 12:24 PM

Hope it's not cantagious!

Do you ever get the urge to lick your balls Dan?

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: olddude
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 12:16 PM

My office cat when I am not looking with jump on my desk and start lapping up my coffee. I caught her doing it ... which makes me wonder how many times she did that before I found out ... yikes

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Ed T
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 12:15 PM

"We suspect he positions his body over the toilet, puts his head in and laps it up".

There's something about the taste of toilet water that draws him to it, prefering it to his water dish. Maybe it's a scientific experiment in the waiting?

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Ed T
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 12:12 PM

We tried training him to put the lid up himself, but it didn't work.

So, we now leave the lid up when we are out. We suspect he positions his body over the toilet, puts his head in and laps it up.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Liane
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 11:50 AM

>Well it seems that more money is wasted on stupid research to find out how moggies lap up liquids so elegantly.

Well, actually not, if the New York Times can be believed:

"The project required no financing. The robot that mimicked the cat's tongue was built for an experiment on the International Space Station, and the engineers simply borrowed it from a neighboring lab."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/science/12cats.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_HP_LO_MST_FB

I, for one, am grateful for any information that will help me better understand my baffling cats!

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 11:35 AM

LMAO Ed T

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Ed T
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 11:27 AM

I just asked him. He seemed aloof to the questioning. He just looked away, with a disinterested look, and continued to groom his balls?

(maybe changing the spelling of his name would perk him up? Just speculating on that).
:)

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 11:27 AM

"Unless there are song lyrics available :-)"

John Hartford-- Have Mercy on My Poor Old Prurient Interest

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: gnu
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 11:20 AM

"... without breaking the surface of the liquid."

Scientists?

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 11:17 AM

Last time I amended a title to distract the prurient, I got a slap on the wrist.
Ho hum.

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 10:51 AM

Oh Joe Clone, you have no sense of humour. The title is now ruined. However, thankyou for moving below the belt.

I am so glad for you Dan :-)

Subject: RE: How does your pussycat drink?
From: olddude
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 10:41 AM

The last question I had in life has now been answered ... I now understand it all ... Take me Lord ... I can die in peace LOL

Subject: RE: How does your pussy drink
From: Amos
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 10:33 AM

About half the people in this forum are going to think twice about this thread, Arthur, and take exception to its premise.

------------ Premise? Who care's where the cat is? Title amended to distract the prurient. ;>) JoeClone--------------------

Subject: RE: How does your pussy drink
From: Ed T
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 10:28 AM

I expect that science is only "breaking the surface" on this topic.

Subject: RE: How does your pussy drink
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 10:27 AM

Yeah well, they need to wash down the bits of the poor wee songbirds they murder, in enormous amounts.

Subject: RE: How does your pussy drink
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 10:16 AM

My cats [ long gone ] used to drink from a running bath tap if they got the chance.

Dave H

Subject: RE: How does your pussy drink
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 10:11 AM

OOOOOps that was meant to be BS Can some kindly elf please move to BS section please.

Unless there are song lyrics available :-)