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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / November 2005Colored Water
For a while now I've suspected that Natasha is having trouble seeing the surface of the water in her water bowl (recently diagnosed with developing cataracts). I sort of think this is partly why she's always putting her feet into her water bowl (it's white), because there have been a few times I've seen her lean in for a drink and end up with a nose full of water! Anyway, I'm trying to think of cheap and easy ways to help her find the surface of the water. I really can't afford one of those "watering systems" that creates a disturbance on the surface because it's constantly moving water into and out of the bowl. So what came to mind is coloring the water so she can see the surface easier. Has anyone here ever tried adding food color to their feline's drinking water? - you all know what I mean, the colored liquid that turns food interesting colors when you add a drop or two to the mix. If you have, how did it work out? Did your kitty drink it? Did s/he end up with an oddly colo(u)red tongue or urine? Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com > For a while now I've suspected that Natasha is having trouble seeing > the surface of the water in her water bowl (recently diagnosed with [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > If you have, how did it work out? Did your kitty drink it? Did s/he > end up with an oddly colo(u)red tongue or urine? Never tried food coloring, but I think that one of the attractions of the DrinkWell fountain for my cats is that the surface of the water is constantly in motion so they can see the surface (as well as drink from the water that is pouring out of the fountain). Hugs, CatNipped > Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha > > ============ > http://www.jhedge.com > For a while now I've suspected that Natasha is having trouble seeing the > surface of the water in her water bowl (recently diagnosed with developing [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > ============ > http://www.jhedge.com Do you have a colored drinking straw? Cut a 2 inch piece off and float it in the water. MLB >Do you have a colored drinking straw? Cut a 2 inch piece off and float it >in the water. MLB After reading your suggestion I gave this a try. Natasha now has a new game - flip the straw out of the drinking bowl! :) Well, at least I know she can *see* the straw <g> Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com Natasha will not be able to see clear water in a white bowl if she has sight difficulties, I know this from my own experience. She needs contrast, so can you get her a dark coloured bowl or paint the one you have inside with dark tile paint ? Tweed > For a while now I've suspected that Natasha is having trouble seeing > the surface of the water in her water bowl (recently diagnosed with [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > ============ > http://www.jhedge.com >Natasha will not be able to see clear water in a white bowl if she has sight >difficulties, I know this from my own experience. She needs contrast, so >can you get her a dark coloured bowl or paint the one you have inside with >dark tile paint ? I've got both a white ceramic bowl and a dark blue ceramic bowl, and have tried both as her water dish. It doesn't seem to matter. Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com I believe cats have an instinct against drinking still water. Still water=dirty moving water=clean. So we let a tap drip sometimes, one cat loves her drinkwell fountain and the other is happy if we throw a few ice cubes in her water to break up the surface. I think the dipping the paw and licking is a way to test the quality of the water. Jo > For a while now I've suspected that Natasha is having trouble seeing > the surface of the water in her water bowl (recently diagnosed with [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > ============ > http://www.jhedge.com > I believe cats have an instinct against drinking still water. Still > water=dirty moving water=clean. So we let a tap drip sometimes, one cat > loves her drinkwell fountain and the other is happy if we throw a few ice > cubes in her water to break up the surface. I think the dipping the paw and > licking is a way to test the quality of the water. I absolutely agree with this. I think this is part of the fascination with a tub of running water or a toilet freshly flushed. kili >> I believe cats have an instinct against drinking still water. Still >> water=dirty moving water=clean. So we let a tap drip sometimes, one cat [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >I absolutely agree with this. I think this is part of the fascination with >a tub of running water or a toilet freshly flushed. Tribble (RB) loved to get onto the bathroom vanity and drink from the bathroom sink tap. Sometimes, when apparently feeling very adventurous, he'd even try to drink from the bathtub tap. He was very good at it. Never saw him, or Tasha, pay much attention to the toilet at all. Tasha, OTOH, never gave drinking from the sink tap more than a token attempt (with mouth or feet), and I never ever saw her try the tub. She'd sit there and watch Trib do it, with a look on her face that seemed to say "wow, you are *such* an idiot!" But where I'm at now, drinking from the sink now isn't an option, even if I could try to get Tasha give it another shot. Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com <snip> >Anyway, I'm trying to think of cheap and easy ways to help her find >the surface of the water. I really can't afford one of those >"watering systems" that creates a disturbance on the surface because >it's constantly moving water into and out of the bowl. So what came to >mind is coloring the water so she can see the surface easier. <snip> I wouldn't use food coloring - over time it would amount to a lot per pound of cat. I have use an aquarium pump to bubble air through the water, but lately I have noticed that most of the cats prefer to drink from a particular side of the bowl. The bowl is located a couple of feet to one side of directly under the always-on ceiling light - the side they usually drink from is the one from which the reflection of the light can be seen. I haven't had any problem with the cats dragging the bowl around and spilling the water since I started putting it where it is now, and not much paw-in-water dirt either.  SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) >I have use an aquarium pump to bubble air through the water, but >lately I have noticed that most of the cats prefer to drink from a [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >bowl around and spilling the water since I started putting it where it >is now, and not much paw-in-water dirt either. You know, you may have something here. I'm going to try to find someplace to put her water bowl where there's a surface reflection from the ceiling light/window, but it's not somewhere I'm going to step in it! Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com ><snip> >>Anyway, I'm trying to think of cheap and easy ways to help her find [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >bowl around and spilling the water since I started putting it where it >is now, and not much paw-in-water dirt either. I moved Natasha's water bowl over a week ago, and there's been a big difference. There is still a bit of "foot-in-water" drinking going on (including actually *standing* in her water bowl!), but she's walking up to the bowl and taking a drink in the normal fashion a lot more than she used to. It just never crossed my mind that overhead lighting would make such a big difference! Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com >><snip> >>>Anyway, I'm trying to think of cheap and easy ways to help her find [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] >It just never crossed my mind that overhead lighting would make such a >big difference! Well, it took me only about thirty years of struggling with cats and water bowls to figure that out, and then it was pure accident that the current bowl location is in just the right place for my cats to show me that something about the position was of critical importance. Then I noticed the reflection one day when I was looking from an angle that was about the same as the one the cat I was watching had. SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) > For a while now I've suspected that Natasha is having trouble seeing > the surface of the water in her water bowl (recently diagnosed with > developing cataracts). I sort of think this is partly why she's always > putting her feet into her water bowl (it's white), because there have > been a few times I've seen her lean in for a drink and end up with a > nose full of water! I don't have any experience with food colouring. Frank always nudges the bowl little with his paw before drinking, for the same reason I think; to make the water move so he can see where the surface is. Maybe floating something on the surface would help? Does she like catnip? Maybe float some pieces of dried catnip on the surface. Or would they sink when they get wet? I don't know. SignatureMarina, Frank, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Nikki. marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki > > For a while now I've suspected that Natasha is having trouble seeing > > the surface of the water in her water bowl (recently diagnosed with [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Maybe float some pieces of dried catnip on the surface. Or would they > sink when they get wet? I don't know. I think we're on to something here........... kili > For a while now I've suspected that Natasha is having trouble seeing > the surface of the water in her water bowl (recently diagnosed with [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > If you have, how did it work out? Did your kitty drink it? Did s/he > end up with an oddly colo(u)red tongue or urine? A lot of cats are colorblind (although it's not as universal a condition as it is in dogs). In that case, would she even see the difference? > Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha > > ============ > http://www.jhedge.com >A lot of cats are colorblind (although it's not as universal >a condition as it is in dogs). In that case, would she even >see the difference? True enough! >^.^< Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com >Anyway, I'm trying to think of cheap and easy ways to help her find >the surface of the water. I really can't afford one of those >"watering systems" that creates a disturbance on the surface because >it's constantly moving water into and out of the bowl. So what came to >mind is coloring the water so she can see the surface easier. Fin used to stick his paw into the bowl and move it an inch, and drink while it was still shaking from the move. Then he'd move it again. His water dish travelled all over the kitchen floor when he drank. Jane - owned and operated by Princess Rita > >Anyway, I'm trying to think of cheap and easy ways to help her find > >the surface of the water. I really can't afford one of those [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Jane > - owned and operated by Princess Rita Felix (RB) used to pour his water all over the kitchen floor - we tried every kind of dish but if he couldn't tip it over he would whack the side until the water sloshed out! We finally had to move the water dish into the bathtub. Of course, he actually drank from the dripping tap in the bathtub... Fi > Has anyone here ever tried adding food color to their feline's > drinking water? - you all know what I mean, the colored liquid that > turns food interesting colors when you add a drop or two to the mix. > If you have, how did it work out? Did your kitty drink it? Did s/he > end up with an oddly colo(u)red tongue or urine? maybe you could float some little toy(s) on the water (would she chew something like that up?) > Has anyone here ever tried adding food color to their feline's > drinking water? - you all know what I mean, the colored liquid that > turns food interesting colors when you add a drop or two to the mix. > If you have, how did it work out? Did your kitty drink it? Did s/he > end up with an oddly colo(u)red tongue or urine? Jeanne, is the e-mail address in your header valid? If so, you might want to check your e-mail for a message I sent a couple of days ago. I have a kitty fountain that my gang isn't using right now, and I'd glad to send it to you. Dan >> Has anyone here ever tried adding food color to their feline's >> drinking water? - you all know what I mean, the colored liquid that [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >kitty fountain that my gang isn't using right now, and I'd glad to send it >to you. I'll do a resend on my reply. Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com >For a while now I've suspected that Natasha is having trouble seeing >the surface of the water in her water bowl (recently diagnosed with [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >============ >http://www.jhedge.com I can't answer about the food coloring for the kitties, and you've got a lot of good responses, but I just wanted to say I think it's fun to add food coloring to my bathwater on occasion. Blue and green are especially nice, and it kinda makes you feel like you're bathing in the ocean. I suspect drinking a lot of food coloring wouldn't be the best thing for kitties. And I doubt kitties would want to bathe in it ;-) Ginger-lyn Home Pages: http://www.spiritrealm.com/summer/ http://www.angelfire.com/folk/glsummer (homepage & cats) http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~summer/index.htm (genealogy) http://www.movieanimals.bravehost.com/ (The Violence Against Animals in Movies Website) I do not suggest using normal food coloring in cats water. I do suggest bluing, no more than a drop at first and see if that helps. I use bluing in my horses water to help prevent bacteria growth. My horse likes to wash his mouth into his water and by the end of the day it would be very sour. So bluing helps slow down the growth of the bacteria so I can get there and dump and refresh it. Its great for bird baths as well, keeps the water fresher for the birds. http://www.mrsstewart.com/pages/otheruses.htm Try this link and see what else you can use bluing for. Gina > For a while now I've suspected that Natasha is having trouble seeing > the surface of the water in her water bowl (recently diagnosed with [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > ============ > http://www.jhedge.com |
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