My kitten won't drink out of his bowl?

Question

He'll drink out of a glass and he'll drink out of my watering can, but I can not get him to drink out of a bowl and I've tried several different types, dark, light, plastic, glass, and ceramic. Is there any particular reason why he won't drink out of a bowl, and is there any way to help him, I feel bad when he's meowing for water and I've got a whole bowl of it in front of him. He's about 8 weeks old, and I got him from a coworker who found the kittens at a river, their mother may have been wild. Any help would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

I have had cats for quite a while now and the mysteries of what vessel they will drink from still eludes me.  I do keep toilet lids down in my house as I don't want them drinking from the toilet.

I have two four-month old kittens now.  They go in the "kitten room" to spend the night.  They get bowls of dry food then and of course a bowl of freshly filtered water with it.  Both kittens will drink water from the communal bowl that is down all day in the kitchen.  I don't think they drink any from the bowl they have during the night.  Since all the cats eat mostly canned and raw meat food I don't worry about the water drinking as they get sufficient moisture from their food.

Answer 2

Have you tried a cat fountain? Cats tend to like to drink from running water, so it might entice him.

Answer 3

that is what my cat does you just have to let it do that so it can survive i think cats do it just cause they think it is yours and want to get on your nerves they are smart like that just let it be for now but still keep water in a bowl just in case cause it may adjust to it

Answer 4

So what.  My cats drink out of both, a bowl and a cup in the bathroom and a bowl in the kitchen.  I think they like the cup because they don't have to squat down or bend over - they can drink sitting up maybe this is what they prefer.

Answer 5

maby he'll like a deep plate, the kind used for pasta. my cat did that for a while and eventually i weaned him off of it. (much like milk)

Answer 6

Go back to the glass, metal or ceramic bowl.  One of the most common allergies for cats is plastic (plus they are porous and can host bacteria in the cracks that develop over time).  Put the water next to the food, eventually he will drink.  Do not dip his nose in it or any other things like that, he will associate it with a bad thing.  Give it time - some kittens just take a while.  It's harder on you then the kitten when training something new.

Answer 7

Make sure she has fresh water every day, one of my cats has to have fresh water even if her bowl is full. Try dipping her nose in the water just to show her that is what it is. This may help. If she is only eight weeks old you may want to try some Gerber Rice Cereal for babies and mix it with a combination of warm milk and water. She will love it and learn the knack of lapping it up