{"id":2963,"date":"2023-01-28T13:50:15","date_gmt":"2023-01-28T13:50:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/?p=2963"},"modified":"2023-01-28T13:50:16","modified_gmt":"2023-01-28T13:50:16","slug":"why-do-cats-put-things-in-their-water-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-put-things-in-their-water-bowl\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Cats Put Things in Their Water Bowl?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-put-things-in-their-water-bowl\/#The_Natural_Instincts_of_Cats\" title=\"The Natural Instincts of Cats\">The Natural Instincts of Cats<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-put-things-in-their-water-bowl\/#Why_Cats_Put_Toys_in_Water_Bowls\" title=\"Why Cats Put Toys in Water Bowls\">Why Cats Put Toys in Water Bowls<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-put-things-in-their-water-bowl\/#Cats_Desire_to_Extend_the_Fun\" title=\"Cats\u2019 Desire to Extend the Fun\">Cats\u2019 Desire to Extend the Fun<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-put-things-in-their-water-bowl\/#Theories_Surrounding_Cats_and_Water_Bowls\" title=\"Theories Surrounding Cats and Water Bowls\">Theories Surrounding Cats and Water Bowls<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-put-things-in-their-water-bowl\/#Cats_Viewing_Toys_as_Prey\" title=\"Cats Viewing Toys as Prey\">Cats Viewing Toys as Prey<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-put-things-in-their-water-bowl\/#Feline_Behavior_Researchers_Theories\" title=\"Feline Behavior Researchers\u2019 Theories\">Feline Behavior Researchers\u2019 Theories<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-put-things-in-their-water-bowl\/#Cats_Depositing_Valued_Possessions\" title=\"Cats Depositing Valued Possessions\">Cats Depositing Valued Possessions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-put-things-in-their-water-bowl\/#Stalking_Capturing_and_Hiding_Prey\" title=\"Stalking, Capturing, and Hiding Prey\">Stalking, Capturing, and Hiding Prey<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-put-things-in-their-water-bowl\/#Disguising_or_Washing_Off_Scent\" title=\"Disguising or Washing Off Scent\">Disguising or Washing Off Scent<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-put-things-in-their-water-bowl\/#Cats_Wanting_to_Hide_Prey_from_Other_Predators\" title=\"Cats Wanting to Hide Prey from Other Predators\">Cats Wanting to Hide Prey from Other Predators<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>It seems that cats have a deep-seated instinct to hide and protect their prized possessions. This instinct is inherited from their wild ancestors who used to stalk, capture and then hide prey. By putting toys in their water bowl, cats are tapping into this primal instinct and are essentially trying to mimic their ancestors\u2019 behavior. Additionally, <a href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/cat-water-intake\/\">cats may be trying to cover up their scent by submerging the toy in water<\/a>. This helps them to hide their toys from potential predators and also washes away any trace of their scent.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rxGSqXLm6OM?start=29\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"thenaturalinstinctsofcats\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Natural_Instincts_of_Cats\"><\/span>The Natural Instincts of Cats<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Cats put things in their water bowl because it\u2019s in their nature. <a href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/are-natural-baby-wipes-safe-for-cats\/\">Cats are naturally<\/a> driven to collect and gather, which is a behavior that is likely inherited from their wild ancestors. This instinct is most obvious when you <a href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/this-is-why-your-cat-watches-you-use-the-bathroom\/\">watch a cat<\/a> hunting. When your cat hunts and kills its favorite toy, it mimics natural hunting instinct. To protect its fresh \u201ckill,\u201d your <a href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-kick-their-back-legs\/\">cat will bring its prey back<\/a> to a safe place, such as their water bowl. This behavior, known as \u201cgathering,\u201d is an instinct that drives <a href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-never-finish-their-food\/\">cats to seek out food<\/a>, toys, and other objects and bring them back to their territory. <a href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/what-can-cats-eat-besides-cat-food\/\">Cats put food<\/a> in their water bowl because they see it as their territory. It\u2019s a common behavior that\u2019s linked to hunting and gathering instincts.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"whycatsputtoysinwaterbowls\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Cats_Put_Toys_in_Water_Bowls\"><\/span>Why Cats Put Toys in Water Bowls<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s possible that cats put their toys in the water bowl because they feel it\u2019s the safest place for their prized possession. <a href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-play-with-their-prey\/\">Cats have a natural instinct to hide their prey<\/a>, so by depositing their toy in the water bowl, they might be trying to disguise or wash off any scent that predators may be able to identify. This would help ensure that the toy remains safe and secure. Similarly, cats may also be trying to hide their prey from other predators, in order to keep it all to themselves.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"catsdesiretoextendthefun\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cats_Desire_to_Extend_the_Fun\"><\/span>Cats\u2019 Desire to Extend the Fun<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Many cats love to play with toys, so it\u2019s not uncommon for felines to bring their toys to their water bowl. Bringing a toy to their water bowl may simply represent your cat\u2019s desire to extend the fun further. Contrary to the stereotype, some cats might not be storing or hiding their toys in the water, they might just be playing with them. It\u2019s most likely a result of your cat\u2019s natural instincts which would drive them to bring fresh prey to the safety of their nest or in this case, the water bowl. But when your cat bats a plush mouse around its water bowl, it might just be trying to entertain itself. It\u2019s possible that cats view water as \u201ccleaner\u201d than other surfaces and find it amusing to play with their toys in it.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"theoriessurroundingcatsandwaterbowls\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Theories_Surrounding_Cats_and_Water_Bowls\"><\/span>Theories Surrounding Cats and Water Bowls<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Many theories have been proposed to explain why cats put things in their water bowls. One of the most common theories is that your cat\u2019s wild instincts are kicking in and they feel the drive to hide their freshly caught prey. Another theory suggests that cats think the toy is real prey, so they drop it into their water bowl to hide it. Feline behavior researchers believe that cats are engaging in a behavior known as \u2018gathering\u2019, which is an instinct inherited from their wild ancestors. This instinct helps cats to protect their prized possessions by hiding them away from other predators. Furthermore, cats might be trying to disguise or wash off the scent of their prey by placing it in the water bowl. Ultimately, all of these theories try to explain why cats are putting toys or other items in their water bowls\u2014to protect and hide their prey from other animals.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"catsviewingtoysasprey\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cats_Viewing_Toys_as_Prey\"><\/span>Cats Viewing Toys as Prey<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It is thought that cats view their toys as prey and attempt to hide them in their water bowls to protect them. Cats have a natural instinct to hunt and capture prey, which might explain why they are trying to hide their toys in the water. While this behavior may seem strange, it is part of their natural instinct and understanding of their environment. This could also be why cats attempt to disguise or wash off scent from their toys before depositing them in the bowl as a way of protecting them from potential predators.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"felinebehaviorresearcherstheories\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Feline_Behavior_Researchers_Theories\"><\/span>Feline Behavior Researchers\u2019 Theories<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Feline behavior researchers have their own theories about why cats put toys in their water bowl. <a href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/is-cat-food-bad-for-dogs\/\">Cats are driven by their hunting instinct which explains why they bring their toys to their food<\/a> and water bowl. <a href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-bring-you-toys\/\">Cats are seeing their toys as prey and bringing<\/a> them to the safety of their nest, similar to how cats in the wild would bring fresh prey back to their den. Another theory suggests that cats may be trying to disguise or wash off the scent of their toy so other predators cannot detect it. This theory is based on the <a href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/cat-facts\/\">fact that cats<\/a> in the wild would often bring prey back to a water source before consuming it.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"catsdepositingvaluedpossessions\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cats_Depositing_Valued_Possessions\"><\/span>Cats Depositing Valued Possessions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Cats may also be driven by an instinct to protect their prized possessions, which is why they often deposit them in their water or food bowls. If a cat cherishes a toy, they may deposit it in a bowl to keep it safe. Feline behavior researchers feel that this could be the reason why cats put things in their water bowls, as they are responding to their natural instinct to guard their valued items. This instinct is inherited from kitty\u2019s wild ancestors, who liked to cache their prey in order to keep them safe from other predators. It\u2019s possible that cats view their toys as prey and so they are tapping into their wild instincts and hiding them in water bowls.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"stalkingcapturingandhidingprey\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stalking_Capturing_and_Hiding_Prey\"><\/span>Stalking, Capturing, and Hiding Prey<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Cats have a natural instinct to stalk and capture prey, inherited from their wild ancestors. This instinct is still present in cats today, and is often expressed through their play behavior. When your <a href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/why-do-cats-like-to-play-with-a-ball-of-yarn\/\">cat is playing<\/a> with a toy, they may be mimicking natural hunting behavior and attempting to capture and hide their prey. When they don\u2019t have a nest to hide it in, they may choose to put it in their water bowl instead. This could be an attempt to disguise or wash off the scent of their prey, as well as to protect it from other predators.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"disguisingorwashingoffscent\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Disguising_or_Washing_Off_Scent\"><\/span>Disguising or Washing Off Scent<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One theory suggests that cats may be attempting to disguise or wash off the scent of their catch when they put it in the water bowl. Instincts inherited from their wild ancestors could be driving cats to stalk, capture, and then hide their prey in safe places. This could explain why <a href=\"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/how-often-cats-poop\/\">cats often<\/a> put their toys in the water bowl, as they view it as a safe spot where they can stash away their prized possessions. Cats may also be washing off the scent of their prey, in order to avoid losing it or becoming another animal\u2019s meal.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"catswantingtohidepreyfromotherpredators\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cats_Wanting_to_Hide_Prey_from_Other_Predators\"><\/span>Cats Wanting to Hide Prey from Other Predators<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It is believed that cats, due to their wild instincts, want to keep their prey safe from other predators. Cats may put their toys in their water bowls as a way to hide them from other animals and protect them from being stolen. This behavior is thought to be a leftover from their wild ancestor\u2019s instinct to hide their prey and keep it safe. Cats may also be attempting to disguise or wash off the scent of the toy or food item, so that other predators cannot locate it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It seems that cats have a deep-seated instinct to hide and protect their prized possessions. This instinct is inherited from their wild ancestors who used to stalk, capture and then hide prey. By putting toys in their water bowl, cats are tapping into this primal instinct and are essentially trying to mimic their ancestors\u2019 behavior. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"modified_by":"admin","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cat_dropping_toy_in_water_bowl_.jpg",1536,1024,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cat_dropping_toy_in_water_bowl_-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cat_dropping_toy_in_water_bowl_-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cat_dropping_toy_in_water_bowl_-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cat_dropping_toy_in_water_bowl_-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cat_dropping_toy_in_water_bowl_.jpg",1536,1024,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cat_dropping_toy_in_water_bowl_.jpg",1536,1024,false],"yarpp-thumbnail":["https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cat_dropping_toy_in_water_bowl_-120x120.jpg",120,120,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"It seems that cats have a deep-seated instinct to hide and protect their prized possessions. This instinct is inherited from their wild ancestors who used to stalk, capture and then hide prey. By putting toys in their water bowl, cats are tapping into this primal instinct and are essentially trying to mimic their ancestors\u2019 behavior.&hellip;","_wp_old_slug":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2963"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fluffytamer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}