Cats put their paws in water before drinking due to natural instincts to test depth, temperature, and cleanliness, avoid whisker fatigue in narrow bowls, and prefer moving water, mimicking wild running streams to ensure safety from bacteria or predators, even if they're domesticated. It's a practical way to check if the water is safe and appealing without fully submerging their face.
To address this behavior, consider using a wide, shallow water dish that makes it difficult for the cat to dip its paws into while drinking. Alternatively, you can place the water dish in a raised location.
Marking Territory and Communication
By scratching the floor near their water bowl, your cat might be leaving behind scent markers from their paw pads. This behavior communicates to other animals that the area is claimed, even if there are no other pets in the household.
This behavior is quite common among cats. They often do this to avoid bending down to drink, using their paw as a 'vehicle' to access water. In the video, it looks like there's something at the bottom of the water bowl, possibly a design?
Natural Instincts at Work
By pawing at water, cats are able to check for movement or debris, helping them decide if it's safe to drink. Pawing also lets them gauge the depth of the water and avoid falling in. Even though your cat lives safely indoors, those ancient instincts still influence their behavior.
Cats "ekekeke" (chatter or chirp) due to intense predatory focus, expressing excitement, frustration, or even trying to mimic prey to lure them closer, often seen when watching birds or bugs through a window but also with toys, indicating their hunting instinct is kicking in. It's a sound of arousal and focus, sometimes seen as a rehearsal for the killing bite or an attempt to communicate with their target.
Your cat is marking its territory by scratching
And when your cat scratches around the food bowl, it knows perfectly well it isn't burying prey. It's simply acting on instinct – just like when hunting. So there's no point in scolding your cat for scratching around its bowl.
All claws, including dewclaws, need regular trimming, typically every 2-4 weeks for indoor cats. You may discover that your cat's front paws need more frequent trimming than rear paws. Older or arthritic cats, who tend to be less active, often require more frequent trims compared to younger, more active cats.
Why Do Cats Scratch the Sides of the Litter Box After Pooping? It's normal cat instinct to bury urine and feces after they've used the litter box. This is to prevent them from being located by predators and because they're very clean animals.
Buy a Heavier Bowl
To help prevent this, invest in heavier water bowls that aren't so easy to topple. Doing so can stop cats from knocking them over, decreasing the amount of water spillage. If you notice your cat also does this with their cat food, go ahead and switch out their food bowl, too.
Stress can sometimes lead to increased drinking in cats. Changes to their environment, such as a move, a new pet, or a change in routine, can trigger this behavior. Providing a stable, calm environment can help reduce stress-related behaviors.
Some cats do it just for fun, due to boredom, or because they like to play with their water, while others may drop food in the bowl accidentally. If your cat puts things in their water bowl, there is generally no need to worry unless they are showing any signs of illness, in which case you should visit a vet.
If they're having diarrhea or are not able to clean themselves, then yes, you'd have to wipe their butts. But being that they're young and if they have short hair, you'll have no problems.
The area at the base of your cat's tail has clusters of nerve endings. For some cats, they love how it feels to be pet in that area. It's similar to cats who like rubbing their cheeks and chin onto their favorite humans—being touched in that area can trigger kitty bliss.
Anish Sheth, a gastroenterologist, says the distension that comes with the passing of a large stool causes the vagus nerve to fire, resulting in a drop in the heart rate and blood pressure which in turn decreases blood flow to the brain. The resulting mild lightheadedness can lead to a high and hence cat zoomies.
Overgrown nails can cause your cat pain and difficulty walking. Additionally, long nails are more prone to breaking, which can be both painful and dangerous for your cat.
While tree bark can help dull a cat's nails, scratching posts made of sisal rope, carpet, or cardboard won't keep them dull and trimmed. There are scratchers made with different grit sandpapers that can help file your cat's front nails, and some cats really enjoy them.
How to tell if your cat's claws are too long
So, why does your cat scratch the floor after eating? The short answer: it's instinct. Whether they're trying to “bury” leftovers like their wild ancestors, protecting kittens, or just showing mealtime joy, this quirky behavior is usually nothing to worry about.
Declawing isn't just a simple nail trim. It is a painful, irreversible surgical procedure that amputates part of a cat's toes. This often leads to chronic pain, behavioral issues, and long-term health problems. Many pet parents who've had this done in the past were unaware of the lasting harm it causes.
To say "I love you" in cat language, use slow blinks, offer gentle head/cheek rubs (scent glands), let them initiate contact, provide interactive play, and simply share calm presence, mimicking their natural affection signals like grooming and trust-building.
Chirps and trills are good news. They're a sign of excitement, affection, or an invitation to follow along. Think of them as an amped-up purr — your cat's way of happily saying, “Come here, I want to show you something.”
The top "silent killers" in cats are Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), often going undetected until 75% kidney failure, and Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), which damages organs without obvious signs until blindness or seizures occur, notes Muirfield Animal Hospital, Pet Health Network, www.springwoodvets.com.au, Close Veterinary Clinic, Killarney Animal Hospital, Physicians Mutual Insurance, Sykesville Veterinary Clinic, Mona Vale Veterinary Hospital, Nimbus Pet Hospital, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Covetrus North America, ASPCA Pet Insurance and PetCareRx. Other serious conditions include Hyperthyroidism, Heart Disease (like HCM), and Fatty Liver Disease (Hepatic Lipidosis).