Lately, my cat has been pushing his water bowl away from his food bowl. He’s never done this before, and since he’s getting older (he’s turning 12 next month), I wonder if it’s related to his age. Does anyone have an idea why he’s doing this? Is this normal behavior for older cats?
Cats usually like to keep their food and water separate. It’s a common thing, and placing the water next to their food isn’t always ideal. Your cat is probably just showing you that he prefers to drink in a different spot. Try putting his water bowl in a different area to see if that helps.
He might be moving the bowl to see the water better when he drinks. One of my cats did the same thing and would end up spilling water everywhere! We got a cat water fountain, and now all of our cats love it. Maybe try that?
It’s actually pretty normal behavior. Cats don’t like their water next to their food, probably because they instinctively feel it could get contaminated. I’m surprised your cat didn’t start doing this sooner!
Cats don’t like drinking from still water, if it’s near their food. They know that food ( meat) can spoil and make them sick, so they try to avoid drinking water close to where they eat. You might want to get a water fountain, that provides running water, and make sure you keep food, water, and litter boxes in separate places.