Why Do Cats Always Dip Their Paws in Water?

My 17-year-old foster cat, Akela, is a wackadoodle — a sweet and loving wackadoodle, but a wackadoodle nonetheless. On the couch, she faces the back cushion and stares for what feels like hours. When I practice mandolin, she sits at my feet and meows along. And before she drinks water, she often submerges her right front paw in the bowl.

At first, I thought maybe her eyesight wasn’t so good — that she needed to put her paw in the water to gauge its depth before drinking. But that’s probably not the case, according to Dr. Julie Hunt, a veterinarian at Embrace Pet Insurance: “Cats generally have very good eyesight, so they are not trying to test where the water surface is.”

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Besides, nothing else about Akela’s behavior suggests poor vision. She’s an excellent jumper, navigating furniture with ease, and a skilled hunter of the wand toy’s string.

Then I wondered if she was doing it by accident. But when I tried to remove her paw, she just looked annoyed. And when she finished drinking, she didn’t even bother to shake the water off her paw — she simply padded away, leaving a trail of little puddles on the hardwood floor.

There’s a chance it could be dementia-related. At 17, she’s well into senior status, and cats are prone to feline cognitive dysfunction, similar to Alzheimer’s in people. Her habit of staring at the couch, waking up and crying until I come find her, and cycling rapidly between affection and nipping are all “dementia-coded.” But this behavior, according to certified feline behaviorist Stephen Quandt of Cat Behavior Help, isn’t unusual in healthy cats either. “I see it all the time,” he says. 

Why do cats dip their paws in water?

While it’s hard to know exactly what a cat is thinking, both Quandt and Dr. Hunt say paw-dipping is often a sign of a preference for moving water over still water. This instinct likely goes back to a time in their distant genetic past, when their ancestors roamed the arid lands of North Africa and running water was safer to drink than stagnant pools, which could harbor bacteria or parasites.

“This preference for moving water is likely why some cats are so fond of drinking or playing with water from dripping faucets or fountains,” Quandt says. “It could also be why they like knocking over glasses of water.”

“Cats love to play,” says Dr. Hunt, and though many cats prefer to remain dry, “some cats just really like playing with water.” One of Quandt’s cats, for example, is fond of playing with the water he drips onto the sill of the shower. And I once had a cat who loved to sit on the edge of the tub while it emptied and swat at the whirlpools that formed over the drain. 

“Some cats may enjoy the process of dipping their paw in water and then dripping it into their mouth,” Quandt says. “It’s hard to say why, but it is probably enjoyable to them the same way drinking through a straw is enjoyable to some people.” 

Quandt also notes that cats may have a slightly “adversarial” relationship with water — curious yet cautious — so dipping a paw first can be a way of interacting on their own terms.

Of course, whether you want your cat to interact with water is another matter entirely. Water play can be a great way to spice up your cat’s day and stave off boredom, but if they are constantly tipping over their water bowl, you’ll likely soon tire of cleaning it up. And if they do this near an electrical cord or power outlet, they could be at risk of a dangerous shock, so it’s important to manage their water interactions and redirect them when necessary.

How to support (or redirect) the behavior

If your cat enjoys water play, it’s fine to let them indulge. Try:

• Letting a faucet drip.

• Offering a shallow tray of water to paw at.

• Putting an inch or two of water in the bathtub for exploration.

If they tend to knock over glasses of water, it may be a sign they are bored and need more stimulation, in which case more playtime — water-related or not — could help. It’s important to remember that cats will often engage in behavior we view as destructive or disruptive (like knocking over a glass of water) simply because it is the only way to get our attention.

It’s also possible that they have learned that if they knock it over, you will clean it up and put it back, at which point it becomes a kind of game for them. It may not even be about the water but rather about the interaction with you, in which case you can probably break them of the habit quickly through regular play with a wand toy. 

For cats drawn to moving water for the purposes of drinking, Dr. Hunt recommends a pet fountain: “There are so many types of water fountains available… swan-neck, cupcake-style, and slide- or waterfall-style fountains.”

Feline water safety

Even cats who like playing in water usually only like it in small doses. Limit the amount of water in the play area to something manageable and easy to clean up, and always supervise them so they don’t get in over their heads. Don’t leave them alone in a bathroom with a full tub and a sink cluttered with objects you don’t want getting wet. For most cats a small puddle is all it takes to pique their interest.

Of course, there are those cats who enjoy a full-on swim. Turkish Van cats, for example, are often excellent and enthusiastic swimmers — as are Maine Coons and Bengals, in some cases. And though most cats dislike the idea of swimming, cats as a species are naturals at it, per Dr. Hunt.

Even so, the risk of drowning is real, so you should never leave them alone in a large body of water. “If cats become fatigued while swimming, they can inhale water into their lungs,” Dr. Hunt says. “This can result in aspiration pneumonia (a lung infection) or, if enough water is inhaled, drowning.”

Cats with chronic ear infections should also avoid getting wet as water entering their ear canals can exacerbate their condition and cause them tremendous discomfort. And, of course, if your cat hates water, you should never force them. Doing so could damage your relationship and their wellbeing. 

As for my foster cat, Akela, this weekend I’m going to pick up a cat water fountain from someone in my local Buy Nothing group to see how she likes it. I’ll still leave her regular bowl out, though. For all I know, dipping her right front paw in her water while she drinks may be the highlight of her day. I don’t really have to understand her behavior to support it. Whatever my possibly demented 17-year old baby wants, I’m happy to provide.