paw dunking??

**terrijane** · 11th June 2012, 11:40 AM

One of my new MC's drinks with her paw. She dips it in the water bowl then licks it, if she drinks with her tongue she doesn't seem to lap the same as the others and it goes everywhere. She will sometime do a scratching movement at the side of the water bowl when she is trying to drink, then in goes the paw??? anyone else's cats have strange habits like this??

**WoodsideMaineCoons** · 11th June 2012, 12:19 PM

Most of mine have odd habits. Malia dips her paw in and also drags the bowl across the floor. She prefers to drink off the surface of the bath too!! Ruby empties the bowl with her paw so is a very messy drinker and the rest are just as bad! We constantly have upturned water bowls and puddles all over the place - its definately a Maine coon trait!

**Hermine** · 11th June 2012, 12:25 PM

My do the same sometimes. Food and water tapping with the paw. Sometimes Idy is kicking some peaces of dry food into the waterbowl and is then trying to catch them... well, guess you know how the floor looks like afterwards

**Fozzie** · 11th June 2012, 01:15 PM

Yes I found this very strange when we first got Mufasa. I started a thread about it here:
http://www.maine-coon-forum.info/mai...ing-water.html

We purchased a water fountain a couple of months ago and all digging, scraping and paw dunking ceased! The only annoying thing Mufasa does now is try and lift the whole thing up to retireve an escaped piece of kibble! He seems to find drinking whilst standing up more comfortable and normally uses the highest point to drink.

**caranjoy** · 11th June 2012, 01:22 PM

Our 2 were just the same and we solved the floor mess by putting the water bowls in the bathtub! They don't mind in the least and they do say they prefer their water not to be in the same area as their food. <3

**MickB** · 11th June 2012, 01:39 PM

Coonies prefer to drink from moving water, We have water fountains for all of ours and the only time they dunk now is if I forget to switch it back on after cleaning it. Mopping up the water is certainly a good reminder to switch the fountain back on lol.

**Becka** · 11th June 2012, 02:13 PM

Oh yes! Pina does this too! She laps the water from her bowl but she is notorious for wanting to try what we have so she will dunk her paw in our glass when we aren't looking Lol. We call it "Dip, lick, repeat"

She also scoops her food out of her bowl with her paw onto the floor then eat it...I guess it tastes better when it's on the floor. She also like to drink from the faucet. I turn it on while I'm working in the kitchen and she will sit on the edge of the sink an lean over and drink. I think I'm going to get her a fountain

**JanieB** · 11th June 2012, 03:22 PM

2 of our 3 scratch around the bowl, dunk paws, flick water all over the place while lapping - it's so funny. Also drag the food bowls to them and eat with their paws while lying down. Very lazy

Moonlight loves to pull over glasses - usually when they're full with sticky Coke - she seems to think it's funny. Gotta love em!