A bengal cat that ignores it’s water bowl and drinks straight from the toilet can be frustrating.
Drinking from the toilet bowl is a common behavior among all cats, and bengals are no exception to this norm.
Bengals drink from the toilet for a variety of reasons.
One reason that bengal cats may drink from the toilet is that the toilet bowl water is cooler than the water in their water bowl.
Toilet water may be cooler than their own water because the porcelain bowl of the toilet can help keep the water temperature low.
The water in the toilet bowl also swirls when you flush it which could attract your bengal.
Bengal cats are intelligent and like to learn about their environment so the moving water in the toilet bowl can become an interesting spectacle.
Toilet Bowl Water Swirls Around
Since the toilet bowl water constantly changes and the water swirls around in the toilet, bengals may interpret this is a sign that the toilet water is better to drink.
In the wild, cats mostly drink from moving water so the changing water in the toilet bowl may be a sign that the water supply is safe and ideal for the bengal to be drinking.
Bengal cats descend from wild cats so they are more prone to instinctual behaviors that other domestic cats may be, making them more likely to seek out moving water sources because those instincts are still wired in them.
Bengal Cats Are Adventurous
Another reason for why your bengal is drinking from the toilet bowl is that the toilet is elevated off the ground.
Cats prefer to be higher up than the floor because this height difference comforts them and gives them a feeling of safety.
Bengal cats also love to climb so the raised surface of a toilet can be a more enjoyable way to hydrate.
Since bengals like water and bathrooms also contain baths and sinks in addition to toilets, the bathroom can be an exciting place for your bengal who may form positive associations with that room.
When compared to a water bowl that’s on the floor, drinking water from the toilet in the bathroom can feel more natural and be a more enjoyable way to consume liquids.
Toilet Bowl Water Is Fresh
A final reason that bengal cats drink toilet water instead of the water from their bowl is that toilet water is often more fresh.
Toilet bowl water is fresh because it is constantly renewed and will be more oxygenated than water that has been sitting still.
Every time the toilet is flushed, new water comes in and replaces the old water.
This constant cycling of the water in the toilet bowl ensures that there is no bacteria build up and the water is always clean.
Conversely, the water in the water bowl of your cat can quickly be seen as a low quality source of water because once it sits for long enough, it will lose oxygen and can potentially host bacteria that cats try to avoid.
How Can I Stop My Bengal Cat From Drinking From the Toilet?
To stop your bengal from drinking from the toilet, you can either make the toilet unaccessible or make the water in the bengal’s bowl more appealing.
To make the toilet unaccessible you can close the lid to the toilet whenever you are not using it, or keep the door to the bathroom closed when it’s not being used.
You can also remove your cat from the bathroom and use positive reinforcement to train your bengal to only drink from it’s bowl.
To make the water in your bengal’s bowl more appealing, you should change it regularly and try putting the water bowl in different places.
Cats naturally like to eat, drink, and use the bathroom privately because those are the times when they feel the most vulnerable.
If you change the water in their bowl twice a day and put it in a more secluded room or area of your home, that could be a quick fix to your bengal cat toilet water problem.
