Hi Mark Mine always drink from bowls and the pond outside. I have moved the bowl next to their food bowl now as they never used to use it anyway. I have a tumbler in the bedroom and they use that too. They have never had a prob drinking the water outside and it is natural for them do to that. If their is any "scum" or such on top they naturally paw it to push it away.
Here a bit from Vicky Hall re the water
Water
The majority of owners always provide water in the same location as the food bowl. We like to have a glass of water with our meal so why wouldn't Tigger? It doesn't work that way for cats, who naturally hunt for food and search for water on separate occasions to satisfy either hunger or thirst.
The presence of water near the food can actually deter some cats from drinking sufficient fluid and this could be dangerous on a dry diet. Finding water elsewhere can be extremely rewarding; how many times has your cat drunk from the glass by your bedside table?
There should be at least one water container per cat in the household plus one' in various locations completely away from the food.
Some cats object to the chemical smell from tap water so filtered or boiled water can be used.
There are various ways to provide water:
- Pet water fountains. There are an increasing number of these available, some of which filter the water.
- Feng shui water features. Whilst these are not designed specifically for cats they can be just as entertaining as the genuine pet fountains if you stick to the simple `water running over pebbles' type.
- Tumblers. As many cats like to steal from our glasses why not provide them with one of their own? Heavy resin tumblers are now available that are non-breakable and these will be safer than glass. Ceramic, plastic or stainless-steel bowls.
There will still be a place for these in your home to ensure there is plenty of choice. If you have a large bowl available it can be fun to float a ping-pong ball in the water. This attracts the cat to play with the ball and the movement of the water may encourage him to drink.