Why does my cat prefer dog or toilet water over its own bowl?

I once had a stray dog that I took in who would not use a water bowl (he was not used to having one) and would drink out of puddles/rain water instead. I ended up switching his water bowl to a clear glass mixing bowl from my kitchen and he would use that. Try switching Zeus' water bowl to see if he prefers a different type. You could even use a clean flower pot. Also make sure his water is clean. Some dogs will not drink dirty water. Hope this helps. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Cats actually prefer to drink from running water. I suggest you get her a water/drinking fountain: ( https://www.petco.com/shop/SearchDisplay?categoryId=&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&searchSource=Q&pageView=&beginIndex=0&pageSize=48&fromPageValue=search&searchKeyword=&searchTerm=water+fountain )

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think so animals prefer the minerals in rain water and water from creeks and streams. Also it tends to be more aerated and cool. It just may a taste preference. I wouldn't worry too much about it. They will do fine with either type of water. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Some cats do prefer to drink from running water so a pet fountain may be a good idea. But if she is drinking more than usual a visit to the vet is needed for possible bloodwork to rule out things like kidney disease.

Cats are very picky with different "flavors" in their food or water. You can leave a bowl of fresh water out and a bowl of water with the Fresh Breath added in. If he ignores the treated bowl and drinks from the plain water, then you will have your answer.

This is one of those things we may never be able to answer. I suggest you just get a different type of bowl and see if he likes that. I would recommend a low, flat, shallow bowl (kind of like a tray). Some cats develop an aversion to their whiskers touching the sides of a deeper "normal" bowl.

I am afraid you may have to live with this....automatic waterers are great, but often the water gets warm and then the cat does not like it anymore. Also when the water is too close to the food, cats will not like to drink from it. Toilet water is cool and pretty much running water, and many cats prefer that. So it is likely that your kitty will keep preferring that. You can try moving the waterer at least 6 ft away from his food and put ice cubes in it to keep the water cool in summer.