How to stop my kitten from pawing at her water bowl and making a mess?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Bad Missy! Some kittens love to play with water! I would put the bowl in something to prevent it from tipping over. You can get adhesive to hold the bowel down as well. They do make non-spill bowls. None of this will stop her from dipping her paws in to it, so you a large water proof mat for your floor. She will grow out of this. I would add some interactive toys and get a laser pointer to play with her. Sometimes boredom comes in to play with these kind of behaviors. Good luck!

There are several reasons cats like to "knock over water dishes" or play in their water bowls, including (1) it's fun - they enjoy splashing the water and making it move, seeing the reflective surface, (2) they prefer to drink from a moving water source (because moving water is more aerated and generally tastes better/fresher), (3) the bowl isn't to their liking - too big, too small, too deep, etc., so they splash water out and drink from the floor, (4) you give them fresh water whenever they knock the dish over so they have learned that this a successful method of getting your attention. Some things you can do include: (1) purchase a water fountain for cats (water moves continuosly); (2) get a heavy cermic bowl or a bowl with a wider base than top, (3) put a placement or plastic tray under the bowl, (4) offer more shiny, sparkly toys, like Mylar balls, to catch your cat's attention, (5) changed the water at least twice per day so your cat doesn't need to ask you for clean water.

Kittens are playful. That is how kittens are. They are like young children learning everything they can about the world around them. Eventually she will settle down. Play with her a lot, give her paper balls to catch and play with , a string with a feather on it. She sounds like a perfectly healthy kitten to me.

There are small water fountains you can purchase to use as her water source. This may keep her off of the counters. Restrict access to the rooms if possible. If not, a length of aluminum foil placed on the counter may deter her. Whenever you see her on the counter, gently remove her to another room. Be consistent and she will eventually learn the platform is not a place for her.

Cute kitty!! I'm sorry that you are having a hard time with her. It sounds like you've been trying all the right things up to this point. I think the most helpful thing for you at this point would be to consider investing in a consultation with a behaviorist. Here is a great site to find one near you: https://iaabc.org/consultants Additionally, consider a laser pointer toy at multiple times throughout the day to help keep her occupied: https://www.amazon.com/SereneLife-Automatic-Cat-Laser-Toy/dp/B07537S2LJ or a motion activated mouse is also a great option. Use a "hunter" type feeding toy... this allows cats to "hunt" their food. This is a great system: https://docandphoebe.com Here's a site with some additional info that may help you better understand the behavior and intervene appropriately: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/aggression-cats I hope that helps you! Thanks for asking PetCoach!

I am sorry to hear about Tacoma! This sounds very frustrating but likely is just playful behavior that she enjoys. I would consider getting a drinking fountain (there are a variety of options out there, here is one example: VIP-_-92700027187667238&kwid=p27187667238&device=c&gclid=Cj0KCQjwprbPBRCHARIsAF_7gDZb6i7jNAiD_JnordFjYzNc9esC_Zf8j5_rWnASopxsGeJuDUBT2IsaAnWfEALw_wcB) as they are difficult to tip over and many cats find them enjoyable. I would also consider some toys or a climbing tower for enrichment to try to provide Tacoma with something else to play with! You can try to find something that dispenses food or treats if that is more enticing, such as this one:

What naughty kittens! I think you can do a few things. First, I would work on environmental enrichment. Kittens have a lot of energy and "should" hunt multiple times a day for their food, so we need to find ways to help them entertain themselves (without resorting to playing with poo). This website has a number of good ideas for environmental enrichment. https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats One of my favorite things for cats is a no bowl feeding system like Doc & Phoebe ( https://docandphoebe.com/ ) that requires them to "hunt" for their food. You could also try a feeding ball. I also recommend using laser pointers and interactive cat toys like a Cat Dancer ( http://www.catdancer.com/ ) to help get their energy out constructively. Finally, you could consider adding anther automatic litter box, so they don't have the opportunity to fish anything out of the litter box. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.