[Goosegirl]

Two of my cats (one in particular) just love to lap the water out of the hand basin after you have washed your hands, despite having plenty of drinking water, both inside and out. Do you know why?

[joyfull]

I think it's the same with dogs - I frequently used to have to share my bath water with three out of four of mine (the forth is too old to climb the stairs or doubt she would join them). I'm sure it isn't good for them so have now resorted to shutting them out of the bathroom.

[Trillium]

I do know that feline (and canine) noses are very sensitive, and if you use treated tap water, then they'll refuse to drink it because the chlorine and other chemicals are very repugnant to them.

Also, if you use chemical washing up soaps on bowls, the smell and lingering taste will also put them off. Water bowls need to be washed out with very mild cleansers only and then rinsed very very well, moreso than you'd rinse a human's bowl after washing up. For water, leave treated water out for a few days for the chlorine to disappate or use rainwater. The pets will most likely start drinking from bowls again.

As for why they're currently drinking the soapy water, it could be more preferable to the bowl water they're getting now. It's possible your supplier has increased their use of treatment chemicals without notifying you.

[spottymint]

Most cat/dog bowls are probably filled via the kitchen tap. The water will be mains with high levels of chlorine.
the water in the bathroom will be from the cold water storage tank, the chlorine will have started to dissipate, and taste nicer.

Our cat's hate fresh water, but love water left out or from the bath tap.

[grendel]

our cats will try and drink any water other than the water in their bowls until it is a day or so old, quite often water in anything out for washing up - soaking (we dont put washing up liquid in the dirty dishes for this reason.
Grendel

[8doubles]

Soap is also a good bait for catfish in warmer climates !

[Goosegirl]

Most cat/dog bowls are probably filled via the kitchen tap. The water will be mains with high levels of chlorine.
the water in the bathroom will be from the cold water storage tank, the chlorine will have started to dissipate, and taste nicer.

Our cat's hate fresh water, but love water left out or from the bath tap.

That's a good thought! We wash our hands in hot water from the cylinder, so maybe the chlorine in the hot water dissipated even more quickly than day-old cold water. Will try that - thanks.

[diospyros]

Our cold water taps are all mains fed, but I frequently hear the "ker-thump" as someone jumps out of the bathroom sink.  And I have seen him licking it from the tap.  I knew someone whose very old cat would only drink water if it was direct from the tap and slowly dribbling into a water dish held by the owner staff.  It is sheer ornery-ness.

[diospyros]

It is the same reason why mine will wind himself round my legs until I trip over him, then when I put food in his bowl walk away, then beg for more later on and when I give up saying "there's food in your dish" and put fresh in, he eats the old stuff... he just likes to keep me confused and desperate to please.

[Trillium]

That's a cat for you. One of my old fellas refused to eat directly out of his bowl; instead, he'd just dip his paw into his food or water and elegantly lick it off his paw. Took him a while but he wasn't in a hurry.   

[maxyboo]

One of my cats (Henry), loves water fresh from the kitchen tap . He will sit halfway up the stairs and cry for it regularly. Then he will sit and slowly drink it with a dreamy expression on his face. I think he must like chemicals! He also has to have the bathroom sink filled with water whilst I'm in the bath so he can have a good drink or he ends up licking the plughole..

[allotmentann]

A friends cat will drink only from the bath, the tap has to be left almost permanently trickling so she can jump (that is probably an exaggeration, she is old and arthritic, she takes a few test pushes, then heaves!) in and out as she pleases. She lies in there happily for hours, drinking as she feels like it. She did go off the bath for a while, after taking a running jump at it (on one of her better days) only to find she landed in bath full of cold water - her owner had forgotten to let the bath water out! She was not too happy about that.
My cat on the other hand never drinks. I could count on my fingers the number of times he has drunk, very occasionally, maybe once every four months or so,when I am in the kitchen and the tap is running, he will jump up and take a mouthful. I did research it as it used to worry me, but it is apparently quite normal for cats, and he does get plenty of liquid from his food. Raw kidney and chicken contain a lot if water, and I make sure I add the cooking juices from the chicken I cook, so I guess he gets enough.   

[grendel]

cats get enough water generally, unless they are only fed biscuits, then they can get urinary tract problems (we lost one of our cats through this before finding out), now we just use tinned food with gravy, and have had no problems, biscuits are available but they are for treats.
Grendel

[Goosegirl]

Our cold water taps are all mains fed, but I frequently hear the "ker-thump" as someone jumps out of the bathroom sink.  And I have seen him licking it from the tap.  I knew someone whose very old cat would only drink water if it was direct from the tap and slowly dribbling into a water dish held by the owner staff.  It is sheer ornery-ness.

Yup - the thumping noise - that's exactly what happens with me, so don't think the water from the cold tap is the reason now. Our cat called Weasel loves to stand in the kitchen sink with the cold tap on a trickle so the water goes all over her back, then she licks it off her fur. If we turn the tap off and she hasn't had enough, she thumps the tap end with her paw to get the last drops out!