A small detail that makes cats dislike drinking water

Have you ever felt a slippery layer of slime at the bottom of your cat’s water bowl?

I believe many people have experienced it when cleaning water bowls. Sometimes there will be obvious lumps and color attached…

This is biofilm.

The presence of biofilm
Indicates that the cat’s drinking water environment is very bad

Although the water in some bowls looks clear, once you can touch this slippery film when washing the dishes, it means that the water bowl is already very dirty!

Because this is actually a layer of bacterial biofilm, which is a polysaccharide protein complex released by cells. These complexes gather with microorganisms and will continuously attract, reproduce, and differentiate various bacteria in the water and the environment, becoming a breeding ground for them.

If the house is relatively dirty, the cat does not brush its teeth, and likes to use its feet to scoop water to drink, it will further aggravate the growth of bacteria…

Studies have shown that many harmful bacteria, including Listeria and E. coli, are produced in this slippery biofilm, which eventually causes cats to suffer from cystitis, urethritis, otitis and other diseases.

Biofilms can also cause water to deteriorate, emit a slight sour smell, and cause cats to become reluctant to drink water, leading to a series of health problems.

Staphylococcus aureus in biofilm in catheter under microscope

In addition, biofilms can also cause water to deteriorate, emit a slight sour smell, and cause cats to become reluctant to drink water, leading to a series of health problems.

Remove biofilm
Just follow these 4 steps

▌Don’t use plastic bowls

First, many cheap plastic pet bowls on the market are not even food-grade materials that are resistant to high temperatures, and are prone to releasing toxic substances such as bisphenol A (BPA);

Second, plastic tableware is easily scratched, bacteria will hide in the scratches, and it is even more difficult to clean. Therefore, whether it is a water bowl or a food bowl, it is not recommended to use plastic.

▌Detergent, dishcloth and hot water

If there is already biofilm on the walls of the water bowl, you must thoroughly scrub the bottom of the bowl to thoroughly wash away the sticky and slippery residue and eliminate the root cause. Therefore, hot water, detergent, and dishcloth are all necessary.

▌Clean every day

To prevent biofilm from growing again, simple rinsing is not enough. At least you should scrub it with a dish cloth every day, and clean it thoroughly with detergent 2-3 times a week.

Especially in summer, sometimes a few hours are enough for biofilm to form, so you must strictly control the frequency of cleaning and not be lazy.

▌Replace the bowl regularly

If the water bowl has been deformed, scratched, or has colored scale deposits, don’t leave it there to harm the cat’s health. Get rid of it and replace it with a new one! (It is best to choose stainless steel, glass, or ceramic materials for replacement)

In addition, if you have a dishwasher at home, you can adjust it to the highest temperature to effectively kill some high-temperature resistant bacteria; if the water bowl has biofilm after one day, it means that the environmental hygiene at home is worrying and you need to carefully clean the dead corners; you can also consider using purified water/filtered water instead of tap water to delay the growth of bacteria.

Can cats drink safe water after today?

Finally, pay attention to two disaster areas-

Automatic water dispenser: water pump, filter element, and seams of water pipes are all prone to breeding bacteria, so they must be cleaned thoroughly;

Fish tanks and hydroponic vases: more likely to form biofilms, don’t let cats drink the water in them!