This could introduce a new, healthier drinking habit for pets.
I had been wondering why Coco had been weeing a lot even though her water bowl hardly ever emptied. I discovered a couple of months ago that she had been drinking from my marimo jar all along since we got her a year ago. This also explains why the water in my marimo jar seemed to evaporate so quickly.
I was worried as soon as I found out because I thought she would get sick, but she carried on and never got sick—she is a healthy kitty.
So I decided to look into and rationalize Coco's drinking habit.
I researched and found out a few pertinent things about why cats would drink mossy stagnant water.
First, marimo is a type of moss. Moss, like other green plants, undergoes photosynthesis, a process that produces oxygen as a byproduct. During daylight hours, moss absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen into the surrounding water. This can help increase the overall oxygen levels in the water, especially in small, contained water bodies.
Additionally, this moss moves and rolls when you touch the water, which is attractive to the cat. Marimo ball moss loves to be squeezed and moved around from time to time, so rinsing them out of debris is not a problem.
They also act as a natural water filter like some water plants, they trap contaminants and absorb pollutants, preventing algae and bad bacteria from accumulating, keeping the environment full of oxygen, and consuming carbon dioxide as their food.
In the wild, marimo balls are often found in shallow lakes where the water currents and waves keep them rolling along the lakebed. This rolling motion helps them maintain their round shape and keeps them clean from any accumulated debris.
She's always happy and loves chilling with me in the garden, and I now take her marimo balls whenever she plays.
As I keep observing, these fuzzy moss balls are becoming my kitty's little friends. She loves staring at them; if you fish one out, she licks it with affection—very interesting. Or perhaps she knows that it gives her good water.
It could be that it is fuzzy and looks stimulating for her. She fishes it out sometimes.
Or stare at it.
Mossy water might have a different taste and smell due to the presence of organic matter and minerals from the stones, and she prefers this over treated tap water.
(look! her little tongue, hehe.)
Surely Coco has had a good experience drinking from my moss water. She finds it fresher, and it appears to be a more natural and appealing option for her.
In the wild, cats often encounter water sources like streams, ponds, and puddles that have moss or algae in them, so it could be that her instinct makes her more comfortable drinking from this moss jar as opposed to pristine water.
Be aware that some blue-green algae can be poisonous to cats and dogs.
Knowing that some blue-green algae can be poisonous, I change the marimo water regularly and also keep the jar clean, while still having fresh water available in the house should she decide to drink from there.
This experience has shown that our pets know something we don't—they naturally gravitate to these things, and we should also listen.
For all we know, this could be a new alternative healthy drinking habit for pets.
Have a wonderful Caturday, everyone!
Mariah 😊😺
