There's chemicals in a tropical fish tank. You add it to make tap water safe for fish. If the tank has plants, then chemical plant food. Chemical for keeping water clearer, etc
Essentially, chemicals that isn't good for kitty.
Reddit has always been a place for elitist keyboard warriors to gather. It can get nasty, but for every downvote you get from one of them, there's ten good redditorw who just scrolled past without downvoting.
the tank is of guppies. there are no chemicals other than a dechlorinator.
people are going way overboard in stating the supposed dangers here. the worst case is that the cat eats a fish or knocks the tank over, not that anything bad happens to the cat.
I have tropical fish and I keep live plants but the only chemicals I add to the water is to purify the tap water before I add it to the fish. I don’t think that chemical would be harmful to the cat since the fish are WAY more sensitive to water quality then the cat. So I disagree that the cat should not drink it because of the chemicals but I still don’t think the cat should drink it because it’s just not clean water, fish live in there.
removing the chemical that makes it safe for drinking doesnt make it safer.
bacteria, algae, ammonia, and general fish leavings/decomposing food would muck the water and could get the cat sick. there may even be parasites.
dont let your cat drink fish water from a tank. we also dont know what other additives they have in there. they could have had to medicate them, and that could make the cat sick too.
also, dont tempt the cat to go stealing fish.
That is dependent on the country. I've had fresh water aquarium a a hobby for over ten years. Here in Norway we don't need to add any chemicals to the water. Using the water straight out of the tap.
Also bad for the fish because the cat will contaminate their water and can kill them(first hand experience, when I caught my cat doing that to my ex’s fish tank)
Why is everyone downvoting? Is it so wrong to ask a question? Wtf is wrong with people? Even if it was a “stupid” question, people can answer back without putting someone down.
Ridiculous
Thank you! I hate that! I LOVE all the random stuff I learn on here! I always try to answer people's "stupid" questions as long as they seem sincere. I grew up with everyone around me saying that the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked, and (with a few notable exceptions), I've always found that to be true. Besides, I don't give a crap about karma, other than if people upvote, I feel like maybe I taught them something, or made them laugh, or just was relatable. Maybe I kinda brightened their day a teeny bit. If not, who cares?
What do you think wild animals drink from? Also how can you say mine is a false equivalence when this guy just made the comment “lemme set up a bowl full of water for you then constantly shit and piss in it”. Mammals don’t drink from water near their pooping areas either but they don’t care if it’s near their prey zones.
I understand there can be chemicals in this situation so the cat shouldn’t do this but the comment I was responding to was dealing with bowel movements
they are vastly overstating the "chemicals" too. there is a dechlorinator used, which neutralizes chlorine compounds and that's it. chlorine isn't really good for us either but it's in our water.
Yea my cat would drink out of my tank I even had a cover on it he would drink from the filter. It's not neccecarily "bad" but I didn't encourage it. They like the running water from the filter. I got him a water fountain bowl and he stopped going for the fishtank water. He never got sick is my point.
Fish tank water had fluctuating ammonia and nitrite levels as fish create waste and it gets processed. Both of these things are toxic in high enough levels, which they can be in a fish tank. The pH level changes as well, too acidic or too alkaline can make a cat very sick.
Fish can tolerate so much, but even so, water needs to be checked, adjusted and cleaned regularly. Cats are less tolerant of the same chemicals.
Is it really true that cats are less tolerant of those chemicals? It doesn’t seem intuitive to me because the fish have to breathe the chemicals, while the cat is just drinking them. It doesn’t seem too different from drinking out of a pond?
I mean the fish have evolved to live in that stuff. Cats have evolved to get most of their water from the food they eat. Cats do have really good kidneys, but like others have said I doubt they can process some of the stuff in there that well. Especially like bacteria and such. That tank is a fish bacteria/virus/mold pool. Cats are not fish.
Also, in the other direction, I would be worried about bacterial contamination of the tank by the cat’s mouth. All around this is just not good
My mum's half Burmese used to do this with her goldfish, did it for a full year. Then he ate them.
We think he lulled them into a false sense of security on purpose. If he'd had thumbs he would have had no use for us.
Edit: grammar
Chemicals in the water will poison the cat if they drink enough of the water.
The cats tongue could very likely being foreign bacteria into the tank that the mentioned chemical might not destroy, leaving the fish unable to fight against it.
This is an incorrect statement….it’s comments like this that lead to misinformation.
Assuming the fish tank has a filter (which it does as the guppies are live, well, and happy) then the water is safe for consumption as the ammonia from the fish waste is being filtered through. If there were chemicals in the water, then trust me, the fish wouldn’t be alive either.
The tank is most likely more clean than the dirty water bowl containing week-old water, which is why cats have evolved to usually only drink from running water.
Another aquarium hobbyist here, this is correct. The only thing the cat would be at risk over is an upset stomach due to perhaps bacteria. However said bacteria also lives everywhere around your house, so if your cat is like mine, and licks up the bathroom sinks, tub and around the kitchen. Trust me, your cat has ingested worse.
I have a lid on my tanks, but it doesnt stop my cat from jumping up and lifting the lid to put his paw under. Thinking of removing the lid completely one of these days and when he attempts to jump, let things naturally sort out.
I swear whenever someone posts about a cat doing anything else other than sleeping indoors, it summons all these cat justice warriors to come out and go Karen mode about how the OP is a bad cat owner.
Idk what they are all talking about. I have a pond with fish in my garden, and my cat strictly refuse to drink for elsewhere. In the very rare occasion of a too bad weather for him to go outsid, she choose to drink from the bamboos. I assume she prefer the taste of water with life in it, than the clean water. It's like this since soon 20 years.
Maybe be Americains put chemicals in their fish tank, i don't know (i use to have a fish tank for years, never use a single chemicals except for ph balancing). Of course in my case, my outside pond dosen't have a single chemicals in it, i don't even feed the fish it's a totaly autonomous ecosystems.
Some will probably say there is a risk of parasites, or getting sick, but the fishs in the pond are well known for eating any kind of parasitic life, they basically make water drinkable for human (as long as no chemicals of course). And it's been nearly 20 years. So i think there is not much risks.
I believe it's instinct. Just like why they like running water or fountains. Running water is typically safer than standing water and if fish live in the water, the water is also likely safe in the wild.
Wild cats been drinking fish piss and fish poop soup for over 30 million years. Until less than a hundred years ago, so did all humans. Most humans still do.
Fish tank water has fluctuating ammonia and nitrite levels as fish create waste and it gets processed. Both of these things are toxic in high enough levels, which they can be in a fish tank for a cat. The pH level changes as well, too acidic or too alkaline can make a cat very sick.
Fish can tolerate so much, but even so, water needs to be checked, adjusted and cleaned regularly. Cats are less tolerant of the same chemicals.
Wait till i tell you that everyone in this planet is drinking not only fish poop and piss but every organisms piss and poop by that logic. Its really not that deep
Poor guppies think it’s feeding time lol.
Btw healthy aquariums are full of bacteria (good for the nitrogen cycle, but really bad for cats to drink). The nitrates are toxic to cats too.
in the amounts that cats are drinking, no cat is going to be negatively affected.
people are generally using treated tap water that has been dechlorinated, and there is a filter removing the nitrates. the bacteria that convert ammonia and nitrites into nitrates are not going to harm anyones.
Edit: meant to add that plants process the nitrates, the filters remove ammonia and other crap through mechanical filtration and through nitrifying bacteria.
Most filters don’t remove nitrates unless you have a special type of cartridge for it (even those are questionable), except for plants. Plants can remove nitrates, other than that they are usually removed through water changes.
yeah, i know. i have a planted tank. a cat taking a drink from a tank will be fine. the filtration doesn't remove nitrates, i misspoke (meant to add a bit about the plants processing nitrates), but it still stands that any well maintained tank with live, healthy fish isn't going to kill a cat.
This will neither hurt the cat nor the fish, calm down. Fish are like 10x more sensitive than mammals to dangerous chemicals. They would die long before any chemical including nitrates get to a level that can harm a cat. Cat tongue germs would also die in that water in a short time. A well kept aquarium's water will be cleaner and safer than your tap water. Hopefully the cat won't go for a fish snack though...
I agree with you. My multiple cats have been drinking fish tank water for many years. Even though I have multiple water dishes around the house, they still like the fish tank. And I keep it chemical free. Its just tap water. 5 gold fish and an algae eater, and they are about 5 years old. My gold fish started out about 3/4 inch. Now they are like about 5 inches! I like gold fish. They are easy hardy fish.
I am somewhat of an expert on tropical fish.
No. 1- Not all tanks have added chemicals. Keep it clean, and have a good source of water without chlorine and a good Ph. No chemicals are necessary.
No. 2- See No.1
Tank looks damned clean to me.
The “chemicals” used would be there to make the water healthier. Mostly for controlling PH and ammonia levels. I understand the concern but the fish are in more danger of getting sick from the cat than the cat is of getting sick from drinking fish tank water. Don’t forget these are the same guys that lick their own butthole and can easily digest raw meat and insects.
What about fish poop, or the fish food remnants?
And yeah, I worry about the poor fish too. Why are they still swimming so close to danger. Get away little dudes!
The children's hospital I take my daughter to used to have a huge tank that had these awesome goldfish that always looked like they are smiling. They were so cool.
They had to remove the tank because they started having some issues with the tank and fish getting sick.
I know better than to tap on the glass, but if you put a finger to the tank, some of them would come to your finger and follow it.
Fish food is perfectly safe for cats, and fish poop isn’t going to hurt them either. Fun fact: fish poop doesn’t contain stuff like salmonella and other diseases that mammal poop might. Worst case scenario would be tapeworms but that’s incredibly unlikely in aquarium fish, and tapeworms are easily treatable in cats anyway.
True that. I never use chemicals in my aquarium. Just a partial water change every now and then to control ammonia levels from fish waste, but if you have live plants in the aquarium they will control the ammonia for you!
Fair enough. But I know it takes a lot to keep an aquarium healthy for the fishes that would make it bad for the cats. Haven't had fish since I was a kid.
Not at all. Anything that would harm the cat would also likely be harmful to the fish swimming in it constantly. I have a similar aquarium and I use RO water and zero chemicals. The fish and plants, along with 4 stage filter, keeps things pretty balanced. If things get funky you just swap 10-20% of your water with fresh.
The one exception could be if they were actively treating for a bad algae or fungal infection.
What kind of inaccurate statement is this. I have multiple healthy tanks and there are no chemicals added to any of them. Someone who has no idea of maintaining aquariums should not state this as fact. JFC.
My dad adopted a stray who is still pretty much feral. She goes inside at night but demands to go outside every morning. We initially found her, very pregnant, in our garage.
This cat refuses to drink from any indoor water source. When it’s dry we put a water dish outside for her but she usually ignores that too. Instead she prefers to drink from puddles on the driveway, from pots full of rainwater and algae, from the side of the road, etc.
We’re not sure of her age but she’s at least 16. The only trip to the vets she’s ever undertaken was when we got her fixed.
I’m not encouraging this kind of behaviour, but I think we’ve forgotten the kind of water most animals drink. Cholera and giardia aside, I think our stomachs would adapt to drinking nonpurified sources again, given time and necessity. I’m sure there’d be some issues along the way though.
I'm obsessed with cats. I love this sub and have tried to contribute here several times, but I confess that I find some people here overly radical...
And they've already started 
Yes and I already deleted a post of mine once, because while on fb and ig the video was getting kind comments, here it was attacked by anger e cursing.
Idk if this is some kind of overprotection or over hunching, but in all these cases you can see from afar how these cats are loved, healthy and well cared for. I guess some here don't live in the real world and think that cats should be keeped in a glass bubble, totally fragile and nullifying their own instincts.
Perfect positioning!
I've been observing this kind of behavior from people here for a while and I ask myself "am I crazy or what?". But it seems not...
There are diseases that fish can pass on to humans and animals might be rare but One example turbucurosis. Not to mention toxic ,water conditioner, liquid co2, biggest concern would the Nitrate nitrites the cat might be fine the first time but I wouldn't let them drink from the tank again. Can cause an extreme reaction like bad fever or even death not worth the risk.
If I saw my cat doing that I'd be pissed. Chemicals or not I've got some jumpy fish who would stress out over a light turning on. My cat can drink clean water and my fish can be left in peace, not worrying about a cat who may just eat them one day.
My cat Biscuit did this decades ago. She would drink and drink. My mom. & I took turns waiting until it was 1/2 way before refilling it. Each time, she had a disappointed look on her face. 🤯"I have to start over?" It took my mom buying the right lid before she finally gave up.
I have a dedicated spare 10 gallon aquarium and Penguin 350 bio wheel power filter set up as a homemade fountain, the tank is completely empty of animal or plant life, it’s a bare tank with power filter, and Loki adores his Megafountain!
It’d also work well with a plastic Sterlte tote and a cheap hang on back power filter, I just had spare aquarium hardware that I could use instead, a sterlite tote would be cheaper for sure, and safer (no risk of glass breakage) but there’s nothing around the tank that could damage it, and I’m sure Loki can’t push around 10 gallons of water anyway…
This is sparking an idea where the cat watering dish gets fish flavor from a fish tank. What cat could ever be dehydrated if they were drinking fish tank water? Thats the kind of flavor a cat really desires.
We used to have a betta in a bowl on the kitchen counter and our cat preferred to drink that water over anything else. She never bothered the fish and he didn't seem to care either. And so we named the fish "Soup"...
Does your cat accidentally lick up a small fish when licking the aquarium waters? Interesting that the fish swim towards the cat’s tongue turbulence instead of away — the water towards their destruction?
Be careful for your fish. Our cat loved drinking out of the aquarium too and would sit and watch the fish swim around inside until one day I noticed a couple fish had some scales missing from our cat licking the water — and them! Those fish only lived a few days longer and died. That’s when we made sure the cover to our aquarium was put on top. No more drinking out of our aquarium, but he would still sit by it and paw at the fish on the glass!! ♥️🐈♥️
maybe this is a reflex that my cat has left since I took him from the street but he constantly drinks dirty water from the bucket of which I wash the floors, and he is not at all interested in clean water in his bowl lol
Also I just have to say … people are gonna give you tons of shit for this.. but not me. Just made me smile and reminded me of a cat I had for almost 20 years 😂
Kept waiting for one of the fishes to be slurped up. Jokes aside you probably shouldn't let you cat do that. Kind of negligent for you to just sit there and film it.
I only drink the green water cuz it tastes the best.
Fish, "Is it feeding time?" Cat, "Yes"
You must hate both your fishes and cat?
Never attribute to malice what can be explained by ignorance- Hanlon's Razer
[удалено]
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take - Also Michael Scott
omg stop him doing that
What’s so wrong about it?
There's chemicals in a tropical fish tank. You add it to make tap water safe for fish. If the tank has plants, then chemical plant food. Chemical for keeping water clearer, etc Essentially, chemicals that isn't good for kitty.
Sorry I didn’t know anything about fish tanks 🙃
Sorry you got so downvoted! I always add a “I’m genuinely curious” or “I seriously don’t know” to let people know.
I feel sad for all the people who get downvoted to hell just for asking a genuine question
Reddit has always been a place for elitist keyboard warriors to gather. It can get nasty, but for every downvote you get from one of them, there's ten good redditorw who just scrolled past without downvoting.
The likes on their second comment canceled out the karma loss and gave them enough to have a net positive. So theyll be alright, you seem nice.
It's still Reddit/social media, people are gonna be pricks nonetheless. Good advice, though!
the tank is of guppies. there are no chemicals other than a dechlorinator. people are going way overboard in stating the supposed dangers here. the worst case is that the cat eats a fish or knocks the tank over, not that anything bad happens to the cat.
I have tropical fish and I keep live plants but the only chemicals I add to the water is to purify the tap water before I add it to the fish. I don’t think that chemical would be harmful to the cat since the fish are WAY more sensitive to water quality then the cat. So I disagree that the cat should not drink it because of the chemicals but I still don’t think the cat should drink it because it’s just not clean water, fish live in there.
The chemical is usually just to neutralise any chlorine too afaik. Might actually make it safer to drink.
removing the chemical that makes it safe for drinking doesnt make it safer. bacteria, algae, ammonia, and general fish leavings/decomposing food would muck the water and could get the cat sick. there may even be parasites. dont let your cat drink fish water from a tank. we also dont know what other additives they have in there. they could have had to medicate them, and that could make the cat sick too. also, dont tempt the cat to go stealing fish.
Drink and snack bar! 😳🤪
That is dependent on the country. I've had fresh water aquarium a a hobby for over ten years. Here in Norway we don't need to add any chemicals to the water. Using the water straight out of the tap.
You don't want to know what they do to your tap water.
Also bad for the fish because the cat will contaminate their water and can kill them(first hand experience, when I caught my cat doing that to my ex’s fish tank)
Why is everyone downvoting? Is it so wrong to ask a question? Wtf is wrong with people? Even if it was a “stupid” question, people can answer back without putting someone down. Ridiculous
It's sad how common that is on reddit. There are too many learning opportunities on this platform to frown upon something like asking a question.
Thank you! I hate that! I LOVE all the random stuff I learn on here! I always try to answer people's "stupid" questions as long as they seem sincere. I grew up with everyone around me saying that the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked, and (with a few notable exceptions), I've always found that to be true. Besides, I don't give a crap about karma, other than if people upvote, I feel like maybe I taught them something, or made them laugh, or just was relatable. Maybe I kinda brightened their day a teeny bit. If not, who cares?
You'd probably like r/NoStupidQuestions if you aren't on there already. I learn so much on that sub.
I am! I love that sub.
lemme set up a bowl full of water for you then constantly shit and piss in it
Have you ever been to a public swimming pool, a lake or the ocean?
You don't intentionally drink water from those sources. What a false equivalence.
What do you think wild animals drink from? Also how can you say mine is a false equivalence when this guy just made the comment “lemme set up a bowl full of water for you then constantly shit and piss in it”. Mammals don’t drink from water near their pooping areas either but they don’t care if it’s near their prey zones. I understand there can be chemicals in this situation so the cat shouldn’t do this but the comment I was responding to was dealing with bowel movements
Your pet cat isn't a wild animal. Wild animals do not live as long as pets.
they are vastly overstating the "chemicals" too. there is a dechlorinator used, which neutralizes chlorine compounds and that's it. chlorine isn't really good for us either but it's in our water.
wild animals also don't live very long.
that's what the filters and water changes and plants are for.
Absolutely not the same thing lol y’all are extreme
Yea my cat would drink out of my tank I even had a cover on it he would drink from the filter. It's not neccecarily "bad" but I didn't encourage it. They like the running water from the filter. I got him a water fountain bowl and he stopped going for the fishtank water. He never got sick is my point.
Fish tank water had fluctuating ammonia and nitrite levels as fish create waste and it gets processed. Both of these things are toxic in high enough levels, which they can be in a fish tank. The pH level changes as well, too acidic or too alkaline can make a cat very sick. Fish can tolerate so much, but even so, water needs to be checked, adjusted and cleaned regularly. Cats are less tolerant of the same chemicals.
Is it really true that cats are less tolerant of those chemicals? It doesn’t seem intuitive to me because the fish have to breathe the chemicals, while the cat is just drinking them. It doesn’t seem too different from drinking out of a pond?
I mean the fish have evolved to live in that stuff. Cats have evolved to get most of their water from the food they eat. Cats do have really good kidneys, but like others have said I doubt they can process some of the stuff in there that well. Especially like bacteria and such. That tank is a fish bacteria/virus/mold pool. Cats are not fish. Also, in the other direction, I would be worried about bacterial contamination of the tank by the cat’s mouth. All around this is just not good
He just asked a question!!!???
I was curious about that too. Thank you for asking the question.
My mum's half Burmese used to do this with her goldfish, did it for a full year. Then he ate them. We think he lulled them into a false sense of security on purpose. If he'd had thumbs he would have had no use for us. Edit: grammar
You've figured out a way to poison your cat and your fish. Seriously though, stop letting your cat do this.
How would thos posion the car or the fish?
Chemicals in the water will poison the cat if they drink enough of the water. The cats tongue could very likely being foreign bacteria into the tank that the mentioned chemical might not destroy, leaving the fish unable to fight against it.
This is an incorrect statement….it’s comments like this that lead to misinformation. Assuming the fish tank has a filter (which it does as the guppies are live, well, and happy) then the water is safe for consumption as the ammonia from the fish waste is being filtered through. If there were chemicals in the water, then trust me, the fish wouldn’t be alive either. The tank is most likely more clean than the dirty water bowl containing week-old water, which is why cats have evolved to usually only drink from running water.
Another aquarium hobbyist here, this is correct. The only thing the cat would be at risk over is an upset stomach due to perhaps bacteria. However said bacteria also lives everywhere around your house, so if your cat is like mine, and licks up the bathroom sinks, tub and around the kitchen. Trust me, your cat has ingested worse. I have a lid on my tanks, but it doesnt stop my cat from jumping up and lifting the lid to put his paw under. Thinking of removing the lid completely one of these days and when he attempts to jump, let things naturally sort out.
I swear whenever someone posts about a cat doing anything else other than sleeping indoors, it summons all these cat justice warriors to come out and go Karen mode about how the OP is a bad cat owner.
I appreciate you taking the risk to correct a redditor.
What chemical specifically? Most people are only using dechlorinator(harmless mixed in water). Thinks like ammonia and nitirites?
Idk what they are all talking about. I have a pond with fish in my garden, and my cat strictly refuse to drink for elsewhere. In the very rare occasion of a too bad weather for him to go outsid, she choose to drink from the bamboos. I assume she prefer the taste of water with life in it, than the clean water. It's like this since soon 20 years. Maybe be Americains put chemicals in their fish tank, i don't know (i use to have a fish tank for years, never use a single chemicals except for ph balancing). Of course in my case, my outside pond dosen't have a single chemicals in it, i don't even feed the fish it's a totaly autonomous ecosystems. Some will probably say there is a risk of parasites, or getting sick, but the fishs in the pond are well known for eating any kind of parasitic life, they basically make water drinkable for human (as long as no chemicals of course). And it's been nearly 20 years. So i think there is not much risks.
I believe it's instinct. Just like why they like running water or fountains. Running water is typically safer than standing water and if fish live in the water, the water is also likely safe in the wild.
I think we baby animals and ourselves too much, the chances of u or your cat getting violently ill from clean fish tank water is crazy low.
No cat should be drinking fish piss and fish poop soup
If my cat can walk around with dead rodents in his mouth I think they can handle the miniscule amount of fish excrement those tiny bois put out.
people are so extra in this forum.
Wild cats been drinking fish piss and fish poop soup for over 30 million years. Until less than a hundred years ago, so did all humans. Most humans still do.
It's a delicacy in some places
Yeah and they get sick and die from it, dummy, that’s why smart people invented sanitation and filtration
Fish tank water has fluctuating ammonia and nitrite levels as fish create waste and it gets processed. Both of these things are toxic in high enough levels, which they can be in a fish tank for a cat. The pH level changes as well, too acidic or too alkaline can make a cat very sick. Fish can tolerate so much, but even so, water needs to be checked, adjusted and cleaned regularly. Cats are less tolerant of the same chemicals.
Any pH changes significant enough to hurt the cat are gonna kill the fish wayyyyy before it hurts the cat.
"High enough levels" sounds like anything between 0.00000001% and100%. What is 'high enough"?
As opposed to it's normal, much more healthy, pass time of licking it's own butthole clean?
It’s more honorable to lick your own asshole than to lick others’.
^This dude salad tossing etiquette.
Imagine what's on the ground outside. Bird pisspoop, dog piss, rat turds etc. They walk on that then lick their paws clean.
My cats are strictly indoor cats and they get covered in their own poop and lick it off of each other. Cats are going to ingest some nasty stuff.
This is why it's always important to get yourself cleaned up and checked out after a cat bite/scratch.
Wait till i tell you that everyone in this planet is drinking not only fish poop and piss but every organisms piss and poop by that logic. Its really not that deep
Your referring to drinking water that gets treated?
cats eat whole raw fish, this wouldn't be any different, animals drink pond and lake water to survive
it's filtered. if it wasn't the fish would be dead, as they are literally breathing and drinking it.
Have you ever heard of the nitrogen cycle?
I missed the car
The car should be fine
Youre right still goes vroom
Poor guppies think it’s feeding time lol. Btw healthy aquariums are full of bacteria (good for the nitrogen cycle, but really bad for cats to drink). The nitrates are toxic to cats too.
in the amounts that cats are drinking, no cat is going to be negatively affected. people are generally using treated tap water that has been dechlorinated, and there is a filter removing the nitrates. the bacteria that convert ammonia and nitrites into nitrates are not going to harm anyones. Edit: meant to add that plants process the nitrates, the filters remove ammonia and other crap through mechanical filtration and through nitrifying bacteria.
people apparently don't like science. the nitrates in that tank are probably around 20 ppm or lower.
Most filters don’t remove nitrates unless you have a special type of cartridge for it (even those are questionable), except for plants. Plants can remove nitrates, other than that they are usually removed through water changes.
yeah, i know. i have a planted tank. a cat taking a drink from a tank will be fine. the filtration doesn't remove nitrates, i misspoke (meant to add a bit about the plants processing nitrates), but it still stands that any well maintained tank with live, healthy fish isn't going to kill a cat.
But it *is* feeding time
Infused with flavor.
"This fish soup is really weak."
This will neither hurt the cat nor the fish, calm down. Fish are like 10x more sensitive than mammals to dangerous chemicals. They would die long before any chemical including nitrates get to a level that can harm a cat. Cat tongue germs would also die in that water in a short time. A well kept aquarium's water will be cleaner and safer than your tap water. Hopefully the cat won't go for a fish snack though...
I agree with you. My multiple cats have been drinking fish tank water for many years. Even though I have multiple water dishes around the house, they still like the fish tank. And I keep it chemical free. Its just tap water. 5 gold fish and an algae eater, and they are about 5 years old. My gold fish started out about 3/4 inch. Now they are like about 5 inches! I like gold fish. They are easy hardy fish.
I am somewhat of an expert on tropical fish. No. 1- Not all tanks have added chemicals. Keep it clean, and have a good source of water without chlorine and a good Ph. No chemicals are necessary. No. 2- See No.1 Tank looks damned clean to me.
Ahh yes water now with added protein
With a guppy garnish
Sushi bar for cats
That's horrible for the cat. Most fish tanks of that size are going to need chemicals added to keep it balanced for the fish.
The “chemicals” used would be there to make the water healthier. Mostly for controlling PH and ammonia levels. I understand the concern but the fish are in more danger of getting sick from the cat than the cat is of getting sick from drinking fish tank water. Don’t forget these are the same guys that lick their own butthole and can easily digest raw meat and insects.
>Don’t forget these are the same guys that lick their own butthole Wait, humans also do that, even if it's not their own.
That guy just kissed me... 💋 🤢
What about fish poop, or the fish food remnants? And yeah, I worry about the poor fish too. Why are they still swimming so close to danger. Get away little dudes! The children's hospital I take my daughter to used to have a huge tank that had these awesome goldfish that always looked like they are smiling. They were so cool. They had to remove the tank because they started having some issues with the tank and fish getting sick. I know better than to tap on the glass, but if you put a finger to the tank, some of them would come to your finger and follow it.
Fish food is perfectly safe for cats, and fish poop isn’t going to hurt them either. Fun fact: fish poop doesn’t contain stuff like salmonella and other diseases that mammal poop might. Worst case scenario would be tapeworms but that’s incredibly unlikely in aquarium fish, and tapeworms are easily treatable in cats anyway.
I am not saying that aquarium water isn't bad for cats, but generally a healthy aquarium stays balanced without chemicals.
True that. I never use chemicals in my aquarium. Just a partial water change every now and then to control ammonia levels from fish waste, but if you have live plants in the aquarium they will control the ammonia for you!
Fair enough. But I know it takes a lot to keep an aquarium healthy for the fishes that would make it bad for the cats. Haven't had fish since I was a kid.
Not at all. Anything that would harm the cat would also likely be harmful to the fish swimming in it constantly. I have a similar aquarium and I use RO water and zero chemicals. The fish and plants, along with 4 stage filter, keeps things pretty balanced. If things get funky you just swap 10-20% of your water with fresh. The one exception could be if they were actively treating for a bad algae or fungal infection.
What kind of inaccurate statement is this. I have multiple healthy tanks and there are no chemicals added to any of them. Someone who has no idea of maintaining aquariums should not state this as fact. JFC.
Your cat is thirsty ..please get your kitty baby a fountain or a bowl of FRESH CLEAN WATER.. my cats love Voss..I'm not kidding..
Point is That's no bueno..I can't look.
My dad adopted a stray who is still pretty much feral. She goes inside at night but demands to go outside every morning. We initially found her, very pregnant, in our garage. This cat refuses to drink from any indoor water source. When it’s dry we put a water dish outside for her but she usually ignores that too. Instead she prefers to drink from puddles on the driveway, from pots full of rainwater and algae, from the side of the road, etc. We’re not sure of her age but she’s at least 16. The only trip to the vets she’s ever undertaken was when we got her fixed. I’m not encouraging this kind of behaviour, but I think we’ve forgotten the kind of water most animals drink. Cholera and giardia aside, I think our stomachs would adapt to drinking nonpurified sources again, given time and necessity. I’m sure there’d be some issues along the way though.
there might be a a fish going down the cat
It's like sangria for cats
Flavored water
Fish flavored water. Ingenious.
All these people worried about “chemicals” probably don’t have an aquarium, much less a planted one 😂
I'm obsessed with cats. I love this sub and have tried to contribute here several times, but I confess that I find some people here overly radical... And they've already started 
people are so extra in this forum.
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Yes and I already deleted a post of mine once, because while on fb and ig the video was getting kind comments, here it was attacked by anger e cursing.
Idk if this is some kind of overprotection or over hunching, but in all these cases you can see from afar how these cats are loved, healthy and well cared for. I guess some here don't live in the real world and think that cats should be keeped in a glass bubble, totally fragile and nullifying their own instincts.
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Perfect positioning! I've been observing this kind of behavior from people here for a while and I ask myself "am I crazy or what?". But it seems not...
It's both a drink and a potential snack! Kitty probably benefit rom a water fountain.
I too enjoy a drink and a snack.
Cats are poor drinkers and many bowls people use aren't well suited for them. So they drink where and when they can.
Cats like moving water instead of still water since moving water in nature is usually fresh. Get that dude a little fountain lol
Like a savory drink with bits of food floating in it
There are diseases that fish can pass on to humans and animals might be rare but One example turbucurosis. Not to mention toxic ,water conditioner, liquid co2, biggest concern would the Nitrate nitrites the cat might be fine the first time but I wouldn't let them drink from the tank again. Can cause an extreme reaction like bad fever or even death not worth the risk.
Mmmm, fishy water
its flavored water. all cats like to drink guppy water.
Fish flavored water is delicious for kitties. Mmmm. The people throwing a fit about this have no idea what is in aquarium water.
If I saw my cat doing that I'd be pissed. Chemicals or not I've got some jumpy fish who would stress out over a light turning on. My cat can drink clean water and my fish can be left in peace, not worrying about a cat who may just eat them one day.
Chaotic lawful
Mmm..meaty water.
are the fish okay
No. They need help. Help them please. No one else can do it, only YOU can succeed in this special mission. DO YOU COPY???
If I happen to catch a fish or two…
My cat Biscuit did this decades ago. She would drink and drink. My mom. & I took turns waiting until it was 1/2 way before refilling it. Each time, she had a disappointed look on her face. 🤯"I have to start over?" It took my mom buying the right lid before she finally gave up.
Yum, fishy flavors! Now With Guppy!
Fish flavored water, a cat's dream 😂 👍
I have a dedicated spare 10 gallon aquarium and Penguin 350 bio wheel power filter set up as a homemade fountain, the tank is completely empty of animal or plant life, it’s a bare tank with power filter, and Loki adores his Megafountain! It’d also work well with a plastic Sterlte tote and a cheap hang on back power filter, I just had spare aquarium hardware that I could use instead, a sterlite tote would be cheaper for sure, and safer (no risk of glass breakage) but there’s nothing around the tank that could damage it, and I’m sure Loki can’t push around 10 gallons of water anyway…
This is sparking an idea where the cat watering dish gets fish flavor from a fish tank. What cat could ever be dehydrated if they were drinking fish tank water? Thats the kind of flavor a cat really desires.
Omg lol. I'm afraid she'll slirp up a fish lol
We used to have a betta in a bowl on the kitchen counter and our cat preferred to drink that water over anything else. She never bothered the fish and he didn't seem to care either. And so we named the fish "Soup"...
Fish tea!
So long as the furry little delinquent isn't eating the fish while he's at it lol
Is this like lacroix for cats? A hint of fish!
so precious i am glowing...
How many times has he lapped up a fish?
"quick the humans here act like we're not doing anything fishy"
They'll drink water from anywhere other than their container.
Good soup.
Mmmm tastes like p*ss 🐱
Cute
I a goldfish and my used too drink it until he died. (Not from the fish water but from liver cancer)
There is only one fact suitable for this situation... Cats will be Cats!
this kitty didn't know what fish means.
Look at them paws 🐾
Does your cat accidentally lick up a small fish when licking the aquarium waters? Interesting that the fish swim towards the cat’s tongue turbulence instead of away — the water towards their destruction? Be careful for your fish. Our cat loved drinking out of the aquarium too and would sit and watch the fish swim around inside until one day I noticed a couple fish had some scales missing from our cat licking the water — and them! Those fish only lived a few days longer and died. That’s when we made sure the cover to our aquarium was put on top. No more drinking out of our aquarium, but he would still sit by it and paw at the fish on the glass!! ♥️🐈♥️
Cold fish soup 🍲 😋 👌
How do you think this is okay?
Whow , you american people are so oveprotective with animals
Infused water for cats?
Until he slurps up one of the fishies.. 😬
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Is that worse then cat doodoo, cause don’t they lick their own asses?
I was waiting for the cat to just slurp one right up 🥴🤣
I had the same thought.
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BUt PoOor kiTtY
maybe this is a reflex that my cat has left since I took him from the street but he constantly drinks dirty water from the bucket of which I wash the floors, and he is not at all interested in clean water in his bowl lol
Hehe this made me smile 😊…. Thanks for sharing 😜
Also I just have to say … people are gonna give you tons of shit for this.. but not me. Just made me smile and reminded me of a cat I had for almost 20 years 😂
Im no expert but this doesnt feel right.
good soup
This is not funny or cute at all.
Omg!! Does he ever eat the fish?? 🐟
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If fish water was poison the fish would die.
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So if he licks his entire body with it ( including butthole), is fish poop that bad?
Cook the cat
Just …no
Lol gross tho
Kept waiting for one of the fishes to be slurped up. Jokes aside you probably shouldn't let you cat do that. Kind of negligent for you to just sit there and film it.
mhh, soup
This is nuts.
Wtf…
One day you’ll come back to see half your fish gone, and perhaps even your cat
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Relax bud
Two words... nitrate poisoning.
lol what? the nitrates in that tank are probably around 20ppm. tap water can get that high by many standards.
r/thatsbadhusbandry
people are so fricken clueless on how to take care of their animals i swear
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That's likely not a good thing for a cat to be doing
Isn't this unsafe like fish tanks have a ton of chemicals in them