Do Pets Prefer Bottled Water? (Our Dog Opened the Toilet Instead)

Posted by Janice Macdonald on June 11, 2026

We recently ran a completely unscientific household experiment.

One pet chose bottled water.

The other learned how to lift the toilet lid.

Needless to say, our results raised more questions than answers.

As people who work in water treatment, we get lots of questions about water taste and quality. One question we never expected to ask ourselves was:

Do pets actually prefer certain types of water?

Apparently… yes. Sometimes they do.

My Cat Won’t Drink RO Water. Should I Be Worried?

Short answer: probably not.

Pets can be surprisingly particular about water. Some seem to prefer:

Preference doesn’t automatically mean one water is healthier than another.

Hydration matters more than perfection.

Reverse osmosis (RO) removes a very high percentage of dissolved minerals and impurities from water.

Many people describe RO water as tasting:

✔ clean
✔ crisp
✔ neutral

But some people (and apparently some pets) describe it as tasting:

✔ softer
✔ flatter
✔ different from what they’re used to

That doesn’t mean anything is wrong with RO water—it just means taste is personal.

Some RO systems include optional post-filters that add a small amount of mineral content back after purification.

People often choose these because they enjoy the taste.

This usually isn’t about nutrition—it’s mostly about preference.

We wish we had a better answer.

Toilet water is often:

(Please don’t take this as a recommendation.)

For most healthy pets:

…matter more than chasing the perfect water type.

If your pet suddenly changes drinking habits or stops drinking altogether, talk to your veterinarian.

But if your cat only drinks bottled water while your dog opens the toilet lid…

welcome to pet ownership.

Curious about filtered water, reverse osmosis, softened water, or adding minerals back for taste?

Reverse Osmosis • Water Softeners • Filters
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