At first, my cat drank from his bowl without issues. But once he discovered running water from the faucet, that was it—he only wanted to drink from the tap.
This actually makes sense biologically. Cats are bad at drinking water. Their wild ancestors, the African wildcat, lived in arid environments where standing water was rare. Most of their hydration came from eating prey. Modern cats that eat dry kibble need to drink more, but they don’t have a natural instinct to do it. That’s why some prefer moving water, like from a faucet or a pet water fountain. Some even prefer drinking from a puddle-like surface instead of a regular bowl.