The answer is related to its origins
The cat is a feline that hunt its preys and take the majority of water it needs independently, so it usually drinks few times. But domestic cats eat dry food and so they need some fresh water while eating. Generally, the owner keeps another bowl for water next to the one of food, but have you noticed they almost leave it as it is?
Why cats do not drink any of the water we leave in the bowl?
Have you noticed that the cat does not drink the water in its bowl if it is next to the food? This strange gesture is described by specialists as a normal behavior for the cat. If the bowl for food is far from the one for water the cat becomes more interested in drinking water and drinks more.
What is the reason behind that?
It has to do with cat’s origins, it is in its nature. Ehen the cat was still wild associated carcasses of animals and food to a possible contamination in water. So, cats ate in a place and drank water in another without dead animals’ carcasses. So, they thought water had to be in a neutral zone. And water near food can enhance bacterial proliferation as long as the cat can eat and then drink the water with food remains in its mouth.
How to prevent it? It is better to indulge your cat nature and distribute some bowls far from the food, so it can choose.
Water for the cat: where to put the bowl
Bear in mind that also the water should be kept away from the litter, places where it can become polluted and so dangerous. Water distant from food and litter appears clean to the cat. Remember to use a wide diameter and less deep bowl, all features that recall the places where the cat drinks: less depth waters without any possible predators. The cat always looks for fresh, clean and not stagnant water, that is why it loves to drink from the tap. The cat may often turn its bowl inside out to explore the water or because it is attracted from a possible prey inside it.