One of my four ferrets (Sybil) paws at the water bottle before she drinks.
I think she does this for a couple reasons: One, she *loves* to play in
water; and two, she would prefer to drink out of a bowl.  Unfortunately, I
have one ferret who does not know how to drink out of a bowl, he always
gets the water everywhere & soaks the food constantly.  He's not playing in
it, but he puts his entire face into the water, then shakes his head really
hard (I don't think he likes his whiskers getting wet but that seems to be
the only way he knows how to drink water from a bowl).  So I can't give
them that option when they're in their cage.  However, when I let them free
roam in the apartment (couple times a week), I put a bowl of water in the
bathtub, and that's the first place Sybil will go in the entire apartment.
Sometimes I let them out first and I'll find her in the bathtub waiting
(impatiently) for her bowl of water to play in.  She paws at that too.  Way
too cute.
 
Minta
(& Linus, Martin, Sybil & Zooey)
[Posted in FML issue 2764]