Why does our kitten wash its feet in in the water bowl?

Because its a cat

I thought cats hated water(being wet), and our 8year old cat has never done that.

wouldnt you wash your feet after walking around a litterbox?

Thais really cute but I can see how that would be annoying for you. Maybe you could try a washbowl by the litterbox and put the drinking bowl elsewhere?

Cats are individuals and get creative sometimes, especially as kittens. Many cats are finicky about water sources, and/or enjoy water in different ways. I have one whose favorite seems to be standing under the bathtub tap and getting his head wet as he drinks from either the drain or mid-air.

iSteve’s suggestion is great – give him another water bowl or two in different locations and see how he uses them. My bet is he’ll not use all of them for drinking. But cats can and do do worse. Remember they clean their feet, bodies and privates with their tongue anyway, and outside they’ll drink out of all sorts of puddles. Think of that when you dump toxic stuff outside, BTW.

maybe the litter is making her feet itch…or maybe she just likes water – one of my cats is a paddler, the other one is hydrophobic!