A cat that ignores its water bowl is not being difficult. It is doing exactly what its desert-adapted biology expects of it. Cats evolved in arid environments where prey, mice, lizards, small birds, supplied nearly all the water they needed. Their thirst drive is genuinely weaker than a dog's or a human's, which means they can be chronically under-hydrated without showing obvious signs until the kidneys or urinary tract have already taken a hit.
