Mufasa's War on Stagnant Water

I think that Mu has made an enemy of his new water dish. Either he is much smarter than I give him credit for, or much dumber. I haven’t figured out which. My parents gave us one of those water bowls with a little tank about it so that it refills itself through the magic of physics, and I don’t think Mufasa likes it. I haven’t figured out exactly what he does to the thing, but one minute he will be drinking peacefully from it, and the next minute half of its contents are somehow spewed out across the kitchen.

I have a few theories:

1. (This theory assumes that the cat is much smarter than I give him credit for.) Mu really does not like to drink standing water. When he had a normal dish, he would refuse to drink from it unless it was changed a couple of times every day. He would drink from the toilet, the sink, the shower, and ignore his water dish. My theory is that he has either figured out that when the bowl is sufficiently emptied, he gets new water or that when the bowl is emptied enough times, we will refill it with fresh water. As a result he somehow - I have yet to actually witness the actual emptying - forcibly ejects the contents of his bowl in order to get new water. 
2. (This theory assumes that the cat is even dumber than I think he is, which is a feat, as I think he is pretty dumb.) The water bowl makes a ‘glug-glug’ sound when it fills itself. I have seen him stare at the bowl wondering what is going on when it does this. I assume that he is startled every time it happens (despite it being a regular occurrence that happens every time he drinks), and tries to take off at a run, skidding on the hardwood floor and violently kicking the water bowl in his failed attempt to flee from it. 
3. Mu is out to make my life more difficult through any of the limited means he has available to him, and therefore sloshes water about for the sheer glory of watching me clean it up later. (Again, assuming he is smart enough to put together sloshing water with me having to clean it up.) 
4. He just really, really hates the water bowl and tries to end its life (such as it is) after every use. 

I figure it’s only a matter of time until he starts setting strategies against the washing machine and anything else that creates sounds that startle and confuse him. I am putting my bets on the washing machine though.