Robert Krulwich compares the drinking techniques of cats, dogs, and pigeons. Looking at high-speed videos of dogs and cats, he concludes that cats drink more efficiently than dogs, but that a group of pigeons beats both mammals:
Say what you will about sloppy dogs or elegant cats, these three [pigeons of Brisbane, Australia] are the Plato, Aristotle and Socrates of the drinking world. Send them to a diner. I bet they’d soon be sucking on straws.
See, Who’s The Best Drinker? Dogs? Cats? Or Pigeons? : Krulwich Wonders… : NPR. (Videos of canine & feline drinking techniques included.)