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Is my cat not drinking enough? Safe drinking behaviour

katze vor einem wassersprinklerkatze vor einem wassersprinkler

Every cat owner is familiar with the topic of "cats and drinking" - how do you know that your own kitty is drinking enough and getting enough water? A lot of people want to encourage their cat to drink more and are worried that it might become dehydrated. It is often notable that older cats in particular drink less water. This may be an indication of a health problem but is not necessarily so.

Observe changes in drinking behaviour

Their drinking behaviour is often as mysterious as the cats themselves. Generally speaking, healthy cats drink less than you would expect. We have only recently discovered the reason they drink so little: that is how we found out that our domestic cat is descended from the desert cat. Therefore, a cat’s body can manage water very well and it doesn’t need to drink a lot of water. However, if you notice that your cat is suddenly drinking more or less than usual, it may be a sign that should be investigated even if it doesn't initially mean anything bad.

Factors that influence a cat’s drinking behaviour include the type of food it is fed. Cats that are fed wet food cover almost all of their fluid requirements through their food. So, if you change your cat from wet to dry food, you will quickly notice that your cat now goes to its water bowl more often – or drinks from glasses, watering cans, vases and other similar places.

 

When is veterinary advice necessary?

Other factors also influence drinking behaviour. Just like us humans, cats also drink more in summer when the temperatures are high. But if this does not change when autumn comes and temperatures fall, you should seek veterinary advice because a kidney or thyroid disease can often be behind the change in a cat’s drinking behaviour. Especially with older cats, a visit to your preferred veterinary practice is highly advisable.

How do I recognise that my cat is not actually drinking enough?

A lot of cat owners think that their pet probably doesn’t drink enough. Therefore, we have summarised the symptoms that tell you whether an animal is actually dehydrated below: a dehydrated cat is less active, moves very little and is lethargic, which means that it is less responsive to stimuli. In addition, a dehydrated cat can be recognised by the fact that its skin is no longer elastic and the mucous membranes in its mouth are dry. Other signs that a cat is in urgent need of water are sunken eyes and persistent loss of appetite. In addition, a dehydrated cat’s urine is very dark, almost orange, and you often find small lumps in its litter box. 

katze trinkt von einem wasserhahnkatze trinkt von einem wasserhahn

Tips and tricks to encourage your cat to drink

A few tricks can help cat owners encourage their pet to drink when it is showing signs of dehydration. Especially with senior cats, it's not uncommon to have to resort to a few tricks to make drinking palatable to an old cat again. 

  • Provide fresh water: fill your cat's water bowl with fresh water at least twice a day. Some cats also like to go directly to the ”source” and drink fresh water directly from a running tap. Cats generally like running water – this makes a water fountain or a water dispenser for cats good investments. 
  • Provide several sources of water: to make sure your cat is drinking enough, we advise distributing several water bowls around your flat or house. This ensures that your pet always has access to water when it is thirsty. 
  • Try out different containers for the water: it sounds funny, but every cat has its own character and some cats prefer to drink from shallow dishes, while others prefer deeper bowls. Some cats prefer glass bowls, others ceramic or metal bowls. Watering cans or flowerpot dishes are also not uncommon sources of water.
  • Increase the water content in its food: if you are feeding your cat dry food and are worried that your cat is not drinking enough, trying a change of food is also a good idea. Switch to wet food. If you already give your cat wet food and think that your cat doesn’t drink enough, especially as it gets older, you can add some water to its wet food.

Important: If you don't get anywhere with any of the above tricks and see that your cat simply doesn't drink and already looks dehydrated, a trip to the vet is unavoidable. A thorough veterinary examination, including blood tests, can uncover the reasons why your cat's drinking behaviour has changed. Together with the vet, you can find out the reasons why your cat isn’t drinking enough. 

In general, observing your cat’s individual drinking behaviour is worthwhile. Drinking enough water is vital for the body. Only when you know what drinking behaviour is normal for your cat are you able to notice changes and thus detect any problems at an early stage.