How Do I Get My Cat to Drink More Water?

On this eposide of the Pet Question of the Day Stephanie talks about how important it is to keep your cat hydrated and creative ways to get more water into their diet!

How Can I Get My Cat to Drink More Water? Many of you have asked this question and it also goes in line with other topics concerning their nutrition. Hydration is SO important. A Hydrated Cat is a Healthier Cat. It also helps to keep their kidneys functioning well, stave off urinary tract infections, digestive issues, and even behavioral issues. Sometimes your cat might be having a problem with the litter box, but they are actually dehydrated!

By rights, cats aren’t known for drinking vast amounts of water and this harkens back to their wilder days. Before modern times cats used to obtain everything, they needed in their diet from their prey. This included hydration! Now, we must supplement that hydration and try to get them to drink water as an aside from their food. We know they are particular eaters, but did you know that they can also be be sensitive to the taste of the water and also to the bowl it is presented in? Then there are environmental toxins we need to be aware of. Fear not though, there are creative ways to get your cat to drink more water on his or her own.

So how much on average should they drink? Veterinarians say that a normal ten-pound cat should drink7 to 9 ounces of water each day. If they’re eating kibble as their primary food source, it needs about 4 cups of water to break down a cup of kibble. They recommend either using Stainless Steel bowls OR Ceramic bowls with a clean, lead free, glaze. There are so many options in this range as well, from style to size to height. We’ve found that most of our cats really like free flowing fountain style water bowls and will often drink more that way.

Another creative way to get more water into your cat’s diet is to feed them canned wet food. Now the intricacy of food is a topic for another day and a multi- faceted one at that. The takeaway here is that we try to do the best we can with what we have where we are. So. If you can feed canned wet food to your cat and your cat accepts it, then it’s a plus point for better hydration. Now, some cats will absolutely give you a what for and refuse we food. The same goes with different brands of dry kibble or brands in general. Again, they can be very particular. The key is to keep trying and you’ll hit on something that works for both your cat and your budget.

Another way we add water into their diet is to add it to their food, no matter what that is. I’ll take a can of food and mix in water to that, so they get more. I’ve added water to freeze dried foods and kibbles. You don’t want the food swimming in water per se, unless you have a kitty with dental issues and sometimes it’s a little easier for them to eat if the food texture is soupier or like gravy.

Try adding multiple bowls of water around the house and look for ones that avoid whisker fatigue. This is where the cat will have to rub their whiskers along the sides of the bowl and generally that is unpleasant. It may take a few tries to see which kind of bowl your cat likes best but there are so many options out there now! Make sure to give them fresh water each day in the bowls. Some fountains can circulate a lot