Thirst is not good, that is easy to realise. But do you ever wonder if your cat might be thirsty? Or are you convinced that he drinks enough? In this blog, you will learn more about it.
Thirst and wellbeing
Being thirsty is very annoying, we all know that. This is also true for our cats. Being permanently thirsty, even if it’s a little thirsty, is detrimental to his well-being.
Thirst and health
If a cat drinks too little, he runs all kinds of health risks. Slight dehydration affects the kidneys and other organs in the long run. It causes reduced blood flow and the heart has to pump harder. Too little fluid can also lead to concentrated urine resulting in urinary calculi. The latter in particular is a major risk in cats.
How much should a cat drink?
Much more than you might think! On average, a cat needs to ingest 50 to 60 ml (60 ml is about 2 oz.) of fluid per day per kg of body weight. For a 4 kg cat that’s 200 to 240 ml! That is quite a lot of water. Use a measuring cup and put the same amount of water in your cat’s bowl. If it is too small to hold all the water, chances are your cat is thirsty.
Wet food and kibble
Of course, he doesn’t have to get all his moisture by drinking. Fortunately, wet food already contains a lot of moisture, so there is a much greater chance that he will reach his daily ratio. If you feed raw meat, it is best to check the packaging. Some brands contain less moisture than others. But cats that are only fed kibble (and I include cats that get a bit of wet food only once or twice a week), really need to drink a lot of water.
How can you tell if your cat is thirsty?
First of all, if he starts drinking in all kinds of places. Like: the tap, the toilet (don’t allow it!), the pond, the shower cabin (or lick the shower curtain). Don’t assume your cat does it because he likes water from the pond better or likes drinking from the faucet better. That might certainly be the case for some cats, and there is no need to panic if your cat drinks from the pond once in a while, But if he doesn’t use his water bowl (often) there is something wrong.
Two meters
Cats by nature do not drink from water that is near their prey, they prefer to walk a bit further. And even if he does drink from his bowl, he will drink significantly more (up to 30%!) if that bowl is at least two meters (about 2 yards) away from his food. If you want to make him very happy, give him several bowls distributed throughout the house (e.g. on each floor).
Experiment!
Just try the 2 yards, even if you think your cat drinks enough! I always mention this during my consultations. Often the owners immediately move the water bowl and see that the cat sometimes walks with them, eyeing the bowl. In almost all cases he immediately starts drinking from that same bowl put in a different place. During one consultation the owner got tears in her eyes when she saw that her cat started drinking again for the umpteenth time in half an hour….
Preventing thirst – in summary
Here’s how to get your cat to drink more:
- Multiple water bowls, in different places
- Choose ceramic bowls, which are easier to keep clean than plastic. Ceramic does not absorb odors.
- Choose nice big bowls, even dog bowls if your cat is sliding his bowl around.
- Keep the bowls clean (don’t let chalky edges form in the bowl or leave crumbs of food on the bottom).
- Give wet food, lots of wet food, or even raw food. Forget the myth about wet food being bad for teeth.
- Some people add flavors to the water (a little tuna or something). Although cats can find that delicious, I recommend giving something like that separately. Clean drinking water without additives should always be available.
Water fountain
The water fountain is often recommended as the best way to get cats to drink more. There is no scientific evidence for this. What we do know is that some cats like such a fountain very much and prefer to use it rather than an ordinary drinking bowl. Feel free to buy one if it makes your cat happy, but don’t put the fountain next to the food bowl!
Drinking too much?
The more, the better, you might think after reading this blog. But there are limits. If a cat suddenly starts drinking more when you haven’t changed anything about his diet or the arrangement of food and water, then he has a health problem. In any case, it is problematic if a cat drinks more than 100 ml per kg per day. Diabetes, kidney failure, and hyperthyroidism are the most common causes of great thirst in cats. Time to call the vet!