A healthy 5 kg (11-pound) cat drinks around 250-270 milliliters of water daily under typical conditions. Your cat gets only 8 ml of water from dry food (kibble). Thus, canned food and direct water consumption are essential for cats. If you are unsure about your cats’ daily water consumption, monitor their water intake for a few days. If you think your cat is not drinking enough water and also see signs of dehydration, take your cat to a veterinarian immediately to rule out possible underlying health conditions. 

60-70% of a cat’s body weight is water. Thus, water is extremely vital to a cat’s survival. It helps your cats control health conditions like kidney or bladder stones, diabetes, heatstroke, hyperthyroidism, and hepatic lipidosis.

This article is about your cats’ basic need for drinking water, the amount of water your cat should consume daily, why they might not be consuming sufficient water, and how to encourage them to drink water.

How much water does a cat need daily?

Water requirement varies according to the cat’s size, food, age, and even the time of year. Cats who solely eat dry food may need more water than those who eat wet food regularly. Kittens and old cats will require more water than others, and all cats may require extra water when the temperature gets warm. A healthy 5 kg (11-pound) cat should drink around 250 milliliters of water daily under typical conditions.

How to monitor a cat’s water intake?

If you are unsure about your cat’s water consumption levels, monitor how much water your cat consumes daily by filling a bowl with approximately 270 milliliters of water. Do this for a few days to track how much water your cat drinks. You don’t need to be extremely specific because cats are usually good at doing what’s suitable for their bodies. However, there could be times when your cat needs help.

What should you do if you think your cat drinks less water?

If you notice your cat isn’t drinking enough water, search for signs of dehydration given below:

• Lethargy or depression
• Loss of appetite
• Dry gums
• Elevated heart rate
• Dull coat
• A flex of dead skin in their fur
• Lack of urination
• Decrease in skin elasticity

Take your cat to a vet immediately if you notice some of these signs.

Why do some cats drink minimal amounts of water?

There are several reasons a cat reduces water intake – lack of hygiene, behavioral problems because of environmental changes, or certain diseases such as feline lower urinary tract infection. Reduced water intake in healthy cats could happen merely because your cats prefer running water over still water.

Is it normal for a cat to drink excessive water?

Drinking excessive water is also not a good sign. Polydipsia, or excessive intake, is when a cat drinks more than 100ml per kg of body weight per day. It could be a sign of kidney dysfunction, liver disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, or urinary tract infection. Excessive water consumption might also happen when a cat compensates for water loss because of vomiting or diarrhea.

If you think your cat drinks excessive water, visiting a vet will be the best next step. However, to encourage a cat to drink more water here’s what you can do:

Replace dry food with wet food, or plan a healthy mix of both

Your cat’s diet should primarily comprise wet food with meat as the main ingredient. Dry food provides only 10% water. Your cat needs more canned or wet food to balance its intake. This simple diet modification may significantly impact your cat’s water intake patterns.

Refill fresh water once every day in the bowl

A cat is less likely to drink water left out for a long time because of changes in taste, contamination, dirt, and insects. You should regularly clean your cat’s water bowl and change the water daily.

Change the type of water 

Cats are particular about the water they prefer and are sensitive to the slight flavor variations that result from the source of the water. They could start drinking if you use filtered water or try a different brand of bottled water because the tap water in your neighborhood might be too hard or contain too many pollutants. Depending on where you live, collecting rainwater is another alternative that is both simple and cost-free.

Make a flavorful cat drink

Consider adding tuna juice or chicken broth to your cat’s water. Try something different that your cat might enjoy; be sure to avoid foods with salt added to them, such as stock cubes. Although you can give this liquid straight to your cat, a small amount mixed into their water suffices to pique their interest and get them to drink. As an alternative, you might freeze it in ice cube trays. You only need to prepare this water addition sometimes, perhaps once a month, which makes it a pretty simple operation. When you freeze them, your cat will have a soothing cold beverage.

Use different food bowls

By now, you would have noticed that cats have extremely sensitive taste buds, and even the slightest variations in flavor can have a profound impact. The type of bowl is a critical component in taste determination. Your cat might have different preferences for water bowls. To know your cat’s favorite bowl type, fill the same water in separate bowls made of ceramic, metal, plastic, and glass.

Observe which one your cat prefers the most. However, we don’t recommend using glass, plastic, or ceramic. Bacteria from leftover food enters plastic and ceramic bowls. A glass bowl – even if slightly broken – might hurt a cat. Use a water bowl made of stainless steel. Stainless steel bowls are more sanitary, durable, and easier to clean.

Use a cat water fountain 

Changing bowls might not satisfy everyone, though. Have you ever noticed how much your cat enjoys drinking from the water tap? Many cats like consuming their liquids from flowing sources. Running water may not be easy to supply unless you live near a stream or prefer to leave the tap running constantly. Thus, invest in a good water fountain.

We recommend Goofy Tail’s automatic water dispenser for cats. It comes with dental care tablets and a carbon filter pad. The dental tablets enhance the water to help protect against plaque & tartar build-up, leading to healthier gums & fighting “bad breath.” If you are considering a water fountain, especially to take care of your cat’s dental health, follow this link to explore ways of ensuring dental hygiene for cats.

Add water to your cat’s food

Whether it’s kibble or wet food, adding more water is a terrific method to encourage your cat to eat more without relying on them to drink from a water bowl or water fountain. However, adding water could discourage your cats from eating, much like altering their diet. To increase your chances of success, go gently. Begin by only adding a few drops of water. Increase this quantity gradually for a few weeks or a month. Keep in mind that wet food deteriorates more quickly than kibble. Therefore, it shouldn’t be left out for long, especially during hot weather.

Location and quantity of water bowls matter!

In a multi-cat household, cats are not too keen to drink water regularly because of added stress. If there are not enough water bowls, they might ignore drinking water despite wanting it because they are mostly not interested in picking fights with other cats over water bowls! (picking fights over favorite humans is a different story 😊)

There should thus be an extra water bowl in a multi-cat household. So, you should have four water bowls if you have three cats. It matters where you put them as well. Try placing them in a quiet area with a good view of their surroundings to help your cat drink water peacefully.

Increase the number of small meals 

A cat will take a sip of water after eating. Small meals might be a good idea to encourage cats to drink more water. We are stressing the word ‘small’ here. Please do not go overboard with feeding or free-feeding them, as it may lead to obesity in cats. You can read about cat obesity here to understand the health problems your cats may undergo. Monitoring cats’ food and water intake might require a little more time and effort now but be patient. These efforts from your side will help your furry friend live healthier lives.

Give subcutaneous fluids to sick cats

Regardless of how much they drink, some cats with certain diseases cannot replace the fluids they lose. In these circumstances, your veterinarian may advise giving them fluids through their skin. This is not as scary as it sounds, and many cats can endure it very well. Hydration will also help your cat recover faster.

Water is a crucial element for your cat’s survival. Do not ignore your cat’s water consumption patterns. Act early to prevent possible health conditions in the future.