Ways to Encourage Your Cat to Drink Water
Does my cat need to drink more?
- Often cats don’t seem to drink much water, and this can be perfectly normal, especially if they are on wet food. However if your cat suffers from certain medical conditions it can be beneficial to encourage more water intake.
- For example, cats suffering from any of the following conditions will benefit from drinking more water:
- Cystitis/feline lower urinary tract disease FLUTD: this can cause bloody wee, the need to toilet more frequently, inappropriate urination, and discomfort.
- Kidney disease: cats with kidney disease can have a number of different signs, but drinking as much as possible can help “flush” the kidneys.
- Bladder stones/blockages: some causes of blockages in the bladder and certain stones that can form in the bladder can be helped by drinking more.
Please note: often cats with these conditions will drink more than a “normal” cat anyway, but they are often still not drinking “enough” to compensate for their health problems.
Water for cats: the basics!
- Provide fresh, cold water each day.
- Canned food is an excellent way to encourage water consumption because it is high in water content and most cats love the taste. It can always be warmed up in the microwave to enhance its smell for the fussy cat. Try to feed at least some canned food two to three times a day. You can also slowly add water to the canned food.
- Keep the water bowls away from the food bowls and litter trays.
- Ensure water dishes are cleaned out regularly.
- Cats seem more sensitive to temperatures of water, so try to find what your cat prefers and make sure this is always on offer.
Some cats do not like tap water! You could:
- Refrigerate the tap water to improve its taste
- Try Brita (filtered) water
- Try distilled water
- Try bottled water
- Try a few types and see what your cat prefers