Importance Of Cat Hydration: Do Cats Drink Water?

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Did you know that making your cat drink a bowl of milk is not that good? Well, even though movies and some other media every so often show cats drinking a bowl of milk, it is not actually okay for most of the felines. However, do cats drink water? Read on through this article and learn more about this!

Do Cats Drink Water?

Of course, they do!  In the actual fact, water is as important to the survival of a cat as it is to humans. In spite being great for them, a lot of cats do not like drinking water, most especially if it is standing or still water.

Do kittens drink water?

Even though kittens drink the mother cat’s milk until it deters them as early as 4 weeks old, they need water as well. Moreover, after deterring, most of the kittens lose their own ability to digesting milk sugar more proficiently, so their main source of hydration is water.

Proper Hydration: Why is it important for cats?

Hydration is the physiological state of stable electrolytes, certain fluids and minerals within the body. Moreover, bear in mind that  maintaining this particular balance is very important. Furthermore, water may affect everything from digestion to circulation. Therefore, it is so evident why keeping your cat hydrated is important.

All of the cats are different. Moreover, they have their own partialities. Therefore, you might need to try a several different methods of providing water in order to find something that your cat really likes.

How much water should a cat drink?

In the actual fact, the amount of water consumption varies on a lot of factors. This includes the size of the cat, the time of year, as well as whether the diet of the cat includes dry or wet cat food only. In case cats are given only dry foods, they’ll need suggestively more supplementary water. Furthermore, this is for them to start adequately hydrated. Usually, a cat will need about 2 to 4 ounces of fresh water besides its food. Dry food is just 10% water, while the canned food is about 80% water. Hence, clearly, a cat is able to drink many water if you’re giving dry cat food only.

How to tell if a cat gets enough water?

Now that you already know that cats drink water (obviously), you will also need to know how to tell if your cat is really getting enough water or not. In addition, here are some few signs that may tell you that your cat is hydrated:

  • Urinating 2 to 3 times every day. You can check if this is happening when you check the litter box of your cat for medium clumps.
  • Exhibit normal physical activity and not exaggeratedly sluggish.
  • Has a shiny coat with no dry flakes.
  • Elastic skin. To check, gently pull the skin at the base of the neck of the cat. Moreover, the skin must spring back upon releasing it. Furthermore, if it does not, your cat may not be getting sufficient amount of water.

Signs of Cat Dehydration                                                                                

In case your cat neglects its water bowl, it might become dehydrated. in addition, here are some signs of cat dehydration:

  • Decrease in skin elasticity
  • Loss of appetite
  • Panting
  • Depression
  • Lethargy
  • Dry mouth

How to Get a Cat Drink Water?

It can be tricky to get your cat drink more water. You might need to experiment until you are able to find something it likes. You can start with one or more of the suggestions below to know how your cat reacts.

  • Add wet cat food to its diet. Water is not the lone way in keeping a cat hydrated. You can try giving your cat wet cat food. Even though it cannot replace water allover, supplementing its diet with wet food may help in the overall water consumption to help avert dehydration.
  • Try using a water fountain. Cats usually love running water. Furthermore, you can try using cat water fountain –this may appeal to more of their senses, as they may hear the sound it creates, see it move, and taste the difference. Additionally, this can make your pet’s drinking experience more pleasurable and exciting.
  • Keep it fresh. The longer the water sits, the more particles that it collects. Moreover, hair, dirt, dust, etc. may all collect in the cat’s water bowl. Furthermore, this makes your cat less persuaded to drink from it. You can put fresh water in the bowl 1-2 times each day.
  • Place cat water bowl in the proper place. Even though   it is tempting to put your cat’s water bowl and food in and out of the way area, cats actually do not like being boxed in a corner. Furthermore, they favor places where they can see their own surroundings with a rapid look and don’t need to worry about whatever sneaking up  behind.
  • Choose the proper water bowl. If your cat’s water bowl is narrow and deep, it may touch its whiskers –that will be so uncomfortable. Moreover, you can try switching its water bowl to a much wider, shallower one to see if it drinks more.

Final Words

Not just cats drink water, yet it is also important for their own survival. Keeping cats hydrated will be beneficial in keeping them healthy and happy. In addition, remember; always check with your veterinarian before you add new food to your cat’s diet!

All of us can stand to drink more water, and your cat is no exception. Furthermore, you, helping your cat to drink more water has a lot of benefits and may help you in avoiding any dangerous health conditions of dehydration. More water means healthier cat!

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