The cat drinks less water: what problems it can have and how to make cat drink water


When the cat is not thirsty and drinks little, it is possible that there are various kinds of causes: here’s how to remedy it and when to worry.

Cats are very independent and autonomous animals, even when it comes to regulating the quantities of water and food to be taken during the day: nevertheless, it can happen that a cat tends to drink very little water and this could be caused by a number of different causes.

If the cat drinks little it is possible that it may run into some health problems such as dehydration, therefore it is important to understand how to convince the cat to quench its thirst adequately to meet the needs in terms of body hydration of his organism.

In this article, we will try to understand why cats drink little water, what problems they may have, and how to remedy them by making sure they drink enough.


The cat drinks little: causes, problems and remedies

The first thing to do when you feel your cat isn’t drinking enough is to make sure that the daily amount of water your cat drinks is below average. In general, cats need around 50/80 ml per day per kilogram of body weight although in reality they often drink a little less.

Furthermore, it must be said that cats often eat wet food and cans already have their own liquid content. Not to mention the fact that young and younger cats tend to drink less than adult and senior cats. So, if your cat’s diet is based on wet food and if your kitten is still small, it could be that the lack of thirst is absolutely normal and physiological.

If, on the other hand, the cat eats the kibble or if in general you have the doubt that there is something wrong behind the low thirst, there may be a pathology in progress or there is some different problem to be solved.

1. The cat drinks little because of the bowl

Cats can be very picky when it comes to feeding and the choice of the cat’s water bowl must be made taking into account this typical aspect of domestic cats. In general, it is advisable to prefer large glass or porcelain bowls, because plastic or steel can become impregnated with bad smells.

2. The cat prefers running water

If they really have to drink water, cats undoubtedly prefer tap water and more generally running water: the one in the bowl quickly becomes stale for their tastes. The best choice would be to buy, if possible, the special cat fountains that attract the cat with flowing water.

3. Incorporate water into your diet

As mentioned above, choosing wet food or home food for your cat means supplementing their water supply. If the cat is used to eating kibble, try supplementing them with wet food or vegetables chosen from the vegetables suitable for the cat’s diet.

4. The right place for the bowl

To help the cat who drinks little to quench his thirst more frequently, it is useful to choose the right position for the water bowl: first of all it should be placed away from that of the food, choosing a place among those he loves most at home. Another good idea is to place multiple bowls along the paths your cat usually follows throughout the day.

5. Rule out cat health problems

There are cases in which a cat’s lack of thirst is unfortunately a symptom of a disease as serious as it is widespread in the feline population: cat renal failure. The kidneys, in fact, represent one of the weak points of our four-legged friends, especially when they get older: this is why they must be checked regularly by the vet, especially in specimens that are over 7 years old.


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