Water :(

[Melina]

Hi Hakan,

Cats generally don’t drink much water because they are desert animals that evolved to get most of their hydration from their prey and have a low thirst drive.

Here are a few recommendations to encourage your cat to drink water:

1. Cats naturally prefer moving water for safety and cleanliness. Consider getting a water fountain to encourage your cat to drink, as it mimics this behavior.

2. Experiment with different types of bowls. Cats usually prefer glass or ceramic bowls over plastic.

3. Some cats enjoy drinking from glasses or tumblers.

4. Fill the water bowl to the brim; cats like drinking from a full container. Ensure the dish is shallow since cats don’t like their whiskers touching the side of their water/food bowl.

5. Most cats prefer wide, shallow bowls so they don’t have to put their heads inside the bowl to drink.

6. Place the water bowls away from their food and litter boxes, and keep them in a quiet location.

Lastly, some cats are particular about their water because they have sensitive receptors on their tongues that allow them to taste it. These receptors can detect salt and certain bitter flavors, helping them identify tiny changes in salt levels, acidity, and other chemicals. This is why your cat might turn up his nose at “day-old” tap water but happily drink fresh rainwater—they can sense subtle differences that we cannot.

Every cat will have individual preferences, and encouraging them to drink can be challenging. Here is a free guide for caregivers; icatcare.org/resources/encouraging-your-cat-to-drink_caregiver_guide.pdf

I hope that helps. Have fun experimenting!

Melina and the three Tuxedos

[Alice]

My cat will not drink water, but I feed her only very wet food (Nulo nutrition and love series with 84% moisture.) I check her litter box frequently and see a lot of urination results. She eats about 2 and 1/2 small cans of 3 different flavors a day. She is 3 and is very healthy and very happy.

[Isla]

My cat was very similar when he was younger and almost never touched the water bowl. What helped in my case was placing several small bowls of water around the house instead of just one. For some reason he started drinking more when the water was in different spots, especially near the places where he likes to rest or pass by during the day.

Another thing that worked was adding a little bit of water to his wet food. Not too much, just enough to mix it in and make the food slightly more soupy. He didn’t seem to mind it and it helped increase his overall fluid intake.

If your cat eats mostly wet food and seems active, uses the litter box normally and looks healthy, sometimes they are simply getting most of their hydration from the food itself.

[Isla]

You could also try changing the type of bowl. Some cats dislike plastic and prefer glass, ceramic or stainless steel. Wide, shallow bowls can make a difference too because they prevent the whiskers from touching the sides, which some cats really dislike. When I switched to a wider ceramic bowl my cat suddenly became more interested in drinking.

Freshness can matter as well. Even if the bowl looks clean, some cats will ignore water that has been sitting there for too long. Replacing https://tropical-casino.com/ it once or twice a day sometimes helps. And if nothing else works, a small water fountain can be worth trying, since many cats seem much more curious about moving water.