An integral part of pet ownership is ensuring that your pet meets their basic day-to-day needs, such as food, exercise, and water intake. You may be wondering, âHow much water should a cat drink per day?â This guide will help you understand the amount a cat needs to drink, how to spot signs of dehydration, as well as tips and tricks to help your cats meet their daily water intake.
Understanding a Cat's Water Needs
Itâs important to have a clear understanding of your catâs water needs. Although various factors must be considered for each individual cat, such as age, activity level, or environmental temperature, the Cornell Feline Health Centre states that a cat needs to consume approximately 4 ounces of water per 5 pounds of body weight every day. This equates to about one cup of water per day for your average 10-pound house cat.
This figure may also depend on your catâs medical conditions and diet, as wet food, for example, will have a higher water content than dry kibble, and thus a cat on a wet food diet would not need to drink as much liquid to be sufficiently hydrated.
Signs Your Cat May Be Dehydrated
There are some key signs that you can look out for to recognize signs of dehydration in cats, such as lethargy, weakness, and a loss of appetite. Another way to judge a catâs hydration level is to test their skin turgor (elasticity), which you can do by gently lifting the skin, such as on the back of the neck, and seeing how quickly it settles back to its original state.
A hydrated catâs skin should sink back to normal almost instantly, but this may take longer, or even remain in a lifted position, if the cat is dehydrated. This being said, it should be noted that senior cats often lose some of their skin turgor with age, which should be taken into consideration when checking for signs of dehydration in an older cat.
Ways to Help Your Cats Drink More Water
Provide Fresh, Clean Water Daily
Most cats donât like water that is dirty. As notoriously clean animals, they may refuse to drink from their bowl if the water, or the bowl itself, is unclean, so try to keep your catâs water bowl clean and the water emptied and refilled frequently.
Use Multiple Water Bowls
As naturally curious creatures, cats may be enticed to investigate and drink from a bowl that is in a new location, so dotting multiple water bowls around the home can be a helpful way to encourage drinking. It is also important to have several water bowls if you have multiple pets, to avoid a pet being potentially bullied away from accessing the water bowl by another.
Invest in a Cat Water Fountain
A water fountain may seem lavish, but cats are naturally enticed by fresh and running water, so a water fountain can offer both for your cat. They are also more cost-effective than deliberately leaving a dripping tap for them. It is also important to note that not all cats may get on with a cat water fountain, as it can be an individual preference for the pet.
Add Water to Their Food
If your cat eats a mostly dry food diet, adding water to their meals can be a handy way to boost their daily water intake without your pet noticing or needing to encourage drinking. Start with a small amount, and try slowly increasing the amount to see what your cat is comfortable with.
Flavor the Water
Like most pets, cats canât resist a treat! Try making their water more enticing by flavoring their water, perhaps with a bit of water from canned tuna, or low-sodium chicken broth, for example. Just be sure to check the ingredients of any flavoring you may use, and avoid anything with onion or onion powder.
Use Wet Cat Food
Wet food has a naturally higher water content than dry kibble, containing up to 80% water. Switching to a wet-food diet for your cat may therefore make it easier for them to reach their daily water intake, and they would not need to actively drink as much water. However, we always recommend consulting your veterinarian before changing your catâs diet, as wet and dry foods vary with caloric and nutritional content.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Ice cubes in water bowls
If your cat is not drinking water, you could try adding ice cubes of low-sodium chicken broth or tuna water to their water bowl, which will tempt your cat to play and bat with the cube in the water and crunch through the ice, making their water bowl that much more intriguing and attractive to them.
Interactive water toys
Cats are naturally inquisitive creatures, and a good way to encourage them to consume water is to use interactive water toys. For example, you could also try frozen pet treats - this would allow your cat to be engaged and refreshed while they play and crunch through the ice.Â
Encouraging play to stimulate thirst
Any physical exertion or excitement can help bring about a thirst in both animals and humans. Therefore, something as simple as making a point of playing could help get your cat to drink water due to the exercise.
Conclusion
Your average housecat should consume approximately one cup of water a day, depending on their age, size, habitual climate, and physical condition. As a pet owner, there are various tips and tricks that you can use to help encourage your cat to reach their daily water intake and understand how much water a cat should drink a day. However, if you are concerned that your cat is dehydrated, consult your veterinarian immediately, as they will be able to identify the severity of your petâs level of dehydration and the best way to address this.Â
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a cat go without water?
Generally speaking, a cat will start becoming dehydrated after 24 hours and cannot survive for longer than 3-4 days without water. Regardless of this, it is paramount that cats have constant access to clean water every day to maintain their health and avoid dehydration.
