How to Get Your Cat to Drink Water

Getting a cat to drink as much water as you think he, or she, should can be a challenge. Indoor cats, those on dry food only diets, and cats prone to urinary problems, can be particularly troublesome to get enough water into. Males, especially, should be watched for adequate water intake as they are more prone to urinary dysfunction than females.
There are several creative ways to help your feline friend to get the water he needs. Read on to find out how.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Set up multiple water stations. Cats love to discover water bowls in several areas of the home. Choose various nooks and corners where he can drink at his leisure.

2. Experiment with different size water bowls or containers. Some cats will only drink out of a sink or tub. Others prefer small bowls (smaller than traditional cat dishes) or small saucers.

3. Keep it clean. Always refresh your cat's water bowls daily. Keeping it away from the food dish helps to keep it clean as well.

4. Use running or dripping water to entice a cat to drink. Many cats prefer moving water to drink from. A dripping faucet is usually fascinating to a curious feline. There are also water fountains made especially for pets.

5. Add canned food to a dry diet. If your cat is on an all-dry diet, try introducing wet food to increase his fluid intake. A dry food diet (depending on the quality of food source) is preferred to canned food. However, if she is not getting adequate water, supplementing with canned food may be beneficial.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have an outdoor cat, you can't usually monitor water intake. But, most outside cats are hunters and, as gross as it is, they get much of their fluid intake that way !
• If your feline is on a dry food diet only- pay special attention to how much water he, or she, is taking in daily.
• In male cats, it is especially important that they drink enough water. Not getting adequate fluids can create serious blockages in the urinary tract which generally require veterinarian care.

Resources

• SPhilbrick article on feeding newborn kittens

[thedogshrink]

on 1/4/2010 Great advice! Step 1 is a little known cat fact!

[veryirie]

on 11/18/2008 I always used to worry about my cat's water intake; these are some excellent suggestions for getting a cat to drink water. Thanks!

[jonhuie]

on 11/5/2008 Cat soup (http://www.ehow.com/how_4585283_make-cat-soup.html) can really increase kitty's water intake.

[motherNN]

on 10/22/2008 Great advice for all cat lovers and pet owners!!!! I also stress that cats need water all the time. 5*****