November 20th, 2008
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Wild cats receive nearly all the fluids they need from the prey they eat – small rodents, lizards, birds, etc – which usually have a moisture content of about 70 per cent. What most people don’t know is that cats do not like to drink water – they learn to do it if fed an inappropriate totally dry diet – but drinking doesn’t come naturally. Cats are not genetically programmed to be water drinkers because historically they were dependent on their prey as the principal source of fluid. Get a bowl big enough not to squash her whiskers when she puts her face in to drink. Do not keep the water bowl next to the food dish – many cats dislike this. Scrub out the water bowl every day and refill frequently with cool fresh water. |
I think I’ve only seen my cat drink once in all the 19 weeks I’ve had her.. I now know why!
Owr lady never knew this…thanks fur making sure she is nowlegeabul abowt us and owr drinking habits!
The one comment I have to add is that I have two Himalayans and I had to find a very wide soup bowl for them to use. Due to their ‘pushed-in’ face they cannot get to the water in a regular feed dish.
I have found my one Himmie using the water bowl to play with the water and swishing it around. Then, of course, I had to change the water since she is very fussy. If I haven’t ‘just’ filled it she won’t drink it.
I have several bowls of water in the house and if anyone of them has any debris in it they will not drink. They will sit next ot it and YOWL until I provide fresh.
It sounds like your cats have you very well trained! It’s great that they like to PLAY in the water, but if you are feeding them canned or raw food, which is the only acceptable diet for cats who are obligate carnivores, then they shouldn’t really be thirsty. Excessive water intake is also a sign of kidney problems so if your darling Himalayan is just messing with you – that’s fine and as it should be! – but if he really drinking all that water he needs to get a check up at the vet to rule out kidney disease.
That makes so much sense no wonder my cat never drinks her h20 dish by her food, she only drinks from the one in the bathroom or from the sink.
Huh. I’ve always had the water bowl near the food bowl and my cats are fine. XD They’re pretty good about drinking enough water as far as I can tell. I’ve got a filtered cat water fountain for them, so their water is always fresh (just have to clean the fountain once every week). *shrugs* Maybe my cats are just odd. XD
Hi sarah – If you are NOT feeding any dry food and your cats are still drinking water, that’s fine and dandy.Some cats love to drink and play around water. You’ve made it really fun and refreshing for them to drink from that fountain, which is also part entertainment. But if you ARE feeding them dry food, then the cats are drinking to make up for the dehydrating qualities of the highly processed carbohydrates in the kibble.If this is the case, I truly hope you’ll take a moment to go on my website and read all the Q&A’s and Blogs explaining why any dry food is so bad for kitties. If you’re already doing wet food (canned, raw or otherwise) then Bravo! And let the “watersports” continue!
Hi Tracie I feed canned grain free food to both my cats and they never drink water, this worries me a bit, especially when its the summer time and it gets quite warm in the house sometimes.
Bit that’s great because it’s natural – cats are originally desert animals and are “designed” to get their necessary moisture from the body fluids of their prey. Or, in modern times, the water necessary for processing canned cat food. So not seeking out water means they are comfortable and satisfied. As long as a cat is urinating and seems happy and healthy, he is taking in the right amount of fluid for his system. No worries!
We just replaced our old white plastic cat water fountain with a new ceramic black water fountain. They loved the old one; now they will not drink from the new one … in fact they seem kind of freaked out by it. Short of going back to the old one is there anything we can do?
Isn’t that peculiar? Cats can be so picky! How about empty out the water and put some really good treats in the basin of the fountain- little bits of chicken or deli meat or Halo Liv-a-Little dried chicken, beef or salmon pieces. Make a positive association with the new fountain and once they learn it’s a good place to go, then turn it back to a fountain!
Tracie, I feed my kittens two cans of wet food a day, and supplement with dry kibble — but I spray the kibble down with water first. Is this okay to do? And down moisturizing the kibble provide any benefit at all?
PLEASE read my book or go to my web site. All these questions are answered there. Basically, no dry food!