Getting cats to drink water is a common headache for pet owners. There are some tips to encourage your cat to drink more, and by knowing the potential pitfalls, you can avoid them!
Tips to Encourage Your Cat to Drink More Water
Keeping your cat well-hydrated is essential for their health and wellbeing. Here are some practical tips to help encourage your feline friend to drink more water:
- Place Water Bowls Separately from Food and Litter Boxes: Keep the water bowl away from your cat's food dish and litter box to make it more inviting and hygienic.
- Choose the Right Water Bowl Material: Use glass or ceramic bowls whenever possible. Avoid bowls made of metal with clear reflections or plastic, as some cats may dislike these materials.
- Use Wide-Mouthed Bowls: Bowls with a wider opening are more comfortable for cats to drink from.
- Try Flowing Water: Some cats prefer running water, so consider using a pet water fountain to stimulate their interest.
- Place Multiple Water Bowls Around the House: Set up several water stations in areas where your cat frequently spends time to encourage more frequent drinking.
- Clean Bowls Daily and Refresh Water Regularly: Wash water bowls every day and replace the water with fresh, clean water to keep it appealing.
- Use Stable Bowls That Won't Tip Over Easily: Ensure the water bowl has a sturdy base to prevent spills and messes.
Recommended Daily Water Intake for Cats and Tips for Transitioning to Wet Food
The suggested daily water intake for a cat is approximately its body weight multiplied by 40 to 60 milliliters. However, most cats are unable to drink this amount entirely on their own. Because of this, incorporating wet food—either partially or entirely—into their diet is a great idea to help increase their overall hydration.
That said, many cat parents become overly forceful when trying to transition their cats to wet food. Some even resort to letting their cats get so hungry that they have no choice but to eat the wet food offered. This approach is not recommended.
Instead, the best guiding principles are to introduce changes gradually and to give your cat choices. This gentle and patient approach respects your cat's preferences and helps ensure a smoother transition to a healthier, more hydrated diet.
Importance of Providing Fresh Water for Cats
Although adding water to canned food or offering wet food is a great way to increase your cat's water intake, it's still crucial not to overlook the importance of providing fresh water in a bowl. Never assume that your cat drinking only wet food is enough hydration, and then put away the water bowl or neglect it to the point where the water is rarely changed.
Some people ask whether it's worth buying a cat water fountain. Honestly, humans tend to be lazy by nature. If you can't guarantee that you will disassemble and clean the fountain every two to three days (at most once a week), it's better to save your money and spend it on canned food instead.
In summary, always keep fresh water accessible to your cat and maintain good hygiene with their water source to ensure they stay properly hydrated and healthy.
Encouraging Cats to Drink More Water
Some online tutorials suggest adding ingredients like meat broth, meat chunks, or scents such as catnip or silvervine to attract cats to drink more water. However, we currently do not find these methods particularly effective.
The most important factors remain maintaining water containers, locations, and water quality that are appealing to cats.
Want Your Cat to Drink More Water? Give Them the Water They Want!
When our cats were kittens, I once had a large fish tank at home. Unfortunately, I didn't control the lighting properly, and the aquatic plants overgrew, causing the tank to overflow. To manage the excess plants, I temporarily moved some of them into a bucket of water.
What I didn't expect was how popular that bucket of water became — the cats all went to drink from it! Although I hesitated at first, feeling like the water might be a bit dirty, I thought it through carefully and realized it wasn't toxic. So I just let them have at it.
Don't ask me why they always drink in this particular pose — we laughed so hard every day during that time that our stomachs hurt!
Understanding Your Cat's Water Preferences
When it comes to taste, cats can be quite particular about their water. Some cats prefer filtered water, others enjoy tap water straight from the faucet, and some even have a special fondness for rainwater. Cats often have their own unique preferences and habits when it comes to drinking water.
As a pet owner, if you notice your cat favors a certain type of water, and it does not negatively impact their health, it's a good idea to accommodate their preference as much as possible. Generally, cats tend to prefer fresh water, so frequently changing their water can also increase their willingness to drink.
Understanding Cat Behavior: Encouraging Proper Hydration
When it comes to containers, it's also recommended to cater to your cat's preferences. There was once a cat owner who, during an in-home cat behavior consultation with us, went through great lengths to protect the water in their personal mug from being stolen by their cat. They would dodge and weave just to keep the water safe, holding up the mug as they continued to complain that their cat wasn't drinking enough water daily.
At moments like this, it's very helpful to think outside the box: if the cat refuses to drink from its own water bowl and insists on stealing from mine, why not have two identical cups of water— one for the cat? Of course, that's perfectly fine! In fact, this solution often works very well.
Choosing the Best Water Bowls for Your Cat
Generally, we most recommend ceramic or glass bowls that have a low center of gravity and a rim wider than your cat's whiskers. This design helps prevent whisker fatigue and makes drinking more comfortable for your feline friend. However, every cat is unique—some cats surprisingly prefer drinking from mugs.
What flavors of water do your cats enjoy? And which type of container do they love the most? Sharing your cat's preferences can help other cat owners find the perfect bowl or cup to keep their pets happily hydrated.
