How do you get a cat to drink more water??

[Chanel_no5]

Hey forum! I know we have plenty of cat owners around, so I'm just gonna toss it out there: 

any suggestions on how to get a cat to drink more water?? 

Mr B, one of mine, is really bad with drinking properly, and so he sometimes has some issues pooping. 🙄 He's always been drinking very little, but since he's always eaten wet food over dry food it hasn't been much of an issue earlier. But he's getting older, he's 11 this year, and also a bit fat, so I'm concerned about not only his bowel movement issue which is more frequent in later years, but also his kidneys. He doesn't have problem peeing though, but I'd rather manage this before that becomes an issue. He has a water bowl next to the dry- and wet food, a glass of water on the kitchen table, the bathroom door is always open so he can drink from the tap, and there's a glass of water in the bedroom. All the water containers are filled all the way up, cleaned and changed for fresh water at least once a day, usually twice. So it's not that there's not water available. He's just not very interested in it. His sister (same litter) is his exact opposite. She has always been drinking a lot - not excessively to the point that I'm concerned, but I've never had to think twice about her staying hydrated. Sometimes she just randomly has a drink when she's bored. Atta girl!  

I try to water down the wet food with some extra water, but I can't take too much because then he won't eat at all. I tried a fountain but he ignored it completely. And when he does drink - it must happen more frequently than that, but I only see him drink water about once a week - he has the dumbest technique. It's like he shoots his tongue into the water but rather than curl it up and actually get the water into his mouth he just kind of... pulls it back in. He drinks water the way a frog catches flies. Like he expects the water to stick to his tongue or something. I don't know why he never figured out how to drink water. He doesn't have other issues with his mouth or anything, he's all in all a healthy guy. He's just a weirdo. But he's my weirdo and I love him, so I want to figure out ways to get him to drink without him feeling pressured to. (Actually, all in all this cat has never really figured out how to deal with body functions. It's like he's perpetually confused about having a body. He's very tough and forward, very playful and cuddly, but it's really like he never figured out how his own body works.   )

Anyway, anyone having any suggestions on how to keep my loveable idiot hydrated, please let me know! 

 

[•.*°•☆. Q .☆•°*.•]

oh! i actually know this one

cats prefer to drink clean running water! they make little cat fountains that might entice him. some people leave the tap on a slow steady trickle to get their cats to drink, too, but that's not always advisable due to poor or unfiltered water quality that can effect kitty's health in some places like where i live

[Chanel_no5]

I've tried a cat fountain, he ignores it altogether. His sister loves it, but she's not the problem.   We have really good tap water here, so water quality is not an issue for either pets or people. However... I've tried leaving the tap on a little bit in the bathtub, and he likes to play with it, but he doesn't drink. Again, his sister, on the other paw, she drinks from the tap too. 

Sigh.  

 

[Selene]

My suggestion is very random and solely based on my former cat's weird preference, so no idea if this works for other cats, too, but he loved to drink water from the watering can. I used to fill it with tap water and then just place it on the floor in the bathroom and he would take a generous sip from the big "hole" where the water is filled into the watering can.

Edited May 18, 2020 by Selene

[Chanel_no5]

7 minutes ago, Selene said:

My suggestion is very random and solely based on my former cat's weird preference

That is so random it could actually work.   I've tried putting water glasses in unexpected places, but that doesn't work either. Maybe it has to be an unexpected THING. I'm gonna give it a shot!

 

[SneezyHolmes]

You could try adding a bit more fiber to his diet in lieu of excess water! Some cats just don't drink a lot. Natural, canned pumpkin can work wonders for both constipation and diarrhea. My dog ((not a cat, I know, but it works on both cats and dogs according to my vet!)) has poop problems from time to time and I give him a tablespoon of the pumpkin and it helps him pass more regularly. Usually 1-2 tablespoons a week helps him but one tablespoon might be enough for a kitty.

I'd also recommend trying to move his water dish away from his food dish. Some kitties don't like their food and water next to each other. My first cat was like that so she had her food in one room and the water dish in another. 

Either way, good luck!  

[RiversD]

Seconding the food dish thing. Both our cats started drinking from the bowl a lot more once we moved it across the kitchen.

They were drinking from elsewhere before, just being stealthy about it.

[SterlingSilver]

I do not own a cat and have not had one for years, but I read a post online about a cat who would drink out of cups that their owner drank from. The cat would see the person drink out of the cup and when the person had put the cup down and left it, the cat would go for it. Maybe if nothing else works, that could be a last ditch attempt 

[Garnet]

When was the last time you had his renal values checked? Sounds like he's a senior cat and baseline bloodwork is in order. Sometimes cats are just finicky about drinking and being cats, sometimes there's some underlying stuff going on.

 

[Chanel_no5]

15 hours ago, SneezyHolmes said:

Natural, canned pumpkin can work wonders for both constipation and diarrhea.

Don't know if we have that here, but I'm definitely going to check. Thanks!

15 hours ago, SneezyHolmes said:

I'd also recommend trying to move his water dish away from his food dish.

 

14 hours ago, RiversD said:

Seconding the food dish thing. Both our cats started drinking from the bowl a lot more once we moved it across the kitchen.

Someone IS drinking from that bowl though, but that happens at night so I don't know which one it is. I'm going to try it though. Thank you! 

11 hours ago, BlackScatter said:

I do not own a cat and have not had one for years, but I read a post online about a cat who would drink out of cups that their owner drank from.

My other cat does that all the time!   Unfortunately, she's not the one with a problem.

8 hours ago, Garblin said:

When was the last time you had his renal values checked? Sounds like he's a senior cat and baseline bloodwork is in order. Sometimes cats are just finicky about drinking and being cats, sometimes there's some underlying stuff going on.

Oh man... I was really hoping you wouldn't say that. There is no way I can afford taking him to the vet for a foreseeable future. I'm really at the last economic level before homelessness at this point. I thought things would turn out differently, so my first priority once things were sorted was to get a checkup for both of them, but the way it looks, it just won't be possible.  

 

[Stimuli]

Make a delicious looking Loka/Other spring water commercial and make him watch it

Jokes aside, I honestly don't know much about our four pawed friends, but my cat will weirdly enough only drink water from dirty places like the gutter, a pond, etc

Edited May 19, 2020 by aName

[March Hare]

Can you give the vet's practice a call and ask the assistant for tips, without them sending you a bill for that? Or is there maybe a pet shop in your neighbourhood where you can ask for advice?

Failing that, if you give him wet food, and he pees regularly, I think he should be okay really - I have a very old cat (she's seventeen) who's been having some issues lately, so when I took her to the vet I asked about eating and drinking too, and the vet said that she'd be fine on the water from the wet food I was advised to give her. And she does seem to be doing fine, even if she doesn't drink as much as I think she used to.

Many hugs. Furbaby worries are SO NOT what any of us needs right now. ❤️

[SleepingPhlox]

The thing about cats is they can be shy about drinking water when you're looking for whatever cat reasons they have in their weird little heads.  He might be drinking water when you're not looking.  You can test quickly for dehydration by pinching the loose skin on the back of their neck and releasing it.  If it snaps back immediately, he's probably fairly hydrated.  If it takes a couple seconds to flatten back out, he needs more water.  Obviously it's not an exactly perfect test method but it's a quick way to either reassure yourself or see if more drastic action needs to be taken.  Aside from that, all cats are different and they have their weird little idiosyncrasies just like people, it might just take a while to see what it is he prefers.  One of mine gets really excited to drink from the tap, maybe he might like to give that a go!

[matilda3948]

Could you mix water in with their food? I know it's already wet food but maybe you could stir in more water. My dog recently had bladder stone removal surgery and water intake was critical for aftercare. Water in the food was a good step. Never had a cat though and I know they have very different temperaments. Good luck!!

[NoV]

My cat refuses to drink from bowls of water that are anywhere near her food, and also really dislikes cold water. She loves to drink water that has been warmed up by the sun. She is a little madam. 

Plus she has never got the hang of drinking by licking directly from the bowl - she insists of dipping her paw in the water and licking if off that  

[Chanel_no5]

On 5/19/2020 at 2:45 PM, aName said:

Make a delicious looking Loka/Other spring water commercial and make him watch it

Jokes aside, I honestly don't know much about our four pawed friends, but my cat will weirdly enough only drink water from dirty places like the gutter, a pond, etc

Dude, those commercials always work on me... but I don't think he has quite the same frame of reference.   Yeah, my mom's cat always drinks from puddles outside too, but mine are indoors cats, so they don't have that opportunity, unfortunately. 

20 hours ago, March Hare said:

Can you give the vet's practice a call and ask the assistant for tips, without them sending you a bill for that? Or is there maybe a pet shop in your neighbourhood where you can ask for advice?

Failing that, if you give him wet food, and he pees regularly, I think he should be okay really - I have a very old cat (she's seventeen) who's been having some issues lately, so when I took her to the vet I asked about eating and drinking too, and the vet said that she'd be fine on the water from the wet food I was advised to give her. And she does seem to be doing fine, even if she doesn't drink as much as I think she used to.

Many hugs. Furbaby worries are SO NOT what any of us needs right now. ❤️

No pet shops, but I can ask my sister or mom to call the vet and ask for advice (I can't make phone calls myself, it's part of my phobic disorders). I didn't even think about that, oh my God.   He pretty much only eats wet food, and it hasn't been a problem before; he has never been much of a "drinker". I don't know if it really IS a problem now either. I mean, he sleeps in my bed and he loves to roll over on his back and have me rub his belly, he wouldn't do that if he was in pain or anything. But, he is a senior, and he does have these to-and-fro issues, and it's getting warmer. I hope it won't be a 2018 type summer, but even if it doesn't, if it's sunny this apartment becomes hot as hell. If he's already on the verge it can get worse fast. So... I want to be as prepared as possible in advance. I'm glad to hear your senior is doing fine!  ❤️
 

20 hours ago, SleepingPhlox said:

The thing about cats is they can be shy about drinking water when you're looking for whatever cat reasons they have in their weird little heads.  He might be drinking water when you're not looking.  You can test quickly for dehydration by pinching the loose skin on the back of their neck and releasing it.  If it snaps back immediately, he's probably fairly hydrated.  If it takes a couple seconds to flatten back out, he needs more water.  Obviously it's not an exactly perfect test method but it's a quick way to either reassure yourself or see if more drastic action needs to be taken.  Aside from that, all cats are different and they have their weird little idiosyncrasies just like people, it might just take a while to see what it is he prefers.  One of mine gets really excited to drink from the tap, maybe he might like to give that a go!

Catmandoo doesn't appear to be dehydrated now anyway; I could barely get a pinch of neck skin before it snapped back. So that's a relief. Yeah, tell me about it, he's such a little weirdo. All cats I've known are such personalities with the weirdest ideas and demands (that's probably why I love cats, we understand that we can't understand everything). You know, his sister has demanded that one of the glasses is a wine glass. She saw me drinking wine, and she wanted a fancy glass like that too. So there is always a wine glass with water on my dresser, for Her Majesty. *shakes head* I don't know why I go along with all these things, but we're a very accepting family, I guess.  He has access to the bathroom with both tub and sink, and he loves to play with the water but he doesn't drink. 

12 hours ago, matilda3948 said:

Could you mix water in with their food? I know it's already wet food but maybe you could stir in more water. My dog recently had bladder stone removal surgery and water intake was critical for aftercare. Water in the food was a good step. Never had a cat though and I know they have very different temperaments. Good luck!!

Thank you! I'm doing that already. I can't mix in too much water because then he won't eat, but as much as I can. When I can afford tuna I put in so much extra water that it becomes tuna soup basically. THAT works. Unfortunately I can't give them tuna every day.
I hope everything went well with your dog!! ❤️
 

2 hours ago, NoV said:

My cat refuses to drink from bowls of water that are anywhere near her food, and also really dislikes cold water. She loves to drink water that has been warmed up by the sun. She is a little madam. 

Plus she has never got the hang of drinking by licking directly from the bowl - she insists of dipping her paw in the water and licking if off that  

Awww, a solar powered cat princess! My princess actually prefer really cold water. Mr B on the other hand, well, he doesn't seem to have a preference at all. I knew a cat that always drank water by dipping his paw and then lick it, but B doesn't even seem to do that. (Well, he dips his paw into my drinks, but not to taste it, just to be obnoxious....)

Thank you guys, I'm gonna keep testing things! ❤️

[March Hare]

On 5/20/2020 at 6:20 PM, Chanel_no5 said:

No pet shops, but I can ask my sister or mom to call the vet and ask for advice (I can't make phone calls myself, it's part of my phobic disorders). I didn't even think about that, oh my God.

I can well imagine you didn't think of that if phoning is a thing you cannot do ❤️

[Chanel_no5]

So, my sister had a vet's appointment with my kitty nieces today (just getting their shots), so she asked when she was there anyway. Other than the advice I've already gotten here, the only thing the vet could add was to see if he'd prefer "flavoured water". 🙄 She said that I could for example boil fish or shrimp shells and then freeze that water into ice cubes and add to his water bowl. I might try that, but TODAY Mr Cat just randomly jumped onto my desk and helped himself to my water, so I guess he was just trying to make a point.

 

[March Hare]

21 hours ago, Chanel_no5 said:

So, my sister had a vet's appointment with my kitty nieces today (just getting their shots), so she asked when she was there anyway. Other than the advice I've already gotten here, the only thing the vet could add was to see if he'd prefer "flavoured water". 🙄 She said that I could for example boil fish or shrimp shells and then freeze that water into ice cubes and add to his water bowl. I might try that, but TODAY Mr Cat just randomly jumped onto my desk and helped himself to my water, so I guess he was just trying to make a point.

 

Oh maaaaan, the lengths some of us catparents will go to.

I'm glad he did drink today! Keep it up now, Mr Cat!

[starpollen]

My vet told me not to give cats as much dry food - to give more wet food than dry.  Cats in the wild get most of their moisture from their kills, and our little domestic buddies still have that coded into their DNA. It's just not in a cat's nature to drink water, not like dogs.  That's what my vet says, anyway.  🤷‍♀️  So my first suggestion is to give wet food twice a day and only a small amount of dry food.   Second suggestion is to drain the water from tuna cans - my cats have always loved that, and it provides extra moisture.