Research tells us that cats need to drink about 3.5 to 4.5 ounces of water per 5 pounds of body weight. Other factors may also affect how much your cat should be drinking, such as its size, the time of year, its general diet, and age. When a cat is sick, sometimes they tend to drink less, especially if they have issues with their smell and taste. This can be dangerous as cats need regular hydration to recover and function well.
When caring for a sick cat, you need to be extra vigilant about their water intake. You can measure the water you’re giving and check how much difference after drinking. Like humans, cats need to be constantly hydrated as they consume a lot of energy. The recovery process for a sick cat also requires a lot of water to help with digestion, circulation, and oxygen intake.
Cats should drink more water when they’re sick. You need to help your cat drink more water by implementing various ways to help them. Drinking more water when the cat is sick can save them from pain and aggravating illnesses.
Table of Contents
- 10 Tips to Help Your Cat Drink More Water When She Sick
- 1. Put water bowls strategically around the house
- 2. Try and introduce wet food to your cat
- 3. Experiment by adding water or broth to your cat’s food
- 4. Regularly change your cat’s water
- 5. Change the bowls up a bit to get their preference
- 6. Set up a water fountain for your cat
- 7. Notice and encourage your cat’s drinking quirks
- 8. Buy them bottled water
- 9. Play with water with your cat
- 10. Visit the vet
- Conclusion
10 Tips to Help Your Cat Drink More Water When She Sick
Cats need a lot of water to stay healthy and happy. But sometimes, they don’t seem to be interested in drinking water. This can be frustrating, especially when you notice that your cat is slowly becoming dehydrated. This can result in dry fur, bad breath, and even fainting!
They need a lot of water to do their daily activities. Water helps them digest their food, helps their kidneys and bladder function and keeps their bodies healthy. You might find your cat drinking water out of the toilet or out of the running faucet, but that’s only one way cats get the water they need. Your cat also gets water from the food she eats, the saliva she produces, and the environment she lives in.
Cats also use the water they drink as part of their grooming process. When they clean themselves, their fur is wrung out, and the water is used to clean their fur and skin. This process also helps keep their fur healthy and clean.
It can be hard to measure how much water your cat is drinking since you’ll only notice that your cat is drinking a lot most of the time. However, it’s important to measure your cat’s water intake to prevent dehydration. When measuring your cat’s water intake, keep in mind that a cat needs to drink about half a cup of water per day, preferably in the morning. This will help your cat function properly and prevent dehydration.
Here are ten things you can do to help your cat drink more water.
1. Put water bowls strategically around the house
Try to place a lot of water strategically throughout your home so your cat can easily access it when she needs it. This might mean placing a bowl near her favorite spot on the couch or her bed to easily get water when she’s thirsty. It might also mean placing a water bowl in the bathroom so your cat can easily get water when she needs to clean herself.
If you have the space, it’s a great idea to have several water bowls throughout your home, so your cat has lots of options for where to get her water when she needs it. This will encourage the cat to drink more water, which will make her feel healthier and improve her quality of life. It will also help stimulate a cat’s water intake. Putting a lot of water bowls everywhere is a great way to help your cat drink more water.
2. Try and introduce wet food to your cat
To help your cat drink more water and increase the fluids in its body, one of the best ways to do this is with wet food. The water in wet food helps your cat drink more without drinking extra water. This is especially important for older cats, who often have a harder time drinking enough to stay healthy.
For some cats, wet food can be a great way to increase their fluid intake. This is a great way to stay healthy. By adding a small amount of wet food to your cat’s diet, you can increase their fluid intake without altering their normal eating routine. When your cat eats wet food, some moisture is naturally incorporated into their diet.
Of course, whenever changing your cat’s diet, it’s always best to consult with your veterinarian. They may also suggest how to properly facilitate wet food to your cat.
3. Experiment by adding water or broth to your cat’s food
Sometimes it’s difficult for many cat owners to keep their cats hydrated. This has proven to lead to many health problems. One way to encourage your cat to drink more water is to add a small amount of water to their food or broth. This encourages your cat to drink more water and gives them a greater opportunity to taste the water, which will hopefully increase the amount of water your cat drinks in the long run.
Adding water to your cat’s food can help increase their fluid intake, which can help improve their hydration and urinary tract health. You can also add a low-sodium chicken broth to your cat’s food to encourage it to drink more water.
You can also try adding flavor to your cat’s water to encourage them to drink more. This can be as simple as adding a few drops of flavor to their water (such as chicken broth or apple cider vinegar), or you can try mixing in a small amount of their favorite wet food or canned food. This trick works best if you only add a small amount of flavor at a time so your cat doesn’t get too used to the taste.
4. Regularly change your cat’s water
Cats are creatures of habit. They like fresh and clean water to drink, and they dislike water that has been standing in the sink for too long. For this reason, it is important to keep your feline friend’s water fountain clean so that they will keep drinking from it. You can do this in a couple of different ways, such as pouring a little bit of ammonia into the water fountain or using a fountain filter.
It’s a fact that cats drink more when their water is freshly renewed. Stagnant water doesn’t seem to have much of an effect on them. This is another reason you shouldn’t leave your cat’s water bowl sitting empty for long periods.
Drinking fresh and clean water also keeps your cat’s fur and skin healthier, which helps keep your cat feeling clean and smelling good.
5. Change the bowls up a bit to get their preference
Try this different drinking bowl for your cat and see what it does. Then, change it up every once in a while. Cats have extra sensitive senses to perceive small nuances that may discourage them from using a certain bowl. In some bowls, water may taste salty for the cat or smell different from another.
You can try placing a bowl with different flavors near your cat. Try out different bowls and see which ones your cat prefers more. Whatever bowl drains the fastest despite being identical to other bowls may be special. Some cats prefer to drink in wooden bowls, while others like drinking in clear drinking glasses. Observe your cat’s preferences and utilize this to encourage them to drink more water.
6. Set up a water fountain for your cat
Fountains are excellent for encouraging your cat to drink more water. They are great for getting your cat used to having its water available. They can also help to prevent your cat from getting dehydrated.
Get a fountain with a spout. Your cat can enjoy the streams while it is a kitty, and after it is done, it can easily drink and then go away. The supplies needed to build a fountain are not overly expensive, and they require quick and easy installation.
Generally speaking, cats love running in the water. This is because water is a natural source of stimulation for most cats. It cultivates their curiosity, and it’s a great way for them to have fun and relax.
7. Notice and encourage your cat’s drinking quirks
Some cats drink in weird ways. You could say that they could be quirky with their drinking habits. Some cats may prefer drinking from a leaky faucet than from a bowl. Others prefer to drink from the end of a hose. Some cats prefer drinking from a bowl with little or no water. Others will drink from a bowl only if it’s filled to the brim. Some hide their water bowl if they think their owner will come by and refill it.
Observe your cat’s behavior when it comes to drinking water. Use these quirks to further encourage them to drink more and hydrate. However, you may need to discourage your cat if their quirks can be potentially dangerous or harmful, like drinking from a toilet or a dirty water source.
8. Buy them bottled water
A growing body of evidence suggests that giving your cat bottled water rather than tap water may do much to keep your cat’s health and well-being. For example, tap water may contain elements that your cat can’t easily digest, such as chlorine or heavy metals, which can be found in tap water in many cities, including Boston. Bottled water may also contain some of these elements. However, bottled water does not have the same contaminants and impurities as tap water, such as impurities in tap water but not in bottles.
Perhaps your cat would be more likely to drink if water quality is much more pronounced. Spending that little extra to help your cat drink more water can be a great health investment.
9. Play with water with your cat
Playing with water is a fun and easy way to help your cat get used to drinking water. When you’re starting out, just play with a bowl of water for your cat. Watch them drink from it, play with it, and admire how it looks as you drink from it. Eventually, your cat will know that a bowl of water is a fun place to drink.
Your cat may be too afraid to come near water in some cases. They’ll play with the water but aren’t comfortable drinking right away. Try playing with your cat with a water bowl. This will help them get comfortable drinking more water and help you when you need to give them a drink.
Stimulate your cat with water games, and this will also strengthen the bond between you while encouraging it to drink more water.
10. Visit the vet
If your cat continues to drink less even after your many efforts, it’s probably time to consult your veterinarian. Your cat’s drinking habits don’t change without any reason. Consider the possibility that your cat may be sick and need medical attention. Fluid intake depends on several factors, including your cat’s age and breed, activity level, diet and stress levels, and whether it’s a male or female cat. A veterinarian can help you figure out how much your cat is drinking and when it needs to drink more to stay hydrated.
Ensure the veterinarian with your observations and the steps you took to encourage your cat to drink water. This will allow the vet to make a more informed decision about the next course of action for your pet.
Conclusion
Your cat’s health starts and ends with you. Ensure your cat’s water intake and see if there are notable changes in how it drinks water. If your cat is sick, it’s best to always give them easy access to water, as they must continue to hydrate. Water is essential in a sick cat’s recovery.
Help your cat drink more water by finding creative ways to introduce wet food, put some flavor in their water, or install a water fountain. If all else fails, you must bring your cat to the veterinarian for expert medical advice. There’s a possibility that what causes it to drink less may be an illness that needs to be taken care of immediately.
Further Reading
