Is my cat drinking enough?

Do you rarely see your cat drinking and therefore don't know if they're getting enough fluids? Here you'll find out how much water a cat needs per day and get tips on how to encourage your cat to drink.

Cat's Water Requirements

As descendants of the African wildcat, cats are adapted to a dry, desert-like environment and need much less water to survive than dogs, for example. A healthy cat needs approx. 50 ml of water per kilogram of body weight per day. This means that a cat weighing 4 – 5 kg should take in approx. 200 – 250 ml of fluids per day. How much of this your cat actually needs to drink is highly dependent on what they eat:

If your cat is fed exclusively with wet food, they already take in enough water with it, so they hardly need to drink additionally. However, if they eat exclusively dry food, they must cover a large part of their fluid requirements through drinking.

With the Felaqua Drinking Fountain from Sure Petcare, your cat's water intake can be precisely monitored. In conjunction with the Sure Petcare App, Felaqua Connect shows how often, when, and how much your cat drinks.

How do I get my cat to drink more?

While cats can somewhat compensate for low water intake by forming concentrated urine, this also increases the risk of urinary stone formation. Cats that are fed entirely or partially with dry food must therefore absolutely be encouraged to drink a lot.

1.      Many Water Bowls in the Right Location

Cats often don't have a great motivation for water intake, so it's important that several water bowls are placed in the home, specifically in places where the cat passes several times a day. The more often the cat comes across a watering spot, the greater the likelihood that they will drink from it now and then. In a household with one cat, at least 3 drinking vessels should be placed. In a multi-cat household, there should be at least one more drinking bowl than there are cats.

A cat does not like to drink in the same place where they eat. Therefore, do not place the water next to the food bowl. Likewise, the drinking vessel should not be near the litter box.

2.      The Right Water Quality

As with food, preferences for water vary greatly from cat to cat. Certain cats prefer fresh water, while others prefer stagnant water. Offer water in different degrees of freshness to find out how your cat prefers their water.

Some cats like to drink still water, while others love moving water and enjoy drinking from a running tap. These cats should be provided with a fountain where they can constantly drink flowing water.

3.      The Right Drinking Vessel

Cats often have very different preferences regarding the material, shape, and size of the drinking vessel. Ceramic, porcelain, and metal vessels are usually well accepted. Flat bowls filled to the brim are preferred by most cats, as they can drink from them without their whiskers touching the rim of the drinking vessel. But there are also cats who prefer deeper vessels. Here too, it's important to test what your cat prefers.

4.       Flavored Water

Especially for cats that eat exclusively dry food, it's worthwhile to increase the attractiveness of water by adding unseasoned meat broth or fish stock. Meanwhile, there are also special cat broths available for purchase that help cover cats' water requirements.

Cat milk is also suitable for increasing fluid intake. It is better if the cat milk is not given directly, but diluted with additional water. Otherwise, the energy additionally taken in with the milk must absolutely be taken into account in the daily food amount to prevent obesity.

Please note: If your cat suddenly drinks much more than normal, this can be a sign of a serious illness. Cats with greatly increased thirst should therefore be examined by a vet as soon as possible!