Is Your Cat Drinking Enough Water? Signs, Fixes and Whether a Fountain Helps

If you rarely see your cat at the water bowl, you are not imagining it. Cats descend from desert animals that got most of their water from what they ate. A mouse is about two thirds water. Dry kibble is not. That is why so many cats on dry food drink less than they should, and why vets talk about water so much.

How Much Water Does a Cat Need?

PetMD puts it at roughly 4 ounces, about half a cup, per 5 pounds of body weight per day. A typical 10 pound cat needs around a cup a day from all sources together. Wet food counts. A cat eating mostly wet food will drink far less from the bowl, and that is normal.

Signs Your Cat May Be Dehydrated

• Skin tent test. Gently lift the skin between the shoulder blades. It should drop back within about a second.
• Gums. They should be moist and pink, and color should return within two seconds after a light press.
• Sunken eyes, usually a sign of more serious dehydration.
• Small, hard stools or straining in the litter box.
• Lethargy, poor appetite, or repeated vomiting or diarrhea.

If you see these, call your vet. Dehydration can be a symptom of kidney disease, diabetes and other conditions, not just a water bowl problem.

Why Cats Avoid Their Water Bowl

Some reasons are about health, like mouth pain. Many are about the setup:

• The water is stale, dusty or the bowl is dirty.
• The bowl sits next to the food or the litter box.
• It is in a busy or noisy spot, or near another pet that bullies them.
• A narrow bowl makes their whiskers touch the sides.
• Plastic bowls can hold smells and change the taste.

Simple Fixes That Help

Start with the free ones. Put two or three wide ceramic or steel bowls in quiet spots around the house, away from food. Refresh them daily. Then, if your cat eats dry food, add some wet food or a splash of water to meals, after checking with your vet if your cat has a health condition.

Do Cats Need a Water Fountain?

Not every cat, but many drink more from moving water. Running water stays fresher and colder, and the sound and movement catch a cat's attention. A fountain is one of the easiest changes to try, and if your cat ignores it, you have lost little.

Two things matter more than the brand. First, choose steel or ceramic where the water sits, because plastic scratches and holds bacteria. Second, clean it. A fountain that is not taken apart and scrubbed every week or two grows slime, and some cats will stop using it.

For multiple pets or a big dog in the house, a larger stainless fountain needs refilling less often.

If there is no socket near the spot your cat likes, a cordless fountain lets you put water where the cat already hangs out.

Getting More Water in Through Food

Wet food is the most reliable way to raise a cat's water intake. If you are out during the day, a timed feeder with separate trays can serve wet meals on schedule. Use ice packs under the trays and do not leave wet food out for long stretches.

When to See the Vet

Go sooner rather than later if your cat stops drinking, suddenly drinks far more than usual, loses weight, or changes its litter box habits. Increased thirst can be an early sign of kidney disease, diabetes or an overactive thyroid. More fountain comparisons are in our guide to water fountains and feeders.

Questions People Ask

Sources

• PetMD: Why Your Cat Won't Drink Water and What To Do