Tips On Getting Your Cat to Drink More Water

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While dogs are known to go to their water bowl and gulp their water up like they haven’t had a drink in days, cats are little more persnickety and will often go long periods of time between drinks. When they do finally decide to drink some water, it’s often short little dainty laps of water and then they’re done with the stuff.

Like any mammal, they need water to keep them healthy and if they go too long without adequate amounts of water, they can end up with urinary issues among other things. Dehydration can be a big problem in cats, and it is important their water intake is monitored to prevent this from happening. There are ways to help your cat get more water in their diet and we have some of those ways you can help. Keep reading to learn some tips on how to get your cat to drink more water.

1. Ice Cube in her food

This might sound a little nasty, but it can work for a lot of cats. First, the ice cubes add moisture to your cat’s food. It is also an interesting twist to their food dish and they will want to lick it to check it out, taste it, and see what it is. They’ll find it tasty, refreshing, and feels good on their tongue. This is one way to get more water in their diet, and if that works, you can also add the cubes to their water bowl. Anyways, they may prefer to have their water icy cold just like many humans do, so put one or two in his bowl and see if you have a cold-water-kitty that will be more apt to visit her water bowl more often if it’s cold.

2. Change to a mostly wet-food diet

Wet, canned food has more moisture than the typical kibble food. It’s made with water in it, so whenever your cat is eating wet food, he already is getting more water in his diet. If you only give your cat kibble food, he is not getting any extra water in his diet, only what he drinks from his bowl. If kibbles are the main food in his diet, try switching to more wet food to help add another avenue of getting more water into his diet. You may even want to consider adding a bit of water to his canned food, or better yet, a bit of broth to make it wetter and tastier.

3. Change meal time to smaller, more frequent meals

Cats will typically get a little water at mealtime. Food makes your kitty thirsty, so typically after a little meal, they’ll have a little drink. If your cat is only getting fed twice a day, more than likely these are the only two times of the day he is drinking, too. To help encourage more drinking in the day, try feeding your cat multiple small meals throughout the day to encourage a bit of thirst and more trips to the water bowl.

4. Set out more water bowls

If you set out more water bowls for your cat to find throughout the house, this can encourage him to stop and take a drink. Cats can get lazy and once they’re comfortable under the bed, on the couch or somewhere else they love to hang out, walking back to the kitchen or laundry room where their bowl is may seem like too much effort. If you set bowls of water in different areas where he can easily get to them, this can help entice him to go ahead and drink more often.

5. Pay attention where you put the water bowl

Cats are picky about cleanliness and they don’t care to be around their litterbox any other times than when they have to use it. Water and food bowls should not be placed near the litterbox, or you may find it hard to get them to eat or drink.

6. Keep it filled

Your cat’s water bowl should always be full of fresh, clean water so that they want to use it. They will avoid nasty, slimy bowls of water and if it’s too dirty, certain bacteria and germs can make them sick. Keep it washed regularly so that it doesn’t get gross.

7. Let them play in the faucet

For some reason, some cats are drawn to running water. It’s a play toy to them, batting at the water and trying to catch it with their paw. If your cat seems to be fascinated with faucets and running water, why not let them have a little fun and play with it and try to drink from it? It is yet another way to help them drink more in the day, so let them at it, and try to play with them in the faucet for a little bonding time, while you’re at it.

8. Cat Fountains

Yes, they make these, and cats seem to really like them. The moving water is fun and interesting to them and can get them drink more. When you first introduce it, your cat might be a little standoffish with it, but once they get the hang of how it works, it might be the best way to make sure your cat is drinking enough.

9. Experiment with bowls

Along the finicky line, your cat just might not like the type of bowl her water is in. If you think this could be the reason she’s not going to her water bowl often, experiment with bowls and try different ones. You might find that it is just that simple, she prefers a metal bowl over plastic, or a little bigger bowl than the smaller one.

No matter what you do to help your cat get more water, even if you think she’s drinking more with the changes you made, still continue to monitor her water intake to be sure she sticks with drinking enough water. If there is ever a concern you have, talk to your vet about other ways you can get your cat to drink more water.

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