Why don t cats drink water
Why Wont My Cat Drink Water From Their Bowl? 6 Vet-Reviewed Reasons
The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.
Learn moreCats are notorious for not drinking enough water. You also may notice that your cat prefers to drink from other locations than the bowl of fresh water that you provide every day. The bowl may be fresh, but that stale toilet water seems more attractive to them.
Why do cats do this? There are a few reasons, and here, we look at the most common ones. The good news is that theres something that you can do about this behavior to get your cat to drink more water every day.
The 6 Reasons Why Cats Wont Drink Water from Their Bowl
1. Instincts
Most cats are not effective drinkers. Cats have a natural tendency to prefer drinking water from running sources. In the wild, a cat would avoid drinking from stale water sources that might harbor excessive bacteria, algae, or parasites. Cats naturally prefer drinking from sources of running water such as rivers or streams.
What to Do
It is always a great idea to invest in a water fountain. Cats dont usually drink enough water to keep themselves well hydrated, and water fountains are naturally attractive to cats. This is especially important if your cat is on a dry diet. Cats evolved to get most of their hydration from their food. A cats prey is moisture-rich; the body composition of amouse is up to 80% water.1
2. They Cant See the Water
Cats have a blind spot right under their chin. That may prevent them from being able to see the water in the bowl. You may have noticed your cat lowering their face toward the water and then being surprised when they make contact with it.
Since they cant smell the water, its difficult for them to find it. Some cats use a paw instead and test the water level to make sure they know where it is. You may even find that your cat prefers to lick the water off their paw instead of lapping it from the bowl.
What to Do
A water fountain may be a solution. If your cat can hear the running water, theyll always know where it is. This is especially true if you have a cat that likes to drink from the faucet. There is no guessing where the water is if its running!
Cats can be very particular about many things, including the water they drink. The right water fountain can provide your cat with clean, fresh water.
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3. They Dont Feel Comfortable
If you have a multi-pet household, your cat may not feel safe or secure while drinking water. In the vulnerable position of drinking, cats may be attacked by other animals in the house or be knocked out of the way by an animal that wants to drink instead. If you only have one cat, is the water bowl in a noisy location of the house? Does a toddler often try to grab the cat while theyre drinking? If so, your cat isnt going to want to use the bowl for long.
What to Do
Try moving your cats water bowl location to a more peaceful area of the house. You can also try adding multiple bowls in different rooms to give your cat options. If one area of the house is noisy, they can find a water bowl in a quieter spot.
4. They Dont Like the Bowl
If the cats water bowl is too narrow or deep, they may find it uncomfortable to drink from. Cats prefer bowls that dont touch their whiskers. Since their whiskers are sensitive, the constant rubbing on the side of the bowl can be uncomfortable. It can cause something called whisker fatigue, which is stressful for your cat. This can also occur with your cats food bowls.
What to Do
Wide and shallow is better than narrow and deep for your cats water bowl. Find a bowl that will accommodate their whiskers without making contact with them.
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5. They Dont Like the Water
Does your water have a funny taste or smell to it? Is the bowl dirty and in need of a good cleaning? Sometimes the material of the water bowl can give the water a bad taste. Other cats just prefer to drink out of a bowl made from a certain material, like stainless steel or ceramic.
What to Do
If your tap water tastes bad, try giving your cat filtered or bottled water to see if thats the issue. You can also try switching water bowls to see if they prefer a different one. Always make sure that your cat gets a clean bowl of fresh water each day and that the bowl is cleaned regularly to prevent bacteria and mold buildup.
6. They Dont Like the Water Temperature
Some cats jump into the shower after youre done and lick the warm water from the walls. Other cats might like to lick ice cubes or condensation on windows for a cool taste. If your cat is unhappy because they want the water warmer or cooler, they will avoid drinking and seek out other places to get their hydration.
What to Do
You cant constantly maintain the temperature of your cats water bowl, but you know that your cat prefers cool water, you can freshen up its bowl a few times a day. If your cat prefers warm water, you can fill it with lukewarm water from the tap or wait for it to reach room temperature before offering it to them.
Conclusion
Cats do strange things, and it seems like we are always trying to figure out the reasons for their behavior. If your cat is not drinking from their water bowl, trying a few of the tips in this article should help remedy this situation. Always give your cat clean, fresh water daily, and remember to contact your vet if your cat stops drinking water completely, as this can be a medical emergency.
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Featured Image Credit: Impact Photography, Shutterstock
Keeping Your Cat Hydrated if She's Not Drinking Water
As a pet parent, one of your jobs is to ensure that your cat drinks enough water to stay healthy. If you notice that your furry friend isn't making regular trips to her bowl, it's time to find out why your cat isn't drinking water.
To paraphrase a popular saying, you can lead a cat to water, but you can't make her drink (or do anything she doesn't want to, really). However, once you determine that she isn't sipping often enough, there are a few ways to get your cat to drink water.
How Much Water Is Enough?
In order to stay hydrated, your cat needs around-the-clock access to fresh drinking water. Keep her bowl clean and fill it regularly, especially if it's placed near her food dish, as she may drop a few food crumbs into her drinking bowl.
But how much water per day does she actually need? Not as much as you might think.
"Cats don't drink as much per kilogram of body weight as do dogs," explains the Committee on Nutritient Requirements of Dogs and Cats. Therefore, the amount of water your cat needs varies with the food she eats and her environment. The committee notes that cats usually drink about an ounce of water for every half ounce of dry food they eat. Wet food, on the other hand, provides your kitty with food and moisture at once and can help her stay hydrated.
Why Is My Cat Not Drinking Water?
To avoid the complications of dehydration and to know how to encourage your cat to drink more water, you first need to determine why your cat isn't drinking enough.
In the absence of serious medical issues, start with the basics. Is her water clear of food, hair, dust bunnies and other debris? Your fur baby requires and desires clean water, so wash her bowl and replace her water at least once a day, if not more.
It's worth noting that some cats simply don't like where their water dish is located, explains Dr. Debora Lichtenberg, VMD in Petful. She tried a few at-home "experiments" to see if changing up the placement of the bowl made a difference in whether or not her own cats drank water. In her case, moving it away from food bowls did the trick. Try this maneuver at home to see if your kitty is being finicky about her water bowl real estate.
The Physics of Kitty Sips
Keep in mind, too, that your feline friend isn't going to lap up a large quantity of water at one time. Unlike your happily slurping dog, the way your cat drinks has its own complex pattern, notes MIT News. Rather than scooping like a ladle, a cat's tongue barely brushes the surface of the water before drawing back up into her mouth. The rapid dipping action creates a tiny column of water that she snaps up by closing her mouth before gravity can make it drop back into the bowl. It's difficult to see this line of liquid without capturing it on high speed film since she can complete four of these tongue dips per second all while keeping her chin dry!
So don't worry if your kitty isn't gulping down water like a champ and sloshing it all over the place. She has her own delicate way of doing things. Sometimes, cats even daintily dip their paw into the bowl and lick off the water. As long as she's drinking a few sips a day and getting moisture in her diet, she's good to go.
How Do I Know if My Cat Is Dehydrated?
When a cat doesn't consume enough water, she is at risk for dehydration. "Dehydration occurs when the normal body fluids, including water and electrolytes, fall below required needs," describes Petcha, causing problems in her energy, skin and organ function. A cat not drinking water isn't always the cause for dehydration, but often it's a fairly common reason or symptom of dehydration.
Causes
A cat can become dehydrated by not drinking enough water or urinating more than she's ingesting, or, in extreme situations, because of vomiting or blood loss. Kidney disease, heat stroke and diabetes can all be related to dehydration, says Preventive Vet. Your cat also has an increased risk if she is elderly or living with thyroid problems.
Symptoms
One easy way to identify dehydration in your cat is to check for loose skin, or "tenting." Plop your cat into your lap and gently lift up the skin on the back of her neck. In a hydrated kitty, the flap of skin will snap back into place. If it stays up in a fold or is slow to fall back, she likely needs more fluids.
Additional symptoms to watch out for include weakness, loss of appetite, panting, drooling, elevated heart rate, weak pulse, dry or sticky gums, trembling, excessive urination or infrequent urination. Contact your veterinarian right away if your cat shows any of these signs. Just like a human chugging a sports drink after running around a soccer field, Petcha notes that a cat with these signs may be missing critical electrolytes such as sodium.
How Do I Get My Cat to Drink More Water?
Is your cat not drinking water, even after ruling out medical concerns and other issues? You may have to dig into your bag of cat tricks. There are a few ways to get your cat to drink water.
If you haven't already noticed in your tenure as a pet parent, cats can be very particular about things. If your cat won't drink out of a water bowl, try a water fountain that offers her the benefit of continually fresh water and the bonus of splashing it around. A cat fountain also saves water (and money on your water bill) because you don't have to leave your bathroom faucet running. Some cats also don't like the idea of still water. It goes back to their ancestral instincts that running water is safer to drink.
Changing up your kitty's environment may urge her to drink more water, suggests Animal Planet. One way to do this is to offer your cat multiple drinking stations: place water dishes around the house, including in places that will be new and might make her curious. A variety of bowl materials like ceramic, metal and glass may also encourage her to taste-test and investigate.
As mentioned earlier, eating wet food will help to hydrate your cat. According to Boston Street Animal Hospital, dry food is only about 10 percent water, but wet food can be up to 70 percent liquid. Consider Hill's Science Diet varieties that might suit her flavor preferences. If your cat doesn't care for canned food, you can add water to dry kibble or combine wet and dry food in the same dish.
By providing your cat with the essentials of proper nutrition and fresh, clean drinking water, you can help her have the juice to spring and pounce another day.
Contributor Bio
Christine O'Brien
Christine O'Brien is a writer, mom, and long-time cat parent whose two Russian Blues rule the house. Her work also appears in Care.com, What to Expect, and Fit Pregnancy, where she writes about pets, pregnancy, and family life. Find and follow her on Instagram and Twitter @brovelliobrien.
