Cats, like humans, need to stay hydrated all the time. They are not the biggest drinkers, so here are 5 ways to keep your cat hydrated!
Cat Food
Giving your cat kibble (dry food) everyday means that your cat only gets 10% of the daily water intake. Your cat needs to drink for another 90% of water intake from water in the house or outside.
If you give your cat at least once a day wet cat food (can or packaged wet food), it will increase the intake of water tremendously. Wet cat food consists of about 70% water, so your cat will need less water in addition to the food.
Cat Fountain
Cats are known to be very curious about a lot of things. Making their water intake interesting or attractive will only help them. We installed two cat fountains in our house, to add to the variation and to spike their interest These fountains add an element of noise and sparkling fresh water to their environment.
Read: CatIt Well Cat Fountain Review.
One fountain is like a bowl with a well in the middle. The water wells up and goes towards the sides. It is on the height of an adult cat, so they don’t even have to sit to drink. The other fountain is a dome fountain where the water rolls off the sides of the dome. They can lick the dome or they can lick the bowl on the long end of the bowl.
Read: CatIt Dome Cat Fountain Review.
Different Bowls
Alternatively you can add several bowls in the house on different places and perhaps in different shapes. Place a bowl of water in the bedroom for example (if you allow your cats there) or behind the sofa. Friends of ours, got a drinking bowl on a table. You got to think creative for different ways of offering water to your cats. Be creative both in finding the different places as well as the way you offer the water to them.
Glass Of Water
Perhaps not the best habit to teach to your cats, but I have seen my cats drink from a left-behind glass of water on the table. As curious as our cats are, they stick their paw or their full face inside the glass. Alternatively you could add glasses of water to places of the house, such as on the floor (to be safe) or on other tables that humans in the household do not use.
Broth
Alternatively you can add a small amount of broth of chicken or beef to one of your cats water bowls. It should however be a broth with low-fat and low-sodium. Cats will love the added flavor to their environment. It will tempt them to drink even more water.
You could also dilute a broth and put this in an ice-tray to leave it to freeze in your freezer. You can then simply add one or two cubes to your cats water bowl. That way the broth / water will still be cold for them to drink and have the added tastes. I would suggest to not add broth to your cat fountain however, because it will pollute the system and possibly destroy the pump.
Dehydration
Hydration of your cat is a serious story. Dehydration can cause a lot of secondary illnesses and complications for your cat, so it is very important that your cat stays hydrated at all times. You can check whether your cat is fully hydrated by pinching the skin upwards. The skin should fall back quickly. If it however stays as a tent for a moment until it falls back, it can be a sign of dehydration.
If above methods of hydrating your cat do not help enough, you should contact your veterinary and consult them about your cat, especially when you notice that your cat is dehydrated. They will be able to diagnose your cat and see whether your cat is really dehydrated or not. They are also able to give your cat water, by injecting water directly underneath the skin.
Hope the 5 ways to keep your cat hydrated have helped you. Share your experiences below.