Cats usually tend to drink very little water. Most of the daily hydration that we, cats, need to live is obtained from food, complementing it with the clean water that we usually find in our drinker and in any water source that we have on hand.
Then, is it normal for a cat to drink a lot of water?
If your cat suddenly starts drinking more water than usual, he/she may be going through a urinary disorder, very common in adult and older cats. When cats are thirstier, it is a sign that something is not going well, and it is necessary to go to the veterinarian to rule out any disease.
Reasons why cats drink more water than usual
The increase of water consumption in a cat can be accompanied by other symptoms and strange behaviours in the feline. Pay close attention to the way that your cat acts, because it can be due to different causes:
- Kidney disease due to failure of kidneys.
- Bladder infection or obstruction.
- Infection, with the appearance of fever and tiredness.
- Temporary dehydration due to excess heat.
- Infestation with earthworms, usually when a cat has access to the outside.
- Diabetes, with rapid weight loss in a short time.
- Secondary effect of a corticosteroid treatment.
- Change of food.
What to do when your cat drinks a lot of water
When you suspect that your cat is drinking more water than he/she usually does, carry out a little experiment to prove it. Control the amount of water he/she has at him/her disposal, measuring how much he/she drinks throughout the day accurately. If he/she drinks more than before, it is time to go to the vet.
It is also important that you check if your cat goes to the sandbox more frequently, or if he/she starts to pee outside the box. All this information must be communicated to your veterinarian, to make a correct diagnosis in case your cat is going through some type of disease.
Remember that cats are very selective when it comes to drinking water. We, cats, do not like that the water is stagnant for several days in the drinker. To encourage us to drink water properly, always leave a fountain to keep the water moving. We will love it!