Health Topics
Ways to Enourage Your Cat to Drink Water
Canned food is an excellent way to encourage water consumption, because it is high in water content and most cats love the taste. Try to feed at least some canned food two to three times a day. You can always add water to the canned food (do so slowly).
Provide fresh water every day. Cats seem to be very aware of the temperature and taste of water.
Make sure the water bowl is filled to the brim at all times. Cats have very sensitive whiskers and do not like putting their face in a bowl.
Some cats do not like the taste of tap water. You might wish to:
- Refrigerate the tap water to improve its taste
- try Brita water
- try distilled water
- try bottled water
Some cats will drink more water if a drop or two of tuna juice (tuna in water or clam juice) is provided. If you try this, always make sure a separate bowl of fresh water is available.
Some cats enjoy ice cubes made from flavored broth (tuna or salmon juice mixed with water and frozen).
If your cat prefers to drink from a tap, make sure it can always get to the tap (don't lock it out of the bathroom if that is where it likes to drink). If your schedule permits, turn the tap on for the cat as often as possible throughout the day. Water fountains can be purchased for cats that like fresh moving water.
Keep the food and water bowls away from the litter box area.
Keep the water bowl clean (cats have a keen sense of smell and are easily turned off by odours on the edge of the bowl). Stainless steel or ceramic dishes are easier to keep clean and odour free versus plastic dishes. The water dish should be washed at least every other day if possible.
Some cats seem to prefer a clear glass shallow bowl from which to drink (experiment with different water bowls).