My Cat Does Not Drink: What You Need to Know
A cat’s low fluid intake does not necessarily have to be a reason for concern.
Cats generally do not drink much
Cats don’t tend to drink much. It’s not unusual for domestic cats to leave their water bowl almost untouched.
The reason for this can be explained quite simply by the descent from the African Falcon Cat. The Falcon Cat has adapted very well to its mostly dry habitat and covers its fluid needs almost completely with water and blood from its prey.
This behaviour has also been transferred to our domestic cats of today. Most cats therefore do not drink very much, which is not a big problem, at least when they are fed exclusively with wet food.
How much liquid does a cat need?
How much fluid a cat needs depends on various factors. These include the age of the animal, the prevailing temperatures and physical activity.
A cat should consume around 50 millilitres of fluid per kilo of body weight per day. For a four-kilogram cat, that would mean 200 millilitres a day.
How much of this the cat actually needs to drink in the form of water depends mainly on the type of food the cat gets. While wet food has a very high water content, dry cat food contains very little water.
Why it’s dangerous if a cat doesn’t drink
If a cat does not drink and does not get enough fluids in its food, this can become a serious health problem in the long run. Of course, it is also essential for the cat's organism to be supplied with sufficient fluids.
This is especially true for the kidneys, whose task is to filter and remove harmful substances from the body. However, this only works if they have sufficient fluid at their disposal.
If this is not the case, sooner or later there will be tissue damage which will eventually lead to renal failure in your cat. In addition, a consistently low fluid intake will significantly increase the risk of urinary gravel and bladder stones forming.
As your cat's kidney weakness is not immediately apparent, it is usually only detected when large parts of the vital filtering organ have already been permanently destroyed.
The following symptoms may indicate renal failure in your cat:
- The cat does not eat or only eats very little.
- The four-legged friend becomes increasingly emaciated.
- The cat suddenly drinks a lot and urinates accordingly often.
- The quadruped often seems tired and weakened.
- The halitosis of the cat stinks of urine.
- The quadruped is very susceptible to infections.
- The coat becomes dull and the cat gets hair loss.
Our tip for permanently healthy cat kidneys
In addition to a sufficient fluid intake, it is important for your cat's kidney health that you provide her with a high quality food with easily digestible proteins. In this context, you make a very good choice with our particularly digestible cat food with insect protein, for example.
In addition, it makes sense to support the kidneys of the cat regularly in the detoxification and thus avoid an excessive accumulation of pollutants and overloading.
For this purpose we have developed a special food supplement called I Love My Cat Nierenkraft. The natural preparation contains selected herbs that stimulate the natural detoxification processes in your cat's kidneys. In this way, a food supplement with kidney power can make a valuable contribution to the optimal functioning of the cat's kidneys.
What helps if your cat does not drink
If your cat does not drink or drinks too little, you as a cat owner have to be a little creative. For example, adding a few drops of cat's milk or a little salt-free broth to the water can help with the taste.
Apart from that, it is important to clean the drinking bowl thoroughly on a regular basis. Because just like you, your cat doesn't want to drink from a dirty container.
Also, make sure that your cat is not disturbed while drinking. The water bowl should therefore not be placed where there is a lot of activity all day long. In addition, it is usually a good idea not to place it directly next to the four-legged friend's bowl.
By the way, most cats prefer to drink running water. If your four-legged friend cannot be encouraged to drink from a bowl at all, the purchase of a cat fountain can therefore be worthwhile. Alternatively, you could try turning the tap on a little so that it drips a little, which might be interesting for your cat.
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