How much is the average amount of water a cat d...

Cat / Mix - Answered 1324 days ago

How much is the average amount of water a cat drinks in one go? I feel like our cat takes very long to drink water. It's not something that started recently, but it's always been this way.

Juan

Mame

Mix, 1 year old castrated male

4 Answers

Hii, hope you are doing well, Well see, Cats drink different amounts of water depending on their diet. Cats fed wet food will get a large proportion of the water they need from their food (just like their wildcat ancestors), whereas cats fed mainly on a dry diet will drink more water. If you are worried that your cat isn’t drinking enough. Increased thirst If you notice that your cat is drinking more than usual, this may indicate that something is amiss. Increased water intake is known as ‘polydipsia’. The most common causes of increased thirst and drinking are: Kidney (renal) dysfunction Liver (hepatic) disease Diabetes mellitus (‘sugar diabetes’) Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) Urinary tract disease Compensatory increased water intake eg, losses after vomiting or diarrhoea If you are worried about how much your cat is drinking, it can be useful to monitor their water intake for 24 hours. You can measure their water intake over a 24-hour period by filling the cat’s water bowl(s) to the brim, measure the amount of water left over at the end of the 24-hour period and take this away from the volume of water in the full water dish(es) (this may be more difficult to do if you have more than one cat in the household). Polydipsia is defined as a cat drinking more than 100ml per kg of their bodyweight per day, but any cat that is drinking more than usual should be seen by a vet, as this may indicate that something is amiss. Of course, let the vet know the amount your cat is drinking if you have measured it. As there are many reasons why your cat has an increased thirst your vet will usually take a blood and urine sample to work out the underlying cause. Once the cause of polydipsia is determined, then suitable treatment can begin.

Answered 1324 days ago icon0

hii, juan This could may be behavioural , if it is from birth time , or you should answers this ;for further diagnosis. Will you please share what's diet plan of mame? Will you easily look inside the mouth ?

Answered 1326 days ago icon0

A cat should drink on average 60mls/kg per day of water. That means a 4kg cat should be drinking approximately 240mls a day (about one cup) to ensure their body functions properly. However, when determining the volume of drinking water required under normal circumstances, we need to take into consideration your cat's diet. Wet or canned food contains about 80% water where as dry food contains about 10%. A 4kg cat solely eating canned food may only need to drink about 30ml of water per day where as the same cat eating only dry food would need to drink more than 200ml of water per day. If you are unsure, your veterinary health care team would be happy to provide advice on how much your cat should be drinking, taking into consideration their diet. When should I be concerned? It is often difficult to measure accurately exactly how much your cat has been drinking, especially if there are multiple cats or other animals in the household. Other signs that can indicate an underlying disease process include the following. Changes in drinking behaviour: Repeated trips to the water bowl Drinking from unusual locations (eg. fish pond or shower). Please note - this is quite normal for some cats so doesn’t necessarily indicate disease. Other signs of being unwell: Increase in urination frequency (eg. full kitty litter or accidents in the house overnight) Change in appetite (either increased or decreased) Sleeping more than normal or in unusual places Change in general demeanour (eg hyperactive or meowing incessantly) Vomiting and/ or diarrhoea When to call the vet and what to expect from a visit? If you suspect your cat's water intake has increased or are unsure, a thorough check over by your veterinarian is highly recommended as the sooner a disease is identified, the better the prognosis. Your vet will most likely also recommend some pathology tests requiring a blood and/ or urine sample to help determine the cause of the polydipsia (increased drinking). A general blood profile can provide information on kidney and liver enzymes, glucose levels and also assess the health of the red and white blood cells. Further blood tests can be run, when indicated, to assess thyroid hormone levels. A great deal of information can also be obtained from a urine sample from your cat - including the presence of glucose, blood, protein and the concentration of the urine sample. You may be requested to collect a sample from home – not an easy task but achievable if your cat uses a litter tray. How to collect a urine sample from your cat at home Empty your cat’s litter tray of litter Clean it with soap and water (no chemicals as they may effect the urine testing) Place some non-absorbable litter material such as Catrine crystals or a plastic bag cut up into strips into the clean kitty litter tray When your cat urinates, place the urine in a clean glass jar or a urine collection container (you can pick one up from your vet clinic) If possible, get the urine sample to the clinic within 1 hour from collection or place it in the fridge and get it to the clinic within 12 hours. What are the potential problems of a thirsty cat? The four most common problems diagnosed in association with an increase in water intake are: Chronic kidney disease Diabetes mellitus Hyperthyroidism Urinary tract disease All of these diseases are serious, but early detection and treatment improve the outcome dramatically. How can I get my cat to drink more? Cats are very fussy about things in general and water is no exception. Male cats especially benefit from drinking sufficient water to help prevent urinary tract disease. Older cats are less inclined to drink water and are subsequently more likely to become dehydrated. They are also likely to have underlying diseases processes requiring a greater fluid intake. Accordingly, you should encourage your cat to drink sufficient water all year round to help prevent disease (and especially in summer).

Answered 1327 days ago icon0

Hi Juan, Well if you ask how much water they drink at one go, it is difficult to say because cats are intermittent feeder and drinker just like humans. Let put it in this way. Every cat is different, and each one will drink different amounts depending on their lifestyle, health, and environmental factors. For example, a cat that lives inside a cool house may not drink quite as much as a very active cat who spends a lot of time outside. Your vet will be able to tell you roughly how much water your cat needs based on their diet, lifestyle, and physical health. Bear in mind that a lot of your cat’s water intake might come from their food. Wet cat food already contains some water, so a cat who has a wet food diet won’t need to drink as much as a cat who only eats dry food. Dry food contains very little water, so they need to make up for it by drinking enough. Your cat should instinctively know that they need more water and should drink enough to make up for it – after all, they feel thirst just like we do. There are plenty of other factors that will affect how much your cat drinks. Like us, they’ll drink more if it’s hot, or if they’ve been physically very active, so take these things into account. Check out the guide below and find out roughly how much your cat should drink per day depending on their weight: Kitten (up to 3 months) - 1.4kg - 70 ml Kitten (6 months) - 2.7kg -150 ml Medium cat - 4kg- 200 ml Large cat - 6kg - 300 ml If your cat is drinking lots of water and showing other signs of illness, they should be checked and diagnosed by a vet. In particular, excessive thirst in cats can be a symptom of: Kidney disease Diabetes mellitus Hyperthyroidism Urinary tract disease If your cat is drinking excessively, and they don’t have any other unusual symptoms, try thinking about the cause. Is your house very warm? Are they only eating dry food? Has their drinking increased because it’s summer? If you can clearly put your cat’s excessive drinking down to an environmental factor, it’s enough to keep an eye on their general health and behaviour. As long as your cat is healthy and happy, and they’re getting plenty of fresh water when they want it, they should be fine. You might want to make a note of it and ask your vet at their next check-up, just to put your mind at rest. If your cat does appear to be unwell, book them in to see the vet as soon as possible. Remember to tell them that your cat has been drinking a lot, and note any other unusual symptoms. They will be able to diagnose your cat and find a possible treatment. Other tips If your cat is drinking a lot from unusual sources – such as dripping taps – make sure there’s nothing wrong with the water you give them to drink. Many cats will shy away from a water bowl that isn’t squeaky-clean, and like us, they much prefer fresh water. If your cat has recently switched from wet food to dry food, they may experience increased thirst. Keep an eye on it, but bear in mind that cats who eat dry food do need to drink more. Hope it will help you. Thank you Best regards.

Answered 1328 days ago icon0