Is Your Cat Drinking Enough Water? How to Tell and What Helps

A lot of cats walk right past a full water bowl, then jump on the counter to drink from the tap. It looks like a quirk. It is actually a pretty good clue about how cats think about water.

Why cats are bad at drinking

House cats come from desert ancestors that got most of their water from the animals they ate. Because of that, cats have a weaker thirst drive than dogs. They will often wait until they are a bit dehydrated before they bother to drink.

That was fine when dinner was a mouse, which is mostly water. It is less fine when dinner is dry kibble.

Signs your cat may not be drinking enough

• You almost never see them at the water bowl
• Small, hard stools
• Smaller or fewer clumps in the litter box than usual
• Gums that feel tacky instead of slick
• Low energy, especially in a warm house

The other direction matters too. If your cat suddenly starts drinking a lot more than normal, that is worth a vet visit. Increased thirst can be an early sign of kidney problems, diabetes or thyroid issues, which are common in older cats.

What actually helps

1. Move the bowl away from the food

Many cats do not like drinking right next to where they eat. Some behaviourists think it is instinct, since water near prey could be contaminated. Whatever the reason, a second water spot in a different room often gets used more.

Keep water well away from the litter box, too. That one is not subtle.

2. Use a wide, shallow bowl

Some cats dislike their whiskers brushing the sides of a deep, narrow bowl. A wide dish, filled to the top, lets them drink without that.

3. Give them moving water

This is the tap thing. Cats tend to prefer water that moves, possibly because moving water in the wild is more likely to be fresh. A circulating water fountain keeps the water moving and filtered all day, so it does not go flat and dusty the way a bowl does. Plenty of owners notice their cat visiting it more often within the first week.

A fountain only helps if it is kept clean. Rinse it out and refill it every few days, and replace the filter on the schedule it came with.

4. Add some wet food

Wet food is mostly water. Even swapping one meal a day from dry to wet makes a real difference to how much water your cat takes in overall. You can also add a splash of warm water to wet food.

5. Keep it fresh

Water that has sat out for two days with fur floating on top is not appealing. Change it daily and wash the bowl a few times a week.

Winter makes this worse

In a Canadian winter, the heat is on and the air in the house gets very dry. Cats lose more moisture and many still do not drink more to make up for it. If you are going to change one thing going into winter, make it this.

If you have a new cat and are still working out their setup, our first month checklist covers the rest. And for keeping them busy once the snow comes, see keeping an indoor cat busy through a Canadian winter.