Tips and Tricks to get your Cat to Drink more Water:
Cats are known to be desert animals. They don’t drink a lot of water, and it is said that they get most of their moisture from their prey. As we all know, water is essential for every creature. If the water intake is less, living beings can’t function properly whether we are talking about humans or animals. When cats don’t drink a lot of water, they will urinate more often, which can lead to dehydration, bladder stones, and kidney problems. In order to avoid such problems, it is necessary that your cat drink a specific amount of water. Now we are talking about a pet, not a human being who will remember to drink water himself, so it somehow becomes difficult to overcome such problems.
Dogs drink plenty of water as compared to cats, so in the case of dogs, these types of diseases occur less frequently.
In order to overcome such problems, here are some tips that can be used with your cat food or with your cat to increase water usage.
6 Tips and Tricks to Get Your Cat Drink More Water
1. Wet Food
If your cat likes to eat wet food, you are in luck!! If your cat is not getting enough water, one trick that has worked the most with cats is to mix water in their food. They will eat the wet food and will get the amount of moisture they want for their body. Use different kinds of foods. If that doesn’t work for your cat, talk to your veterinarian about what kind of food your cat will eat. If your cat is not eating wet food, don’t push it as it can create other problems too. They will likely go on a hunger strike, which could worsen the problem. Use different types of cat-food. Make sure, whatever type of food your cat is eating, add a small amount of water in the bowl and let the cat eat it on its own. If your cat is eating wet food already, add a small amount of water in order to keep it hydrated.
2. Add Flavor to Water
Mostly, cats don’t drink water because it tastes like water. Add low-sodium chicken broth and tuna juice to water to change its taste. There are many other flavors that you can add to water, but before adding them, you have to talk to your veterinarian. Every cat is different. You have to talk to your veterinarian about the flavor and food your cat likes.
3. Water Fountains
Some cats like flowing water. Fountains can help the most in such situations. Water fountains can help with the problem of dehydration. You have to be careful about the hygiene of a water fountain, as it should be cleaned twice or thrice a week. If it is not cleaned, the bacteria can grow inside it and cause an infection. The bacteria can cause other throat and stomach problems for the cat too. Flowing water attracts cats. You can open a tap (for a short period of time) so that there is no water wastage and your cat can drink up to its needs.
4. Frequently Wash Water Dishes
Cats are very sensitive to smelly things. If they smell something they don’t like, they won’t go near it no matter what is inside it. Try to wash the dishes daily so that if your cat is attracted to the food inside the bowl, it can make it.
5. Place Water Bowls Everywhere
Cats roam here and there. Whenever they roam, they get tired and go to the nearest bowl, drink and eat whatever is inside of it. It can be very helpful if you place water bowls everywhere. In some bowls, place water with some flavor in it. Chicken broth and tuna juice can help in such matters, and flavored water is more likely to be favored by cats.
Test Different Bowls
Cats are likely to be moody. They don’t eat in a dog bowl or in a giant bowl. It is suggested that the bowl of your cat should be changed once or twice a month so that your cat is attracted by it. Notice what color and what kind of bowl will attract your cat more. Find one and place water in it.
Recap!
1. Slowly add wet food or flavored food to your cat’s diet.
2. Keep several water dishes in the house.
3. Keep the water bowl separate from the litter.
4. Make sure to add only a small amount of flavor to the water.
5. Don’t force your cat to drink water.
