How can you encourage your cat to drink more water?

Updated: Oct 12, 2023

Like dogs, cats have a special taste bud on their tongue specifically geared towards water which makes It extra tasty. However, unlike dogs, cats do not have a good thirst drive and therefore often do not take in enough water daily. So how can you encourage them?

Cats like running water! Perhaps try a water fountain. Can you see how this one is not pushed up against the wall? Well cats like to choose their position when drinking and be able to move around the drinking vessel whether it a bowl or fountain, so do not push it up against the wall.

Most cats prefer a WIDE dish to drink from. They do not like their sensitive whiskers touching the side of the bowl This cat is drinking from a glass, obviously a narrow vessel and the minority will prefer this. So, the take home message, is to try different shapes and sizes of bowl, but one very important this is…

Keep the water and food bowls separate! Cats do not like to smell of food when they are taking a drink. It would be best to keep them in sperate rooms, in fact providing water vessels in more than one room can help encourage your cat to drink. They don’t like the smell of food, and, they do not like the taste of chlorine!

This explains why many cats prefer to drink the rainwater outside! It is overpowered with the taste of chlorine. So why not collect some rainwater for your cat and offer that?

It is not just chlorine that can taint the water, so can plastic! Offer water from a glass or ceramic vessel where possible.

Keep water clean and fresh. It is important our cats remain hydrated to help reduce the risk of bladder problems and kidney disease.

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