Your Cat From Getting Dehydrated: Cats get a majority of hydration from their diets. Domestic cats do not go hunting, so you have to take care of their vitamins, minerals, hydration, and all other things. Cats do not prefer drinking water even if they are not consuming enough water from their food.
Consuming a less amount of water risks dehydration. Your feline friend is more vulnerable to dehydration if its diet consists of more dry and canned food. Dehydration can lead to several diseases like diabetes and liver and kidney failures.
Follow these steps to keep your feline hydrated.
What Causes Dehydration in Cats?
Your cat can suffer from dehydration because of several factors. Here are some common ones.
1) Diet
Feeding only dry food to your cat is one of the most common reasons for dehydration. Cats do not feel like drinking water, so giving dry food does not help much. You can give them dry food every once and then, but add more moisture-rich food to their diet. Moisture-rich foods fill all the hydration-related gaps in your cat’s diet. You can try feeding natural or canned food to avoid dehydration.
2) Activity
Active cats require more water. Kittens are usually very playful but do not drink water. They involve too much in playing and forget to drink water. You have to be more attentive in these cases.
3) Environment
A hot and dry environment makes your cat more thirsty. You need to be extra careful if your cat loves to wander outside. A hot summer day can lead to dehydration pretty quickly.
4) Territory
The availability of clean water does not mean that your cats are intaking enough water. Water is a valuable resource for everyone, especially wild species. Many cats are territorial and do not allow others to come near their valuable resources like water, food, scratching posts, etc.
You might have to be more attentive to any extra intimidating or bullying cats in your house. Try putting water bowls in different areas to prevent this issue.
How to Keep Your Cat From Getting Dehydrated
Dehydration is a common problem in cats. Here are some tips you can follow to keep your furry friend hydrated.
1) Multiple Watering Holes
Kats get bored quickly by one water source. You have to keep several freshwater sources in your home that are easily accessible too. You also need to refill and clean these water sources daily. Clean these bowls thoroughly with the help of gentle soap.
2) Switch to Flowing Water
Cats believe flowing water does not contain harmful bacteria, which is somewhat true. However, it is inconvenient to arrange flowing water inside your homes. However, you can buy water fountains that your furry friend will love.
A water fountain keeps your cats and kittens engaged. Cats and kittens love playing and drinking from a water fountain. Water fountains also have filters and charcoal that remove hair, impurities, and odor from water. You can follow a buyer’s guide on this website if you want to know about some of the best water fountains available.
3) Individual Food and Water Bowls
Avoid giving food and water to your cat in the same bowl. Your cat’s ancestors kept their hunts/kills away from their water source to reduce the risk of contamination.
You might find it a less hectic task to keep your cat’s food and water bowls together. However, keeping a cat’s water and food bowls away from each other is a better option.
4) Protect their Whiskers
Cats sense their environment by using their whiskers. A cat’s whiskers are sensitive. It avoids smooshing them against a bowl’s edges. So, your cats will avoid going near small water bowls to protect their whiskers.
You can avoid this situation by buying larger bowls for water and plates for food. A more convenient option will be investing in a water fountain.
5) Make Water Fun by Adding Ice Cubes
It might sound like an unusual method, but it works fine. It makes the water more interactive and appealing. Sliding three or four ice cubes in the water bowl invites your furry friend to play and drink water together.
However, avoid adding too much ice to the water because it can be unhealthy for your cat.
Wrapping Up
Dehydration is common among cats, but it does not mean you have to wait and let your feline suffer from it too. Taking early actions and tweaking the way you feed it can solve the issue.