Why Don’t Cats Drink So Much Water?

If you have a lot of pets at home, you’ve probably noticed that cats don’t drink as much water compared to dogs. And when they drink, they usually go to an open faucet. Would you like to know why this habit? In this post, we’ll tell you about it.

Cats don’t drink as much water

Cats have two particularities in relation to water. First, they don’t like bathing or getting wet very much. Second, they don’t drink as much water as  dogs. The origin of cats changed their metabolism. In this way, they can adapt to the ingestion of little fluid, in addition to concentrating the urine, seeking to reduce the body’s water loss.

Cats’ ancestors lived in desert areas; in places where water shortages were commonplace. Due to the lack of water, they used the liquids contained in the carcasses of the animals they hunted.

This continued after the domestication of cats. Their fluid intake is lower because their bodies are used to not needing as much of it. Because they are strictly carnivores, they drink little water, acquiring energy from meat protein (or a specific ration). Other animals (including humans) get energy for their bodies from fat and carbohydrates. Therefore, they need to drink more water, but for cats these two elements are not very good.

How much water should my cat drink?

The amount of fluids a cat needs to consume per day will depend on several factors, such as its weight, size, age, physical activity, the time of year and even the type of food it eats (which it can be dehydrated or moist).

It is advisable that they consume between 50 and 100 milliliters daily. Stimulating fluid intake is important for him to stay healthy and digest food better. If the animal does not drink enough water, the kidneys are unable to filter out toxins and suffer from a condition called kidney failure.

Wet food cans are a perfect complement for those pussies who don’t usually drink a lot of fluids. You can alternate them with a solid ration to avoid that later they just want to stuff themselves.

Cats don’t drink so much “still” water

Often, we leave a huge bowl of water at our cat’s disposal and he prefers to look for water to drink elsewhere, such as the sink or shower. We don’t understand why, he can spend hours under the faucet waiting for a drop to fall into his mouth, instead of looking for a container completely filled with water.

We cat owners know that they are among the cleanest animals in the world and that they tend to be somewhat fussy about food and drink. For this reason, they do not drink water that is in a container and prefer fresh water that comes out of the taps. Furthermore, if the bowl where we put the water is made of metal, this material gives off a flavor that does not please the animal. As if that wasn’t enough, the cat “realizes” that the bowl has accumulated bacteria and rejects the liquid.

Some solutions for this are to buy him a special fountain that circulates the water, or to provide him with china or glass plates. Also, you can place bowls in different places in the house, especially where he tends to stay longer. Don’t forget that cats are very accommodating and prefer the “law of least effort”. If the plate is far away from him, he’d rather not drink the water than have to get up to drink it.

Finally, we recommend that you do not place the water next to the food or the toilet tray. In the wild, felines move their prey away from streams, lakes or rivers so they don’t contaminate themselves. Something similar happens to your cat at home.