How many litres of water do you drink every day? Three? Four? Of course, the colourless elixir is imperative for our well-being. But have you ever wondered how much water your adorable little cat drinks? Just like humans, dehydration is common in cats too. And most importantly, it is something you should always look out for. Digestion, excretion, fluid regulation, name an important function in the body, and you know water aids it.
How much water is needed?
Did you know? Cats do have an established minimum water consumption for every day. It is calculated to produce 100-140 ml of water per 2.5 Kg of body weight every day. If you have a healthy cat weighing around 4-5 Kg, it should be drinking around 300ml daily.
But does a cat’s water needs are fulfilled just by liquid water? For this, the answer is a big ‘NO’. Cats’ water consumption is achieved not just by water, but also by the water content in the food they eat. That’s because wet food for cats contains around 70-80% water content. It all depends upon your cat’s preference. If your cat prefers dry food, then water is definitely the main way to go.
What causes dehydration?
Generally, dehydration occurs when your cat drinks less water than it has to or loses excess fluid from the body. Some underlying factors may include
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Fever
- Diabetes
- Heatstroke
These are some common factors that might hide behind your cat’s dehydration.
How to know if your cat’s dehydrated?
Ever heard of the ‘skin tenting test’? It is basically a skin turgor test determining whether your cat is dehydrated with the elasticity of its skin. It is one of the prominent and easiest ways of checking dehydration in cats.
How To:
Start by picking a portion of your cat’s skin, preferably around the shoulders and mount it up in a tent-like position (like pinching the skin) and let it go after a few seconds.
Observation and Results:
-
Skin goes down immediately – Hydrated and well
- Skin goes down rather slowly – Dehydrated a bit
- Skin stays in the same mounted tent-like position – Severely dehydrated Besides, the following symptoms will help you identify dehydration in cats:
- Lethargy
- Lack of Appetite
- Panting
- Sticky or dry gums
- Sunken Eyes
- Less Urination
How to avoid dehydration in cats:
Monitor:
Monitor your cat’s water intake every day. If your cat is on a wet diet, factor in that too. Regularly notice how much water has been drunk from the bowl and look out for any significant changes.
Yes, water is plain with no flavours. You might even say boring. So, let’s make it refreshing for our cats
- Wet Food:
If your cat is on a dry food diet, switch it up to wet food, considering wet food plays a huge role in the daily water consumption of cat.
- Spruce it up:
If your cat doesn’t show interest or neglects to drink water, try flavouring it with some tuna juice or chicken broth. Who would say no to a flavourful, exciting drink?
- Cube it:
Searching for an element of fascination? Try ice cubes! Placing a few ice cubes in your cat’s water bowl will bring the interest in your cats to drink water. Amazing, right?
- Wow, water!
Speaking of fascination, if you are willing to go a mile farther for your cats, we would suggest you go right by the water fountain. It serves two-fold, hydrating your cat with plentiful clean water and entertains it. If your cat were to speak, it would say “Wow, its water”
- Water, water, everywhere!
Another reason why your cat might not be getting enough water is there might be only a few water bowls or spots around the house. Increasing the number of water bowls easily accessible for your cats might surprise you with results.
Hey, remember being hydrated is not just for your cats, but for you too! A happy and hydrated day, every day! For more information on cat health and grooming check out MyFurries Blog.
