Cat Not Drinking Water? How to Get Your Cat to Drink More

In short:

By nature, cats are poor drinkers – they used to get most of their water from prey animals.
A cat not drinking water from the bowl but consuming wet food may be well-hydrated.
A cat that does not drink water or eat at all for a day should see a vet.
Using wide bowls, setting up several water stations, getting a fountain and increasing wet food will help cats drink more.
Stress, moving, post-op period and illnesses may all cause cats not to drink – monitor their water intake closely in these situations.

Cats not drinking water can be a worrying issue. However, cats generally are not thirsty even when healthy, and many owners never catch their cats drinking. Below we are going to cover the most frequent reasons why a cat might not be drinking, when to be worried and practical tips how to get cat to drink more.

Cat Not Drinking Water after Moving

One of the most frequent causes is moving. When talking about a cat not drinking water after moving, we deal with a reaction of a cat to stress: new smells, new environment, new water taste (tap water may taste differently in another city) and an unusual place for the bowl.

These are the most common reasons for a cat not drinking water after moving:

Stress. The cat may hide under the bed for one or two days and skip water and food.
New taste. Cats may not like tap water with new mineral content or new level of chlorination.
Unusual place for the water bowl. Cats dislike drinking from an open and exposed location.
Routine changes. Changing meal times, skipping wet food due to moving.

What helps: create a quiet zone in a separate room with food, water and litter box on day one, use familiar bowls and consider using a bottle of water from an old apartment on day one or two. Offer wet food or add a bit of water to it. Cats not drinking water after moving for a couple of hours is normal; however, if the cat did not drink nor eat in 24 hours after moving, contact your vet – cats that stopped eating are at risk for developing liver problems rapidly.

How to Get Cat to Drink More Water

If you are wondering how to get cat to drink more water, there are the following solutions to the problem, in roughly the recommended order by veterinarians and experienced owners:

Feed more wet food. It contains 70-80% of water and is the most efficient solution for increasing water intake.
Add a bit of water to wet food. One or two tablespoons of warm water transform pâté into "soup".
Use wide and shallow bowls. Many cats dislike the feeling of whiskers touching bowl walls.
Place the water bowl away from the food. Cats don't consume water where there is prey in nature.
Place water away from the litter box. Nobody wants to drink right next to the toilet.
Place several water stations throughout the house, including upstairs.
Try different materials for the bowl. Glass, ceramic and stainless steel; some cats don't like plastic bowls.
Change water daily and wash bowls every one or two days.
Offer running water – a fountain or dripping tap to the cat that likes it.
Offer low-sodium and onion-free broth and tuna water occasionally as treats, after vet approval.

How to get kitty to drink more water is not about tricks; it's about making water easily accessible, fresh and appetizing at every possible place your cat uses. People asking how to get kitty to drink more water are frequently surprised how bowl location and shape influence cats' water consumption.

Cat Water Fountain

Many cats seem to prefer drinking from moving water – in nature, running water is usually fresher than standing water in a pool. A cat water fountain maintains the water flow fresh, filtered and cold, and cats that normally ignore a bowl can start to drink from the fountain enthusiastically.

That being said, there is conflicting evidence about whether fountains increase water intake or not. While some research found no difference, many people report an increased water consumption. Practical recommendation: get a cat water fountain, however, leave at least one bowl as an alternative to the cats that may be afraid of noise.

Choosing a cat water fountain:

Silent pump.
Easily disassembled and washed (fountains get slimy very quickly).
Sufficient capacity for your household.
Replaceable filters; check the price of cat water fountain filters before purchasing it (the cost of cat water fountain filters adds up), because you will need to replace them every few weeks.
Stable foundation that won't overturn.

Cat Not Drinking Water but Eating

In case of cats not drinking water but eating, you shouldn't worry. The main thing you should pay attention to is the type of food.

Cat not drinking water but eating wet food: it's quite normal and the most common reason why cats that seem to "never drink" are actually well-hydrated. Cats on a mostly wet diet get most of their water from food and barely use water bowl. If urine clumps look normal in number and size, your cat is likely well-hydrated. So, if you see a cat not drinking water but eating wet food happily, just check the clumps in the litter box.

Cat not drinking water but eating dry food: it is more concerning. Cats on a dry diet should drink a considerable amount of water every day. If you rarely see your cat drinking and clumps look small, try the tips above and mention this at your next vet visit.

A rough estimate from VCA Animal Hospitals: a cat requires 3.5-4.5 ounces of water per 5 pounds of weight per day, taken from food and water sources together. A 10-pound cat eating mostly wet food can approach this norm with food alone.

Symptoms of dehydration:

Skin on the back of the neck remains "tented" for a second or more when you lift it.
Dry gums instead of slippery and moist.
Sunken eyes, lethargic behavior, poor appetite.
Fewer or smaller urine clumps than usual.
Constipation and hard dry stool.

Cat not drinking water or eating at all is a different story. This symptom, along with lethargy, requires you to visit a vet the same day.

Cat Water Fountain Stainless Steel

In case you decided to purchase a fountain, pay attention to the material. A cat water fountain stainless steel is preferable because:

Hygiene: stainless steel is non-porous, hence, it is less prone to harbor bacteria in scratches than plastic.
Acne: some veterinarians associate plastic bowls with chin acne in sensitive cats; thus, stainless steel or ceramic bowls are preferred.
Durable: it won't crack or chip like ceramic.
Easy to clean: most of its parts are dishwasher safe.

Ceramic fountains are another good alternative for cats that don't like appearance or sound of metal. Plastic fountains are cheaper but require more careful cleaning. For multi-cat households, large cat water fountain stainless steel model is a good choice: you will need to refill it less frequently than smaller fountains.

Cat Water Fountain No Filter

People who prefer getting a cat water fountain no filter mostly want to avoid the cost and effort required for filter replacement. It is a reasonable choice, but you should be very punctual with cleaning. A filter traps hair, food debris and some minerals; without it, you will need to empty and wash fountain more often, every couple of days, in general.

The most common complaints you will see in fountains reviews (both filtered and non-filtered) are the same: accumulation of slime in the pump, increasing noise of the pump as time passes and difficulty of taking it apart. Happy owners of a fountain tend to be people who schedule a cleaning day and replace the pump when necessary. If it seems to you to be too complicated, several ceramic bowls filled with water daily are an excellent alternative.

When Not Drinking Is a Medical Issue

Several situations require prompt action:

Cat not drinking water after surgery. A cat not drinking water after surgery for several hours is normal. Anesthesia and pain medication inhibit thirst and appetite. How to get cat to drink more water after surgery? Offer small amounts of water, warm wet food and tempting smells. How to get my cat to drink more water after surgery if it refuses water for more than 24 hours? Contact your vet. A cat not drinking water after dental surgery may have a painful mouth – warm wet food and shallow water bowls will help. Similarly, a cat not drinking water after spay surgery should start to drink water within 24 hours.
Male cats. How to get male cat to drink more water is one of the most frequent questions because male cats are prone to urinary obstruction, which is dangerous for life. Additional water intake means more diluted urine. In case of male cats straining in the litter box and producing small or no urine at all, you should go to the nearest emergency clinic.
Senior cats. How to get senior cat to drink more water is an important issue because older cats are prone to kidney diseases. Interestingly enough, in case of kidney diseases, cats start to drink more water, not less – any drastic changes in water intake require a vet visit.
Sick cats. How to get cat to drink more fluids? Water-based products such as broth or food with a high water content may help in mild cases, but rapid dehydration occurs due to vomiting, diarrhea and fever. How to get cat to drink more water when sick? It is not the question that can be solved independently – your vet will say how much fluid your cat requires. Your vet will provide subcutaneous fluid therapy in case of necessity - that's the real answer to how to get cat to drink more water when sick.

The Litter Box: Your Best Hydration Monitor

You don't see your cat drinking, but you see its results every day. Clumps of urine tell you a lot: roughly equal in number and size every day means hydration status is stable. Fewer or smaller clumps indicate that your cat is not drinking sufficient water; larger or many clumps are symptoms of increased thirst and are associated with diabetes and kidney disease.

That's why we are interested in clumping. Paco & Pepper olive pit litter is forming tightly packed and separated clumps quickly and it does not hide them in dust, which makes any changes evident. Our guide about strong-smelling cat urineexplains what highly concentrated urine means.

FAQ

How long can a cat go without drinking water? Depends on diet and health of the cat, but if it did not eat or drink for 24 hours, it should visit a vet. Kittens and seniors are dehydrating faster.

Is it normal for a cat to only drink from the tap? Some cats prefer running water. It's not harmful, but you should offer your cat a fountain so that it could drink moving water when you are absent.

Can I add flavor to my cat's water? Small amounts of unsalted, onion-free and garlic-free broth or water from plain tuna can encourage cats to drink. Keep plain water bowl for your cat available.

With more wet food, more water stations and monitoring the litter box, most cats get sufficient water or food intake.

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