How to Scientifically Feed Cats Water?

Having your cat drinking water often is very important, or so we believe. We know well about how significant it is to keep cats stay hydrated, but we may fail to have a scientific water feeding schedule.

The Importance of Cats Drinking Water

Water is vital for cats because it affects the nutrient transportation, digestion, circulation and organ functions. 

Things like the cat breed, age and food preferences can affect the amount of water intake quite a bit. What happens if your cat doesn’t drink any water? Your pet becomes dehydrated, this is one of the first signs. Then it can end up with diabetes, heat strokes or kidney disease. Keeping your pet hydrated is not only crucial, it’s a priority. It makes a lot of sense to talk with the vet and see what he recommends, based on that you can make the right adjustments.

Feed Water to Cats Scientifically

The first thing you want to do is to make sure that you understand your cat’s water needs. 

Generally, a cat requires around 50 ml of water for each kg. So if your cat is sitting at around 4 kg, then it needs 200 ml of water per day. That being said, some water does come from food and liquids, or even the oxidation water that comes during metabolism. So if you feed your cat lots of wet food, then most of the drinking water requirements are fulfilled, and you just have to offer only a bit of fresh water.

Step 1: Observe the cat’s drinking habits

It’s recommended to study the drinking habits of your pet and see how much water your cat really needs. Some cats like to drink more water in the evening, others tend to drink water right after eating their meal. Analyzing the cat’s drinking habits and figuring out how much water your cat drinks every day is a very good idea, and it will help quite a bit.

Step 2: Supervise and encourage drinking more

It’s important to start using drinking water measures. This way you can experiment and see how much water your cat really needs. You can measure according to the guidelines above, 50 ml per every kg. Then you can go up and down according to your pet’s requirements. That’s a great idea, since you can analyze the situation and ensure that your pet drinks plenty of water all the time.

• Change to wet food

Changing to wet food is a great idea, because this brings more water to your pet’s diet. It makes it a lot easier to fulfill the daily water requirements, even if it might not feel that simple to do at first. Which is why we recommend changing to wet food if possible, as you can see various improvements.

• Place multiple bowls around the house

Cats aren't keen on drinking water, so only providing more water in your cat's bowl may not help. Place more bowls on different spots can help to remind cats of drinking and entice them to drink more.

• Use automatic drinking fountain

You can also allow your cat to just drink as much water as they need. That’s where an automatic drinking fountain comes into play. The thing here is that you want to clean the filter often to avoid any bacteria building. Many cats like drinking fountains, and having an automatic one is a lot better than you might imagine.

Notes on Cat Drinking Water

It’s important to not leave your cat’s drinking water in direct sunlight, as that will make it very hot and also change the water structure a bit. Keep in a colder area, and if possible use drinking basins that are stored in the shadows. A good rule of thumb is to try and pick the ideal basin size based on how large your cat really is. Also, consider the seasonal changes and temperature changes, as those will affect the water intake of your pet.

It’s a great idea to study how much water your cat really needs and encourage your pet to hydrate often. The last thing you want is for your cat to deal with health issues because it’s dehydrated. That’s why these tips and ideas listed above can help you quite a lot. We recommend avoiding any rush, sticking to the aforementioned rules and experimenting according to your pet’s needs. It takes a bit of time to help your pet drink enough water, but it’s well worth it in the end!