Content
- How much water does a cat drink a day?
- How many ml of water does a cat drink a day?
- Causes for a cat to drink a lot of water and urinate a lot
- kitten cat drinks a lot of water
- My cat drinks a lot of water and vomits
On very hot days it is normal to increase water intake, and this is quite common for dogs, too, as they are more active animals and athletes. Cats, on the other hand, do not have this habit of drinking a lot of water, and we often still need to encourage them so that they remember to drink at least a little water every day.
The little water intake by felines refers to their ancestor, a cat that lived in the desert and was therefore able to spend several days without ingesting at least the minimum of water, which does not mean that they do not need water to live, because, currently, with the industrialization of rations and several changes in the routine of the domestic cat, we know that water intake is extremely important.However, when an adult cat or a baby cat excessively increases the amount of water ingested, we must be careful.
Continue reading on PeritoAnimal to find out why the answer to the question "my cat drinks a lot of water, is it normal" is no!
How much water does a cat drink a day?
First we must consider what is the normal amount that a cat should ingest. For this, it is necessary to know your cat's routine and personality, as polydipsia (when the cat drinks more water than the normal amount) and the consequent polyuria (when the cat urinates more than normal) are somewhat subtle symptoms for a feline, and it may be a while before the owner realizes that the cat's health is not good.
How many ml of water does a cat drink a day?
The water intake considered normal for a domestic feline is 45ml/kg/day, amounts greater than this will also increase the amount of urine passed, so if a cat is urinating too much and in large amounts, it is likely that its water intake is also increased. As this is usually the first symptom that the guardian notices, there are laboratory tests that can be done that calculate the cat's urinary output in order to obtain more accurate results in order to conclude the diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment. Laboratory procedures often require sedation and the passage of a tube through the urethral canal, so only the veterinarian is able to perform this procedure.
However, another method you can try at home to see if your cat is drinking more water than usual is to use a metered drinking fountain, or measure the amount of water you put in the container at the start of the day. At the end of the day, measure the water left in the drinking fountain again and divide this amount by your cat's weight. If it exceeds 45ml/kg, inform your veterinarian. But, it is necessary to make sure that your cat does not drink water from other sources such as potted plants, sinks, aquariums, etc, otherwise the result will go wrong. And, in the same way, if you have more than one cat, the result is also unreliable, as it is not possible to separate by the amount of water each one drinks from the same container.
To find out more about how much water a cat should drink per day, see this other PeritoAnimal article.
Causes for a cat to drink a lot of water and urinate a lot
Polydipsia and polyuria are symptoms, usually initial, and not the disease itself. These are signs thati cat may have one of the following problems:
- Diabetes.
- Kidney diseases or urinary tract infections.
- Thyroid disease.
- Liver failure.
- Hyper or hypoadrenocorticism.
In addition, the use of certain medications such as corticoids and some anti-inflammatory drugs also make the animal increase the amount of urine eliminated and try to compensate for the increase in water intake.
If your cat is adult and obese and you notice that he is drinking a lot of water and urinating, take him to the vet, as it is necessary to make a correct diagnosis as they are fatal diseases if not treated in time and properly.
kitten cat drinks a lot of water
If you've just adopted a kitten and you've noticed it's drinking too much water and urinating more, check with your veterinarian for possible malfunctions for the same ailments as urinary system infections. If the problem is detected early, the animal does better during treatment, but changes must be made to the small feline's routine in order to offer a better quality of life, as if the cat is diagnosed with diabetes or some disease of the thyroid, there is no cure, and the tutor should seek advice from the veterinarian to better care for a kitten in these conditions.
My cat drinks a lot of water and vomits
As said, these initial symptoms are often not noticed by the guardians in time, which complicates a little the picture of the disease that the cat may have. This contributes to the organism decompensation as a whole, which leads not only to a worsening of these initial symptoms but also to the appearance of other symptoms, including vomiting, apathy, and symptoms related to the cat's system that is compromised.
If you notice any symptoms other than vomiting, increased water intake and more urine, take your kitten to the vet immediately.
Read our full article: My cat is vomiting, what to do?
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.