Why is my cat always thirsty and prefers drinking from the faucet?

Sweetie is doing something that is extremely common in cats. Some cats (and dogs) simply prefer to drink water that is in motion versus stagnant in a bowl. If you prefer that your cat does not drink from a dripping faucet but she refuses to drink from the regular bowl, many pet stores sell water fountains that continually cycle the water. This is often the best solution for cases like one you are describing. In terms of the safety of the water, this is hard for me to speculate about. If the water is safe enough for you or your family to drink, it is almost certainly safe enough for Sweetie. If your water source is coming from a well or spring and is not routinely tested, use of a bottled or distilled water may be a safer option.

Cats actually prefer to drink from running water. I suggest you get her a water/drinking fountain: ( https://www.petco.com/shop/SearchDisplay?categoryId=&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&searchSource=Q&pageView=&beginIndex=0&pageSize=48&fromPageValue=search&searchKeyword=&searchTerm=water+fountain )

If your cat is drinking excessive amounts of water then this can be a sign of kidney disease. We can often see early kidney disease with hyperthyroidism as well. I would recommend having some bloodwork done on your kitty if he hasn't had any in the last few months to check his kidney values. This is recommended every 6 months in a cat his age.

I'd feed Cupquake canned food, or add some low sodium gently warmed chicken broth to her dry food. I'd also recommend getting her a pet water fountain. It provides a continuous source of fresh water, and encourages the cat to drink. I have one for my cats, and they love it. You can get one at a pet store. I hope this helps.

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It really depends on how much your water bowl contains, but if this is a rather abrupt change in water intake, then it should be investigated. Essentially, you are saying that he is drinking 3xs as much water as he was used to. He is very young for the biggest concerns with increased thirst, that being kidney disease & diabetes, but a urinary tract infection could cause an increase in thirst. So any change in behaviors should be checked out. Hopefully, it is nothing but Maxwell's preference, but better to find out than worry. Thank you.

You have nothing to worry about, my cats are exactly the same, they will prefer every other option that seems to be fresher than their bowls, i tried a fountain bowl for a while but it never really replaced their need to drink from wherever they could.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Some cats do prefer to drink from running water so a pet fountain may be a good idea. But if she is drinking more than usual a visit to the vet is needed for possible bloodwork to rule out things like kidney disease.