How much water should my cat drink daily? What factors affect it?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Zoe. I would measure out the water in her water fountain first thing in the morning, and then the next morning, remeasure it. That will tell you how much water she is drinking. She should be drinking between 3.5–4.5 ounces of water per 5 pounds of body weight per day. You can also give her wet food and add water to it, which will get more water in her. I hope this helps!

I would feed a small amount of wet food twice daily with added water in it. Continue to leave out fresh water and you can try a cat water fountain too. That circulates water and encourages cats to drink more. Most cats will drink what they need daily so I’m not overly concerned about this if he’s acting normal, has a shiny coat, and is a normal weight. If he’s lethargic, thin or not grooming well then he may have an underlying medical problem that needs treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Topher.

Congratulations on your new addition! If you haven't previously fed 100% canned food before, you may not be used to how infrequently cats will drink water. My cats are also on a 100% canned food diet, and I rarely see them drink water (maybe once a week). That is because they get almost all the moisture they need from the canned food. It is important to have fresh water available to her at all times, but I would not be worried about not seeing a cat on 100% canned food not drink. If you're concerned, you might consider adding some water to her caned food or adding a running fountain since most cats prefer that to drink from. If Bronte seems stressed otherwise, you could try a couple of things. One option for decreasing stress is to add a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com ) to your house. This is a calming pheromone that will work for a month. I have also had luck with Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the food. You could also consider calming music specifically for cats ( http://throughadogsear.com/tace/through-a-cats-ear-1-music-for-calming/ ). Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hello, thank er you for using PetCoach. I would not necessarily be "concerned" but it would be good for him to drink more water. Two good ways to get more water into a cat are: 1. Feed canned food and 2. Get a water fountain for him. Cats tend to drink more from a source of running water. If he eats canned food it obviously has a higher water content than dry food. I suggest you do those two things and see how things go from there. ( https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cat+drinking+fountain&crid=1UT6TC4LCPX9I&sprefix=cat+drinking+founta%2Caps%2C327&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This depends on a lot of factors including if she is otherwise exhibiting any symptoms of sickness, if she is eating canned food which already has water in it, how much water she is actually having, among other things. If she is not drinking anything especially if having other symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite and/or lethargy, she should be evaluated as soon as possible to prevent dehydration and to investigate the cause. If she is otherwise doing well and is eating canned food, it would be ok to monitor her for another 12-24 hours and if not improved to have her evaluated by a veterinarian then. Hopefully she returns to normal and there is no need for a veterinary visit. Have a great day!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think it Noushmc is otherwise acting 100% normal I think she will be fine. Just watch her closely. Also if she eats an all canned food diet there is a lot of water in that so animals will drink less. Or she could be drinking water from somewhere else (toilet, sink...puddle outside). If you are still worried you can try offering her some tuna juice. I hope this help and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Try to avoid that as that water may cause her to get sick. This behavior should be avoided and if she does not drink that water she will then get thirsty and drink the cold water you offer her. Have a good night!