My cat is drinking a lot of water. Is it a sign of illness?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tigger. Increased thirst and subsequent increases in urination can be the result of a medical problem. I recommend letting his veterinarian know of this change in behavior. He will likely need blood work and urine samples tested. Diabetes, kidney disease and thyroid disorders can all affect thirst. I hope this information helps!

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.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Excessive thirst in cats is always a concern and should be investigated. Squishy may drink a lot of water because of diabetes, kidney problems, overactive thyroid gland, liver disease or even tumor development. You should take Squishy to your local vets for an appointment as she will need full clinical examination and possibly a blood test to find out what the problem is. In the meantime, you should let her drink as much as wants to maintain normal hydration - she will not get into any problems because of that.

Drinking a lot of water can be a sign of kidney problems or diabetes. Depending on your cat's age not using the litter box may be a sign of arthritis (most cats get arthritis by the age of 7) and squatting may hurt, so he would hold his bowel movement until he can't hold it any more and then does not make it into the litter box in time. I suggest you take him to your vet for a blood test and exam and assessment for pain medicine.

The daily water requirement for cats and dogs ranges from 5 to 10 fluid ounces per day (or an average of 60 ml/kg/day). If your cat eats canned food, then the cat can get a lot of that fluid from the canned food as this has about 70-80% humidity. So, if ella drinks a lot more than 60cc(ml) of water per 2.2lbs body weight then you should take her to a veterinarian for blood tests. This could be caused by diabetes, kidney failure, a simple infection (also severe tooth infections/gingivitis) and other endocrine problems.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat. She will need to see her veterinarian for laboratory work. Increased vocalizations and increased thirst are common signs of hyperthyroidism. This is a disease where the body makes too much thyroid hormone thereby increasing metabolism. Other signs can include weight loss, hyperactivity, increased urination as well as vomiting and/or diarrhea. If this is her diagnosis, the disease is typically managed with medication. I hope this information helps!

Hi, I would worry and have her checked over unless you had just recently changed her diet and started feeding her dry biscuits for example. Best to have her checked over to pick up on signs sooner rather than later. She is definitely beautiful and looks so healthy ! Hopefully there is nothing to worry about.