My new cat drinks and pees a lot. Is this normal behavior for her?

Water intake can fluctuate a bit even in normal, healthy animals, based on their activity level, environmental temperature, and how much moisture is in their food. As long as a pet is eating well, and playful and happy with a normal energy level, then a decrease in drinking doesn't concern me. The more worrisome change would be a consistent increase in water consumption. If you notice that Moosh seems to suddenly have a consistent increase in his drinking habits, that warrants a vet visit. I only worry about a decrease in drinking if it is also accompanied by a decrease in appetite. As a general rule, if a pet is eating normally, they're drinking enough for their body's needs. But an increase in water consumption is always worth investigating, as it can indicate kidney disease, diabetes, or other internal concerns.

For some cats this is normal. This is likely the case with Tinkle, because she has been eating like this for so long. They will only eat as much as they need and will maintain a lean body weight. This is only concerning if the cat is too thin. Below is a link to diagram that shows what the various grades of body condition are: https://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body%20condition%20score%20chart%20cats.pdf If Tinkle is a 3 or below, then I would be concerned. This could indicate a long history of parasitism (worms), or some other condition. If you are ever concerned that she is too thin, then I recommend having a vet doctor examine her for any abnormalities. Otherwise, if she is a 4-5 and acting normal, then it is great that she is so good at maintaining this lean body weight. Thin cats tend to be healthier and live longer than fat cats. I hope that helps and all is well with Tinkle.

Cats are really good at conserving water, so they can be normal and pee only once a day. As long she is acting normal and eating normal, I would not be too concerned. A lack of urine production can be seen with acute kidney failure, but she would have other obvious signs of illness (i.e. vomiting). It's best for her to drink more and urinate more to prevent infections and early kidney failure. You can help promote drinking by putting water in the good, or giving a little broth of fish juice with her food. I hope that helps and all is well with Tiffany.

It is concerning that he is drinking and urinating excessively. Since he is so young, I am concerned he has a congential kidney disorder causing kidney failure. He should have an ultrasound of his kidneys to look for abnormalities. Call your vet and give him/her an update to let your vet know he is drinking and urinating excessively.

I would be concerned about either diabetes or hyperthyroidism in Fuu. The symptoms you described can be seen with both of these diseases that usually affect older cats. I would recommend taking Fuu in to your vet to have some blood work performed. This simple test can distinguish between these two diseases. If she has diabetes she will need insulin injections daily and hyperthyroidism can be easily treated with a daily medication as well. Good luck!

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.

I would say that that would not be typical. It sounds like quite a bit of ruination. Have you noticed if he’s drinking more water? If he’s drinking more water and urinating more that could be an indication of an underlying problem like diabetes. He should really see your vet for an exam and some blood/urine testing.