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My cat drinks a lot of water. Is it a sign of kidney problems?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Russian Blue | Female | 13 years and 5 months old | 27 lbs

How much water would a cat have to be drinking to have me concerned for kidney problems? Whenever she found my glass of water on the ground she would drink it, so I left a small juice cup with water out every day along with her normal water dish and I am filling up the glass 1-2 times a day and the water dish 1 every 2 days.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 23rd, 2016

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.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Rebecca, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 5th, 2018

    Thanks for using PetCoach. Normal water consumption is about 60ml/kg/day. Which for an average 10lb cat would be about 10 ounces per day. Or slightly over 1 cup of water per day. Cats that eat canned food consume some water with their food. Some disease processed may cause increased water consumption (diabetes, kidney disease).
    For many cats it is advisable to try to increase their water intake to provide a healthy urinary tract. This is most easily done by feeding canned food.

    Here's some more info
    http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/why-cats-need-canned-food-2/

    http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/is-my-pet-drinking-enough-water

    I hope this helps!

    Vote Icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Vet Q & A
My cat is drinking a lot of water. Is it a sign of illness?
It's definitely unusual for cats to noticeably drink a lot of water, since they usually don't drink much at all - this can be a sign of many different illnesses, including liver or kidney disease, diabetes, or a thyroid problem. If you feel that Lucky's water intake has increased lately and is more than normal, I would recommend taking him to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to. Your vet can do blood work and a urinalysis to help determine if anything is wrong, and get him started on appropriate treatment if any problems are found.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
Why is my cat always at the water bowl? Is it kidney disease?
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.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
Worried: My cat got extra IV fluids for kidney disease. Is she okay?
225ml is not a problem. A daily maintenance fluid for a cat would be 60 ml/kg. Your kitty weighs 12 lbs, which is about 5.5kg. So her daily maintenance would be 330ml. She actually may feel very good now, which is why she is using her scratching post and obviously is not nauseous but hungry. The extra fluid is likely flushing out toxins. So, no , you do not have to worry. Since you are giving the fluids under the skin, she will only pull in what she needs over time. Good luck with your kitty!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My cats drink & pee more with new water dish. Is it a kidney issue?
I recommend to play it safe and have some lab work run. Given their age, it's better to play it safe. Catching kidney disease early means you can start treatment (which is usually just a diet change) and this can increase the length of quality life after diagnosis. I hope this helps.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My cat drinks a lot and has trouble pooping. Should I see a vet?
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.
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Food & Nutrition
How can I get my cat to drink more water to keep her kidneys healthy?
Cats tend not to drink much water naturally, because their bodies are adapted to conserve water. Naturally, they get much of their water from the animals they eat. It is definitely good to encourage water intake, because this can help keep the kidneys healthy. The easiest way to do this is to feed wet food or add water to the food. Slipping water into tasty food is going to be your easiest and best option. It's possible that later on he will start drinking water more, so definitely always keep fresh clean water available. I hope that helps.
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Food & Nutrition
What's the best high-protein wet food for my senior cat with kidney issues?
The only way to determine whether your cat has kidney disease is to have blood work done. Excessive drinking, weight loss, can also be signs of diabetes and hyperthyroidism. Please take Gino to a vet for some blood tests and then discuss the proper treatment and diet with your vet.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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