My cat paws at water but won't drink and gets tired. Is he sick?

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry your Tabby is having issues with his water dish! A lot of cats do prefer running water to drink from and not standing water. You may try purchasing a pet fountain from your local supply store (a small one will work) and give that a try. He may like the running water more. If you are giving him the same food every day, don't stop! Changing up the food frequently will turn him into a very picky eater. Stick with one food and continue to offer it- cats will not stave themselves if they are hungry enough. He will learn to eat what is in front of him. However, if you notice your tabby has gone more than 3 days without eating, I would be suspicious there is something else more concerning going on with him that may need to be evaluated by a veterinarian. I hope this has helped and I wish you and your Tabby the very best!

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.

This is an unusual behavior, especially in a cat as old as yours. I have seen cats who "drink from their paws" from a young age, and I think it can be normal then. I'd be concerned that in a senior cat this could be her way of telling you she's trying to get more water - that's called "polydipsia", and it can be due to a number of conditions. Usually you'd see them also urinating a larger volume, and/or going more frequently. If this is the case your vet can run tests to determine whether her increased water consumption is causing her to urinate more, or vice versa. Possible causes include kidney disease, some kinds of cancer, a hormonal disease called hyperthyroidism, and liver disease. I would certainly recommend that you get Gizmo in for a checkup with your vet and some tests to see what might be going on.

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.

I think it is important that Olie continues to drink well while on heart medications. It’s true that cats get their moisture mostly from wet food, however cats on heart meds might need more water to mantain the right level of hydration so I would say yes to the water water fountain again ! I know it can be a pain the maintenance but I think it is well worthy ! Hope he continues to do well..!

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!

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.