Every animal on the planet will drink when thirsty, it’s a survival instinct, and even when they have other options, they often choose random and even disgusting water sources. Dog owners know, they seem to enjoy drinking from the dirtiest pond or puddle. Cats and dogs have this in common: they usually prefer to drink from the toilet instead of their bowl! For dogs it might just be laziness, taking advantage of the closest water source. But for cats, the relationship with water is much more complicated. Cats can be very particular animals. They have preferences about their litter, food, drinking water, quite even possibly its location. It’s like they believe stagnant, room temperature water will poison them.
Cats can dehydrate themselves so much and so quickly that it can cause renal (kidney) issues, like stones and crystals and in the more severe cases, renal failure. Living in a constant state of dehydration can also contribute to diabetes and other concerning health issues. Water is essential to maintaining molecular balance in the body such as blood glucose and an ideal urine pH that will prevent stones, crystals, and bacterial infections. Kidneys need water to function properly, and dehydration puts a lot of pressure and stress on renal functions.
When feeding a dry diet, dehydration can become a very serious and dangerous problem. Their urine can become so concentrated and so alkaline, that stones can form and block their urinary tract – an extremely painful and possibly life-threatening condition. The surgery to remove the stones is also very expensive (we are talking thousands of dollars).
Because of the important role that water plays in the health of our cats, getting them to drink is crucial. Cats often do not like having their water source near their food, so playing around with the location of the water bowl, is a very simple remedy for a cat that has a preference about bowl placement. The size and depth of bowl may also be hindering the finicky feline drinker (especially in a multi cat family). Bowls that are deep and have a smaller diameter can result in whisker fatigue, which can affect eating habits as well. Often the only way to find a solution that pleases every cat in the house is trial and error.
Exceptions exist, but it’s true that most cats will try to avoid stagnant water at all costs, preferring instead to die of dehydration. Bottled water and distilled water, in the same, non-moving bowl are just as stagnant as tap water. If your cat rushes to the faucet for a drink from the stream as you are washing your hands or brushing your teeth, it seems obvious then that the problem is water stagnancy. This makes the solution simple – a fountain bowl. Get the water moving!
This is Where Raw Comes in…
Cats benefit greatly from eating a raw, high moisture diet. Raw cat food is usually between 60% and 80% moisture which helps ensure proper hydration. A high meat diet also helps reduce pH, while water keeps a healthy pH balance. To increase moisture content even more, some cats enjoy extra water added directly to their food. The more water you are able to add to their food, the less worry there might be that they don’t drink enough from their water bowl.
True to a cat’s nature, some do not tolerate these “extra water” tricks. Try adding some other options that increase moisture intake. Raw Fermented Goat Milk is an amazing source of nutrients and probiotics, but cats also simply love its smell and taste. Eggs (quail, or chicken) are super nutritious and as an added bonus contain choline which helps to prevent hairballs. Bone broth is another popular option among felines and also brings excellent nutrition.
For cat owners, it’s important to be attentive to their behaviour as it pertains to their water drinking habits. Rushing to drink from moving water isn’t a cute behaviour – it’s more often a red flag that your cat is dehydrated. It can take a lot of trial and error to find the perfect formula to increase their desire to drink to increase hydration, but needs to be done to ensure that they stay healthy and avoid preventable illness.