My Cat Drinks a lot of Water, Why?

Besides dogs, cats are considered the most popular house pets. These adorable and cuddly looking feline creatures are very playful which is why a lot of homeowners are attracted to them. Aside from this, cats can also be useful since they can also keep the house free from pests such as rodents and mice. Cats are also easy to handle because they don’t require frequent bathing or washing since they are capable of cleaning their body just by licking. However, the claws and fangs of cats are a lot sharper compared to dogs, which is part of their nature as predators or hunters. Nonetheless, cats are still one of the best house pets we could ever have. Unfortunately, there are certain behaviors of cats that are sometimes misunderstood by a lot of owners. Cats are very mysterious creatures, which makes it hard for their owners to analyze some of their actions and personalities. However, these are things that owners should never take for granted since their behaviors can be indications of something serious in relation to the cat’s health. A common example of an unusual cat behavior is their sudden increase of water intake. But what does this really mean?

My Cat Drinks a lot of Water, Why?

All animals drink water. In fact, almost all living creatures, including humans, survive by drinking water in order to rehydrate their bodies. This is also the reason why cats drink water in order to replenish lost fluids from the body and also quench their thirst. However, cats are known to have weak thirst drive. This means that under normal conditions, cats tend to drink only very little to moderate amount of water. However, once the cats are placed on high temperatures and/or are placed on exercise and stressful situations, cats can easily become thirsty. Nevertheless, these are not the only things that can cause cats to increase their water intake. In fact, certain diseases and ailments can also cause cats to excessively drink water. This significant increase in drinking is medically known as polydipsia, which is a term that is also used in human conditions.

Normal Water Intake of a Healthy Domestic Cat

According to animal experts, a healthy cat actually drinks very little water. Some cats that are on wet foot diet can already acquire the amount of moisture their body needs, which is why they only drink at least 1 to 2 ounce of water in a day. If a cat is on dry foods (4 ounces), then the cat can consume 1 to 1¼ cups of water every day. So what causes cats to experience polydipsia?

Possible Causes of Polydipsia

There are actually a lot of factors that could cause polydipsia to happen among our cats. Most of these factors are health related problems such as untreated hyperthyroidism, diabetes and as well as kidney diseases. These common human ailments can also be experienced by our pet cats. These diseases can increase the thirst drive of cats thus causing polydipsia. Aside from the ones mentioned above, fever as well as infection can also make cats thirstier than their usual thirst conditions.

Identifying the Amount of Water Intake of Cats

Observing cats all day is a very difficult thing to do. This makes it very hard for us to determine how much amount of water our cats drink in a day. However, this can be done simply by measuring first the amount of drinking water before placing it in the drinking bowl of cats. By the end of the day, we can measure how much water is left and subtract it from the initial amount in order to obtain the fluid intake for that day. In case the water is consumed thoroughly by the cat, we can again refill the bowl with water but just like the first time, this must also be measured.

Observing Signs of Dehydration in Cats

Cats can also show different signs and symptoms of dehydration. Dehydration is the number one reason why the thirst drive is triggered in most living creatures. In case dehydration is caused by medical conditions or problems, drinking a lot of water is sometimes isn’t enough in some cats in order to get rehydrated. A dehydrated cat usually shows tacky gums that are not moist. Cats can also exhibit poor skin turgor, just like in humans. This is done by lifting the cat and observing the slow fall back of the skin rather than returning back immediately.

Treatment for Cats with Polydipsia

Just like any other ailment experience by most house pets, cats with severe dehydration and increased water intake must be immediately taken to the nearest veterinarian clinic. Animal doctors will be able to analyze the underlying cause of the problem in order to provide proper and immediate intervention. Seeing cats experiencing polydipsia must never be taken lightly since this simple condition can already be a sign of something worse in the health of cats. Just like in humans, drinking plenty of is a good thing. However, unexplained and sudden increase of water in cats can already imply something wrong with the feline’s condition.

These are just some of the facts about cats as well as the different possible explanations to their sudden and unexplained increase in water intake.