Effective Tips to Encourage Cats to Drink More Water

How Much Water Does a Cat Need Daily?

Most dry cat food contains only about 10% moisture, which is clearly insufficient. It's quite common for cats to develop bladder and kidney issues, and adequate water intake can help prevent these problems.

Key Point: Cats require approximately 4050ml of water per kilogram of body weight daily.

How to Encourage Your Cat to Drink More Water?

Here are 10 clever tips to help your cat drink more water:

① Feed Your Cat Wet Food: Canned food contains around 78% water.

Disadvantage: Some cats may not like to eat wet food as their main diet.

Consider mixing wet food with some water or using treats in cans, which can be mixed with water for feeding.

Disadvantage: Treats cannot provide cats with a balanced and comprehensive diet and may lead to picky eating, so they are not suitable for longterm feeding.

② Increase Watering Stations: Cats enjoy exploring, so placing multiple water bowls around the house can make drinking water a fun activity for them.

Avoid placing water bowls in cramped corners!

③ Offer Dairy Products: Most cats love dairy products. You can opt for goat's milk or goat's milk powder specifically formulated for dogs and cats.

④ Change the Taste of Water: Cook some fish soup (without seasonings) for your cat to drink.

Add a small amount of bonito flakes (the kind sprinkled on rice balls) to the water.

⑤ Try Different Water Bowls: Most cats prefer widemouthed bowls.

Experiment with various types of bowls to see which one your cat drinks from the most. Finding the bowl your cat loves can make them more interested in drinking water.

Consider redefining "water bowl" – a cup, fish tank, or even a raised bowl could be the perfect choice for your cat.

Also, consider elevating the water bowl or purchasing a highstand bowl so that your cat doesn't have to stretch their neck to drink.

⑥ Use an Automatic Water Fountain: Cats naturally prefer flowing water over still water.

Since cats have excellent night vision, they also have significant nearsightedness. An automatic water fountain can increase your cat's interest in drinking.

⑦ Clean Your Cat's Water Bowl Daily: Cats are one of the cleanest mammals, and they may not drink from a bowl with stale or unclean water.

Clean your cat's water bowl daily and replace the water with fresh water at regular intervals (at least twice a day).

⑧ Change the Water Source: If your cat doesn't like the taste of tap water, try bottled mineral water.

⑨ Add Ice Cubes to the Water Bowl: A video of "cats playing with ice while drinking" is adorable!

Cats enjoy moving things, so adding a few ice cubes to the water bowl can make it more interesting and encourage drinking.

⑩ ForceFeeding (Not Recommended): If all else fails, this is your last resort.

For example, use a syringe to force water into your cat's mouth.

Disadvantage: Cats may resist or become angry, and there is a risk of injury to the person.