How Much Water Should a Cat Drink in 24 Hours?

Water aids in a cat’s kidney and tissue functions. It flushes out the toxins residing inside the feline’s system and keeps the animal hydrated just enough to stay lively. All the more reasons to let the kitty drink water! But how much water should a cat drink in 24 hours? That is what my neighbor Gemma asked, and I replied this way:

A cat requires 0.7 to 0.9 ounces of water per 1 pound of bodyweight. The demand for water can be met with foods and other liquids. Regular cat foods contain up to 70% moisture. Eating food that contains 75% to 80% of water content may cover the need for fluid intake.

Maybe, you’re thinking that a little bit of explanation will clarify my answer. Well, I am Kawkab, and I totally agree with you. Keep reading!

Read more about “How To Make Cat Lose Weight?” Details here

How Much Water Should a Cat Drink in 24 Hours?

To find an answer to this question, you should take certain factors into consideration, such as the size, weight, health condition, feeding schedule, and diet of your furry buddy.

Weight and size: A cat needs 0.7 to 0.9 ounces of water for 1 pound of its body weight. It accounts for 8.4 to 10.8 ounces for a cat that weighs 12 pounds.

Diet: Ancestral cats have a particular type of craving for wet foods. There’s no harm in it. Wet foods hydrate your kittens with 70-80% moisture of water. Mice, rats, and other rodents are their favorite prey, but these preys provide them with a fraction of moisture just like canned foods do. So, cats feeding on wet items don’t need as much water as the ones eating dry foods do.

Feeding Time: Take note of the usual mealtime. This way, you’ll know about your cat’s drinking time. Also, you can help manage its drinking habit.

Health: A healthy cat drinks water in a natural way. If a cat is dehydrated, it needs more water to drink. Other health issues may also make drinking water a frequent part of a cat’s diet.

These indicators are helpful for those who just wonder, “Does my cat drink sufficient fluid every day? Moreover, they can find out when fluid intake is just too much. Let’s get to it!

How to Monitor Your Cat’s Water Consumption?

You don’t need to stay close to the cat all the time. Just a few steps should be good.

Check the dishes/containers where your cat drinks water each day.
Markdown the level of remaining water before cleaning or refilling
Check the cat’s urge for urination.

Make sure you fill the containers with the same volume of water each time. Otherwise, the monitoring would be useless.

Is My Cat Drinking Too Much Water?

Cats instinctively drink a little more during hot sunny days. If you catch your cat drinking a lot of water and meowing when it should not,it indicates signs of feline diabetes or feline hyperthyroidism ortapeworm infestation. Take your pet immediately to a reliable vet upon detecting any of these signs.

Signs of Excessive Drinking

More than usual trips to water containers or bowls
Refilling needs raising
Drinking from places it didn’t visit before

Get yourself cat water cups or dishes to take note of consumption level. You may change your regular water cups and get some amazing cat feeders like PetSafe Healthy Pet Gravity Pet Food or Water Station.

Having an opposite scenario in mind, you might be asking yourself, “Why is my cat not drinking water as much as it should?” The chances are that you can’t even know that before the pet starts suffering from dehydration. How can you tell that dehydration is obvious?

Signs of Dehydration in a Cat

Loose skin and too slow to slide back once pulled
Sticky yet dry gums
Change in regular activities and behavior
Loss of food appeal
Diarrhea and vomiting
Sunken and sleepy eyes
Unusual heart rate (higher/lower than normal pulse rate)
Less or almost no urination

Dehydration leads to a number of health issues such as feline urological syndrome, heatstroke, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, and kidney disease. So, you see any of the symptoms; you get to call in your vet.

How Can You Train a Cat to Like Water?

Last week, my next-door neighbor put this question in a slightly different way. How to figure out if my cat is sufficiently hydrated? She confirmed that the kitty didn’t have the water just as much it needs. I asked, “Is your cat looking at water but not drinking?” She nodded.

I think we’re going to have to force our cats to drink water, but there is a lot of room for being creative in this. I’m offering some ideas for those who have to get a dehydrated cat to drink more.

Flavored Water: Add a bit of juice such as clam, tuna, or chicken broth (low sodium) to the water.
Chilling Ice Cubes: Can cats drink ice water? Some cats find it interesting to look at bobbling cubes of ice. Refreshing cold water might appeal to your cat.
Wet Diet: Instead of giving them water directly, choose a wet diet over the dry one. Thus, your cat gets an instant source of water. Go for soups and other canned food.
Moving Water: Playful cats get excited at the glance of moving water. Arrange a fountain for freshwater flow. A dripping faucet is another attractive example. Is tap water bad for cats? It is a sure thing to ask. Well, some vets recommend keeping cats away from tap water containing hard minerals.
More Water Bowls: Placing more bowls near yourcatmay encourage it to go for more consumption.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How to Get a Cat to Drink Water When Sick?

Answer: Sick cats may refuse to drink water. But you can take some measures. Feed them chilled water and wet food.

You can also try syringe feeding. Do you know how much water to syringe feed a cat? Experts suggest that 2–4 milliliters can be given per pound of the cat’s body weight per hour.

2. How long can my cat go without water?

Answer: A cat can survive for about three days without water. However, some cats can even go for a week with no water at all.

But if your cat has any severe health issues, it may be difficult to live even for a couple of days. Longer-term dehydration may lead to critical conditions, and eventually, cats can die.

3. How Much Water Should a 10-Pound Cat Drink?

Answer: A 10-pound cat, if it is healthy, should drink 7-9 ounces of water as direct intake each day. You should also include the fluid obtained from wet foods.

Moreover, keep it in mind that cats having physical complications or dehydration need a little more than that. So, take your vet advice for sure.

4. How Much Water Is Too Much for a Cat?

Answer: A 5-pound cat needs 3.5-4.5 ounces of water per day. This volume is suitable for healthy cats only. Some might need a little more. Unless there is any specific health condition involved, more ounces can be too much.

5. Why Is My Cat Drinking a Lot of Water and Throwing up?

Answer: Maybe, your cat has swallowed something that is causing irritation to its stomach. Common items are human medicines, foul food, indigestible substances, plastics, hairballs, strings, etc. Sometimes, cats vomit stomach fluid (juice), which looks like water.

Final Thoughts

It looks like I’ve shared my insights into the original question,”How much water should a cat drink in 24 hours?” Finally, I got another question from Gemma.

She asked, “Why does my cat drink sideways?” Sounds interesting, right?I thinkcats have difficulty seeing water clearly. I mean they can see but not very well. More importantly, cats don’t find it amusing to get wet.

By doing it sideways, they actually make an angle and expose their chins to water, saving the other parts like whiskers or nose from getting wet. So, it is neither strange nor indicative of sickness.

I hope you’ve got relevant insights into the cat’s behavior and requirements as to drinking water. Feel free to ask more if necessary!