Since the cat is originally a desert animal, their reflex to drink is quite weak. In the desert, of course, there is a shortage of water and the cat is supposed to get most of the fluid through its prey.
The fact that their owners often feed with dry food therefore makes up for it with the fluid balance and the cat rarely gets the 0.4 – 0.5 dl of water per kilo and day that he needs. Unfortunately, the cats that drink so much are often sick.
Constantly going a little dehydrated puts a lot of pressure on the internal organs, e.g. the kidneys. There is also a greater risk of problems in the lower urinary tract with urinary crystals / stones, urinary tract infections, etc. It also increases the risk of e.g. constipation and hairballs.
7 tips to get more fluid in your cat
- Provide soft food (or fresh food). Wet food causes the cat to ingest fluid as it is designed to do; through its exchange. Feel free to read more about cat food here.
- Make sure the water is fresh and fresh; change every day. Dish out of the bowls if necessary.
- Place the water bowl some distance away from the food. In nature, water near meat can be contaminated with bacteria; Imagine a dead animal lying in the water for a while.
- Replace plastic and metal bowls with glass or porcelain. Plastic and metal can add flavor to the water. Feel free to offer bowls of slightly different materials.
- Have a few water sources here and be at home but never near a food bowl or toilet.
- Use “prohibited” water sources. For a cat, it is so much more fun to drink from a teacher’s / master’s water glass, from the sink or a vase than from a boring water bowl. Place water glasses and other exciting vessels in different places.
- Use the water fountain. In the wild, stagnant water can be contaminated by bacteria, the risk is much less in running water. This is probably why many cats like to drink from the shower or faucet.
The cat is in many ways still a very “natural” animal with many instincts left. The more we get to know how a feline in the wild would think, the better environment we can offer our own small wild animals.