What to Give Your Cat to Drink
Summary
– Water, the best drink for cats
– Cat food: no milk allowed!
– Lactose-reduced cat food
– Watching your cat drink
Cats are not big drinkers: finding the right cat drink is vital for his health, mainly if he eats dehydrated kibble. Monitoring the drink is also very important when feeding a kitten. To make it easier to take, offering the drink in a water fountain may be helpful.
Water is the best cat drink
Even though cats are not big drinkers, they need enough fresh water available at all times to meet their needs:
– On average, cats must drink 40 to 60 mL of water per kilogram daily. During hot weather, her intake can increase to 100 mL of water per kilogram per day.
– In addition, your cat’s diet will have an impact on her water needs:
◦ A cat fed with kibble must have a mandatory water-filled bowl next to it since dry food is, as the name implies, devoid of water.
◦ On the other hand, pate or homemade food already contains water. Water intake outside of its food intake will therefore need to be less.
The best way to know whether your cat is a good water drinker is to measure his daily intake for a few days. This will allow you to adjust the water intake.
Good to know: during hot summer weather, your cat, who does not sweat, will try to regulate his body temperature by lying down in cool places and reducing his activities; a bowl of fresh water should always be within reach to avoid dehydration.
Cat food: no milk allowed!
It’s a common belief that cats love milk and can be given it without a problem. If your cat likes milk (and all dairy products: yogurt, fresh cream…), he, unfortunately, does not know that it is terrible for him:
– The cat digests lactose very badly. It is, therefore, not recommended to give it regularly because it can lead to digestive disorders (vomiting, diarrhea).
– However, giving your cat a little milk is possible by cutting it with a lot of water.
Lactose-reduced cat food
Lactose-reduced cat milk is available commercially:
– This drink can be used to give the cat a little treat or to encourage him to drink.
– It is pretty concentrated, so it is possible to dilute it with water to make it less rich. This tip is handy for cats that tend to be overweight.
Monitor your cat’s drinking
If you’re only feeding kibble, remember to offer your cat plenty of fluids, as kibble is waterless. Your cat must drink enough. If your cat doesn’t drink enough, it can develop kidney disease, especially as it ages. There are tricks to encourage him to hydrate himself:
– Change his water regularly;
– offer him water with milk for cats;
– prepare flavored broths (unsalted, made from chicken carcasses or fish scraps that you boil to give the water a taste);
– buy a water fountain.
Read more:
– Why Choose a Water Dispenser for Your Cat;
–Why Choose a Water Fountain for Your Cat;
– 6 Easy Steps to Bathe Your Cat;
– Behavioral Differences in Domestic Cats;
– Can You Have Plants With Cats?
In our forthcoming posts, we’ll discuss more subjects relating to cats. Hope this post and the resources at the top will be helpful. Please let us know what you want to read about in the comments below.
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