How long can a house cat go without water?

Question

My husband keeps calling them "desert animals" and that they can go long periods of time without water. How long??

I am not saying that I withhold water from my cat, there is lots and lots. We just never see him drink it and he always seems okay.

goodness people, We love and take care of our cat. He was easing my mind about the water thing because I was worried that I never see him drink it. He is healthy and fine.... so is my hubby. re read the question!!

thank you butrcupps, you will be getting my vote!!

Answer 1

Two thoughts. No insults. First, cats are small creatures and certainly do not need as much water as a larger mammal. Second, cats are nocturnal and maybe they do their drinking while you're sleeping.

Answer 2

I have five cats in my home. One twelve year old has bladder cancer now. When he got sick I became aware that even with many water sources available to him within the house and in the garden he NEVER drank any water. He was also a dry food addict though the other cats eat wet food.

Did this constant dehydration contribte to his cancer? I don't know.

Cats were descended from desert animals and they got the necessary moisture from the meat of their prey which was sufficient for their needs.

Our house cats who eat diets of only dry food are seriously dehydrated.

At www.littlebigcat.com Dr Jean Hovfe has a newsletter article titled "Water, Water Everywhere and What is a Cat to Drink?". It is in Vol.3, #8, October 2005.

Answer 3

Not sure what your husband is smoking but that is animal cruelty. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

They should not go more than a couple hours without water. It's really not that difficult or hindering to keep a bowl of fresh water for them at all times. They may not drink from it when you would like them to but they should NEVER be denied water, especially in the summer.

Is it safe to assume he thinks they can go without food as well for the same period of time? If so, get rid of the husband asap or give the cat away to someone who is willing and able to take MUCH better care of it. The cat will die otherwise, guaranteed.

Answer 4

Cats can get dehydrated very quickly. A 10 to 14 percent loss of the total water in your cat's body is fatal.

Answer 5

I see mine drink all the time. But then I keep a one of their water bowls in the bathroom and it seems they always get thirsty whenever someone goes in there. My oldest cat prefers to see me pour a glass of 'fresh' water in his bowl before he drinks.

Answer 6

House cats are not desert animals! Sheesh. I would imagine they could go about as long as a human could without water....which isn't long. Is your husband confusing them with camels?

You should ALWAYS keep fresh water available to a cat.

Answer 7

Hi there...Here's a website that describe this better than I could summarize: (http://www.aniwa.com/en/general/Grand_Public/document/100659/32605/index.htm)


HOW MUCH WATER DOES A HEALTHY CAT USUALLY DRINK?
Cat owners often wonder whether their cat drinks enough, especially when he is fed dry food. Here are a few tips and some advice.


The need of cats in terms of drinking-water
Drinking aims at compensating the water loss, that happen in different ways:
- Salivary (licking) and respiratory loss are not very important. When the temperature is 31 °C, panting induces a water loss of less than 40 ml per day.
- The quantity of water eliminated through feces depends on the nature of the food and on its digestibility: the more fiber there is in the food, the more important the water loss is.
- The main water loss is urinary loss. With a dry food, about half of the water consumed is eliminated this way, while the quantity is about 2/3 with canned food.
Cats have the reputation of being "small drinkers", being able to concentrate their urine very much (average density: 1045 compared to 1015 in dog and man). But if the concentration of the urine is too high, there is a higher risk of crystals precipitation and urinary stones formation. Consequently, cats must be encouraged to drink.
Concerning water consumption, recommendation can be expressed:
- on a bodyweight basis: 55 to 70ml/kg/day
- on an energy consumption basis: 1ml/kcal of metabolizable energy.
A cat weighing 4kg and that eats daily 60g of dry food enriched in fibers should drink from 220 to280 ml water per day.
Of course, these requirements increase if the water loss goes up, for physiological or pathological reasons: high temperature, lactation, diarrhea, vomiting…

Origin of water
The cat has 3 available sources of water: water from the food, drinking water, and the water produced when carbohydrates, proteins and fats are used. This "metabolic water" represents only 10-15 % of the total required water.
When a cat is fed wet food, (cans or fresh meat or fish), the greatest part of his water needs is met with the water contained in his diet. In these conditions, he does not drink or very little. On the other hand, when the cat is fed dry food only, he has to drink a lot so as to cover almost 100 % of his water needs.

Presentation of the water
The cat is a "finicky drinker". He is very sensitive to the cleanliness and taste of the water. To encourage him to drink, it is advised to let him have a free access to water, to serve it in a clean bowl in glass, earthenware or stainless steel (avoid plastic materials that fix odors), and to renew it twice a day. The ideal temperature would be between 5 and 18°C.
Some cats have special habits: they drink only from the tap, or in the toilets, or in the shower cubicle…
When the cat does not drink enough, adding a little milk in the drinking water is generally efficient to stimulate his consumption. One can also add water to the dry food. Every cat does not like it, but some enjoy consuming rehydrated dry food.

Drinking rate
It is similar to the food consumption rhythm. The cat drinks as often as he eats, which means an average of 10 - 15 times per day if the food is served self service, even if the cat drinks only 6 - 12 ml each time. If the cat is encouraged to eat numerous small meals, his water consumption accordingly goes up.

Composition of the food
A high protein diet increases urea production, and consequently urine production. Therefore the cat will drink more to compensate for eliminated water.
Adding salt to the food obviously stimulates water drinking, but one must not make an excessive use of this system. Too much salt can be dangerous as it accelerates the passage of water from the cells to the blood in order to restore the balance of mineral concentration. The cat urinates more and cellular dehydration goes on. It is advised not to go beyond 2 % salt in the food.

Conclusion
A cat usually fed dry food adapts quite well his spontaneous water consumption to his need, even if the total water consumed is inferior than with canned food. However, there are some situations when the owner must pay him careful attention, as there is a risk of temporary insufficient consumption:
- during a transition period from canned food to dry food,
- when the cat is submitted to a severe dietary restriction, or even total fasting.
It is then useful to measure and eventually stimulate the water consumption of the cat, so as to prevent an increase in the urinary concentration and a decrease in the urinary elimination, as both factors are major causes in the formation of calculi.

Answer 8

Most cats can probably go 24 hours if needed. But my kitty Tucker will come tell me as soon as he empties his (daily) and will cry until it is filled up again--at which point he doesn't drink it, he just likes having it there.

Answer 9

i suggest depriving your idiotic hubby of water see how the moron likes it NO animal should go witth out water thats inhumane and cruel and tell the dumb *** its a cat not a camel he maybe confused cuz they both start with letter c ur cat will die with no water and as a volunteer for saving animals domestic and wild your question has really pissed me off at the ignorence of some people

Answer 10

Don't try and find out or I'll come over there and beat the living daylights out of both you AND your husband.

If your cat never sees you drink your water, does that mean you're not drinking any?

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