My cat drinks a lot of water, is something wrong?

Question

The cat is a stray that I brought in. I took him to the vet a few weeks ago and they said everything was O.K. with him. We didn't notice that he drank so much until after we took him to the vet. He drinks all of his water and then sits by the sink and begs for more. (He's only 3.)

Answer 1

Have the vet check for diabetes. My cat is 7 and we noticed that with him. He does have diabetes and needs 2 shots of insulin a day. It tends to get expensive, but I still have my cat : )

Answer 2

It's important to be able to be quantitative in how much water the cat is drinking. What you may thing is a lot, may be normal. Make and appointment with a vet and make sure to measure how much the cat is drinking. The vet may recommend some bloodwork to screen for illness such as kidney disease, hyperthyroidism and diabetes. They may also want to do something called fructosamine levels and this will give the vet a better picture of the cat's insulin levels over the last couple months.

I recently adopted a cat to a woman who thought the cat was drinking a lot. When asked how much, she said about 8 oz a day. Well, 8 oz was about the cats normal daily fluid requirement, so I wasn't concerned and the cat was fine.

Answer 3

Actually this is very normal. Put yourself in their paws: would you want to drink water that has been in a bowl all day? Probably not. In the wild, animals will not drink stagnant water, many pet owners do not change their pets water multiple times per day which leaves it tasting bad and more prone to bacteria.
Additionally, frequently drinking water may be a sign of dehydration. While your vet is probably correct, dehydration can lead to a problem with crystals forming in the bladder. Crystals can kill a male cat within days...females do not typically die as we have enough time to catch them. My cat (female) went through this and at a cost of more than $400 dollars. My vet also recommended using wet canned cat food a couple times per week since it has added hydration. Save yourself some money and keep your cat happy...give him/her fresh water!! My cat has gone 3 years now without any crystals.

Answer 4

It is possibly he has diabetes. Ask the vet to run a CBC (Complete Blood Count). That will check his blood sugar and see if anything is wrong with his kidneys or liver. Diabetes is treatable by adjusting their food (there are special diabetic foods out there, but just try Natural Balance Venison & Pea as it has no grains, which are what really spike their sugar levels) or with insulin. Sounds scary at first, but the shots are really easy to give and many cats come to know they make them feel better and will seek you out when they are due for a shot. Also , it is not that expensive, maybe $120-200 a year for insulin & needles.

Answer 5

Well I would have said diabetes or kidney disease, but since he's only 3 & the vet says he's okay, then maybe it isn't a medical problem. Is he a Maine Coon? I've always had this breed & they absolutely LOVE water. My cat sits in the sink for hours & hours & just watches the drips.

Answer 6

Generally, if cats drink an excessive amount of water it could be a sign of diabetes.
You may want to make another appointment with the vet just to be sure. Excessive thirst is a sign of diabetes in all living creatures, so I would definitely make an appointment for him. Best of luck to you and your cat. Have a good night.

Answer 7

Possibly diabetes but also could be a thyroid problem. Make sure that if he is drinking this much that he is also passing alot of urine. If not he may have some kidney problems. He definitely needs to go back to the vet.

Answer 8

Could be the start of kidney failure,very common in elderly cats and one of the symptoms is a big thirst,and weight loss so get her checked out at a vet as if caught early can be treated(but not cured)with tablets and a low protein diet,so don't delay as this damages the kidneys fast.

Answer 9

Cats are the best. Some have their quirks. My Cat actually loves water. If the vet has checked him out then he pobably likes the attention. If you are still worried, here's some advice:

http://www.catchannel.com/vetlibrary/article_ask_drinkwater.aspx

Answer 10

Actually, it's probably a good thing. Most cats don't drink enough water. There is nothing to worry about; just give him more water when he begs for it.