How do I know if my kitty is drinking water or not?

Question

my cat was just sick where she would eat moch of anything
and then we took her to the vet (he did tests and they all came back good) and now she is better, she is eating and being herself.
but I don't know how to tell if she is drinking or not.
If I put a bowl of water in her face she won't drink it.
but we are pretty sure she is drinking but I would just like to make sure and check
so do you guys kno anyway of finding out if a cat is not drinking or if they are dehydrated?
thankss

Answer 1

If she pees then she is probably drinking...

Answer 2

Get a clear container like the glad containers that you can throw away. Some have marking on the side but if this doesn't mark a line and fill the bowl to that line and leave the bowl there for your cat to drink. take away the other water bowl. If the water goes below the line you cat has been drinking if not she hasn't. Also if you leave it in the sun of course the water is going to evaporate and it will look like the cat is drinking.

Answer 3

Don't put the water bowl close to the food.
If you have multiple cats it maybe difficult to determine who drank the water unless you isolate your sick kitty (with the water).
Cats do not drink a lot, because of their size, so if the bowl is large you may not know the difference.
Take a small cup, fill it up to the brim and you'll be able to tell if the water is down. Refresh the water regularly (once a day or more often)
May cats like to drink running water - you might get a device with a bowl, a spigot and a small pump for about $40 in a pet store (you cannot tell of course if the cat drank the water unless you see it happening.

Answer 4

All the suggestions are good-

First check to see if the water level in the bowls are going down, but if you live in an arid environment some of the water will get sucked into the atmosphere through evaporation.

If you know your cat is peeing in the litterbox, thats a good indicator too.

But also, some cats don't drink much from a bowl. Especially if they have other sources of water such as the liquid in wet cat food.

If your cat now seems healthy and happy, I would probably not worry.

Answer 5

Hello, A cat has a very low thirst signal. A cat in the wild really only drinks when they are not getting enough of their natural food. A cat eating dry food is not getting enough water and really it is not good to feed a cat dry. It is terribly high in carbohydrates and in the wild you never see a cat chasing a bisquit. A feral cat will starve before eating veggies and rice and stealing apples out of the tree.
I feed my cat only high protein and below 10% carb food and it is canned and I add water till it is soupy. She is beautiful now. For 12 years had been slightly under weight, did drink, had wet and dry (but the wrong wet) and even though she is a Norweigan Forest Cat while pretty was not stunning. She became diabetic and drank all the time and I used 20 lbs of clumping litter a week. I found a feline diabetic site found out about the proper diet for all cats ( written by a DVM who specializes in Cat diets) and as soon as I changed her food she went off insulin and blood glucose tests has gained weight and fur is fantastic.
I would at least see that your cat has some good wet food every day and add water to make it soupy. I did that slow as Cessan had been a chunky food eater. Now she waits for me to add the water. I rarely saw her drink before she was diabetic and haven't seen her drink since she became regulated 7 months ago. Hope that helped. Bonnie

Answer 6

How much is she urinating? If she's not drinking enough, her urine will be very low in quanity and very strong smelling (because it will be so concentrated).

One way to get a cat to drink more is to get one of the carbon-filter circulating fountins. Cats are very finicy about stall and standing water and you'll often see them trying to drink dripping water or even from a toilet bowl because the water is fresh and cold. The fountain will do the same and you will be able to judge how much she is drinking by how often you need to fill it. It's not terribly expensive (was about $30 plus the cost of replacement filters), but I have an older cat and it's imporant she she drink enough to keep her kidneys in good function. It took her a few days to get used to us, but she absolutely loves it now.

Answer 7

Put water in a bowl up to some mark that's on it and check to see if it has dropped down significantly at the end of the day. If you are really unsure, then you can always get an eyedropper and use it to place water around her mouth to see if she'll readily lick it up.

If she is reluctant to lick to water off of her mouth, then she might not be drinking.

Answer 8

If there is water available for your cat and she is behaving normally, I wouldn't worry about whether she is drinking or not.

If she's making regular trips to the catbox, that's a good sign that she's drinking.

My cat likes to drink running water. I let the tap dribble for her. Your cat might be enticed by fresh water.

Answer 9

Cats drink only when they want to, not just because water is put in front of them. Just watch the level of her water bowl and see if it drops. Also, dogs are not the only ones known to drink out of the toliet or the bathtub.

Answer 10

What is dehydration?

Also known as hypohydration is a serious & potentially life threatening condition which is defined as excessive loss of water & electrolytes (minerals such as sodium, chloride & potassium).

Most animals are made up of around 60% water. When the water ratio falls 5% below normal, cats will start to show signs of dehydration.

Dehydration requires veterinary attention immediately. Failure to do so may result in death.

What are the causes of dehydration in cats?

Vomiting & or diarrhoea

Sickness - A sick cat may go off it's food & water & therefore not receive enough fluids & become dehydrated.

Increased urination - Medical conditions such as diabetes & renal failure in which the cat urinates more often may cause dehydration.

Heatstroke

Lack of available, fresh drinking water.

Shock

Blood loss

Fever

What are the signs of dehydration in cats?

Dehydration has three classes;

Mild dehydration: up to 5%
Moderate dehydration: 5 - 10%
Severe dehydration: 10% or more

Signs of dehydration include;

Sunken eyes

Dry mouth

Poor skin elasticity (see below for instructions on how to check this)

Lethargy

Increased heart rate

Poor capillary refill time (see below for instructions on how to check this)

Constipation. Water is re-absorbed from the colon & if the cat is dehydrated, the body will try to conserve water by removing additional water from the stool.

Skin turgor test: To check for dehydration grasp some skin at the base of their neck (the scruff) and gently pull it up. In the hydrated cat, the skin will spring back immediately. In a dehydrated cat, the skin will be slower to retract. The more severe the dehydration the slower the skin will take to retract.

Capillary refill time: This helps you to test your cat's blood circulation & can indicate dehydration, heart failure or shock. To test capillary refill time life your cat's upper lip & press the flat of your finger against the gum tissue. Remove the pressure & you will see a white mark on the gum where your finger was placed. Using a watch with a second hand, time how long it takes for the pink colour to return to the white spot. In the healthy cat it should take around 1 - 2 seconds to return to pink.

How is dehydration in cats treated?

Dehydration is reversed by giving fluids either subcutaneously or via IV. This will need to be done at your veterinarian's surgery.

Addressing & treating the underlying cause of dehydration is also essential.

How to avoid dehydration in cats:

Ensure there is a constant supply of fresh, clean drinking water available at all times.

Provide your cat with a cool, sheltered area if it has access to the outdoors.

If your cat is sick, monitor it closely for signs of dehydration.

Seek veterinary attention if your cat has vomiting or diarrhoea.

Seek immediate veterinary attention if your cat displays signs of increased thirst or urination.

Answer 11

Just put the bowl down don't force her. Cats don't like that. Just monitor the water bowl, if it goes down she's drinking if it stays the same she's not. That's when you need to worry. I'm sure she's drinking. Glad she's better. Take care;~)