My cat drinks an enormous amount of water. She's got bowls up and downstairs and outside. Is this normal?

Question

She is approx 14 years old. Her left hand thigh bone ball was broken when she was about 2 yrs. The vet said that cats can live with this. After some confinement she did. But now, being an old puss doesn't jump about as much. She drinks over a pint a day. Her food is moistened cat biscuits because she has no teeth.

Answer 1

Please seek a vet ASAP, your poor cat really needs medical attention.

And there is a lot of GOOD information on the internet, you do not need to contact posters directly for private tutoring....

For information on diabetes, which is one possible cause of your cat's ill health, see www.felinediabetes.com

Answer 2

As an experienced owner of old cats I can tell you that this is not right. It can be the first sign of kidney failure also can be a sign of diabetes or thyroid problems.Please take your cat to the vets for blood test this will confirm what is wrong. Either of these problems can be treated if caught early enough. Means giving the cat daily medication, but it is worth it if the condition has not been left too long.

Answer 3

Hi
If yopur cat is drinking and peeing excessively, this is a sign of diabetes. Diabetes is not a death sentence, no life span is lost and your cat can live a ling and happy life if treated correctly. Please go to the pharmacy and get some ketodiastic reagent trips to check the urine and see if sugar is spilling in which would confirm what i am telling you.
If your cat does have diabetes, you need to start treatment soon as complkication can arise. Unttreated diabetes can result in a not so kind death.
You need to STOP feeding dry foods and feed canned foods with no gravy. Dry food is the number 1 cause of diabetes due to carb content.
If I am right about this, please contact me so I can help you. Many vets are not up to date on treatment and some prescribe somme very dangerous treatments. I can help you learn what you need to know to treat this correctly

Answer 4

This is a hell of a lot of water for a cat to drink, especially one on moist food.

The cat is old. Generally excess drinking is a sign of either diabetes or kidney problems, both fairly common especially in older cats. Both of these can be managed if caught early enough, so I suggest you get her an appointment at a vet asap.

Chalice

Answer 5

Your cat should see a vet for a blood test. My elderly cat was very thirsty, and I suspected diabetes, but it is an overactive thyroid. There are also other conditions it could be. This excessive thirst is not normal. As your cat is on dried food, it will need more water than if on wet food.

Answer 6

Is your cat on any medication? My son's cat is around the same age and drinks an awful lot. The vet says it is the medication but there may, of course, be other causes for your cat. I would check it out with your vet.

Answer 7

I have never had a cat that drinks that much, i would say there is defiantly a problem and your cat needs to see the vet as soon as

Answer 8

Some thyroid disorders can be cured, but many require lifetime treatment. Learn here https://tr.im/ksTA9
For example, sometimes early stage thyroid cancer can be cured by surgery to remove the thyroid gland, but you will need to take thyroid hormone medication afterwards for the rest of your life. Goiters can also be surgically removed and do not always recur after surgery. In most cases, thyroid disorders need treatment over a lifetime. However, with treatment most people with thyroid disorders can live normal, healthy lives.

Answer 9

Cats do not have a strong thirst drive, so if she's drinking that much, there's a medical reason for it. Diabetes, UTI, kidney problems, CRF, and other medical issues can all cause excessive thirst in cats.

Please take her to the vet.


If your cat is in early stages of CRF, a diat change and subcutaneous fluids can improve her health and give her more good-quality time. See: http://www.felinecrf.com/


If your cat has diabetes, please see these posts:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnMeR67Sa4XtZtv8WhDB1jPsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071023090528AA2AZbM&show=7#profile-info-AA11910766

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ar6RWoL8Jwm2m6Tx1Ot1Hdfsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071024120739AArzeWd&show=7#profile-info-DLuobJORaa


If you are feeding her moistened dry food (biscuits?), please consider switching her over to a high-quality grain-free canned food. I've included a link on feline nutrition, as well.

Good luck with her.

Answer 10

Cats tend not to drink excessively, and you should seek expert veterinary advice on this matter. Her diet may have something to do with it, as cats who eat wet food (eg whiskas pouches) get the water they need from that, as it contains 80% water. Hope she's ok.