Dear cat father or mother,you must all be well aware of the importance of water for the health of cats. Cats themselves are little fellows who are relatively reluctant to drink water on their own initiative. However, water is the key to maintaining their normal body functions and preventing many diseases such as urinary system problems. Watching our own cats always ignoring the water bowls and drinking such a pitifully small amount of water really makes us worried. But don’t worry. Today, I’m going to share ten super practical methods with you to make cats drink more water willingly and safeguard their health. As for how effective these methods will be and whether they can completely solve the problem of cats drinking too little water, just listen to me carefully.
1.Provide Multiple Watering Points
Sometimes it’s not that they don’t want to drink water, but that they think it’s inconvenient to drink water or the location of the water bowl makes them uncomfortable. We can place several water bowls in different corners of the house, such as beside the sofa in the living room, next to the windowsill where cats often bask in the sun, near their cat beds where they sleep, and so on. In this way, wherever the cats go, as long as they want to drink water, they can drink it at any time. Moreover, multiple water bowls will also give them a sense of novelty and increase the chances of them drinking water. My cat used to only drink water from the water bowl in the kitchen occasionally. Later, I placed a water bowl in the living room and another in the bedroom, and found that the number of times it drank water increased significantly.
2.Choose the right water bowls
The material, shape and size of the water bowls are all very important. Water bowls made of ceramic or stainless steel are relatively better. They are not easy to breed bacteria and won’t make the water smell bad like plastic water bowls, which may affect cats’ willingness to drink water. In terms of shape, try to choose water bowls with wide mouths and shallow bottoms. Cats don’t like to bury their faces too deep to drink water, and the design of wide mouths and shallow bottoms suits their drinking habits. As for the size, it should be determined according to the size of your own cat to ensure that the cat won’t feel cramped when drinking water and can drink water comfortably. For example, my friend’s big orange cat used to use a small water bowl before, and it always took a couple of sips and left. But after changing to a larger ceramic bowl with a wide mouth, the amount of water it drinks each time has increased a lot.
3.Change fresh water frequently
Cats are very picky. If the water has impurities or its taste has changed after being left for a long time, they definitely won’t like to drink it. So we should develop a good habit of changing fresh water for cats every day. It’s best to change it once in the morning and once in the evening. This can ensure the clarity and cleanliness of the water and make the cats feel that the water is fresh every time they go to drink it. Just like we humans also prefer to drink clean water that has just been drawn. I once tried changing the water every few days, and as a result, the cat completely ignored the water bowl. Later, after insisting on changing the water every day, it started to drink water normally again.
4.Utilize flowing water sources
Cats are naturally more interested in flowing water. Perhaps in their instinctive perception, flowing water is cleaner and fresher. We can get an automatic water dispenser specially designed for pets. It can keep the water in a circulating and flowing state, simulating the small streams in nature. When cats hear the sound of flowing water, they will often be attracted to check it out and then drink some water by the way. My curious little tabby cat circled around the automatic water dispenser for a long time when it first saw it, and then it often took the initiative to drink water. The amount of water it drinks is much more than when it used an ordinary water bowl before.
5.Add water to food
Some cats are really not interested in drinking water directly. Then we can change our thinking and add some water to their food. For example, when feeding cats canned food, you can add a little water to it and stir the canned food to make it a bit thinner. In this way, cats can take in more water while eating the canned food. Also, when feeding cats dry food, you can soak it in water and let the dry food absorb enough water before feeding it to the cats. However, pay attention to controlling the amount of water well and don’t make it too thin to affect the taste of the cats. My cat used to eat more dry food and drink less water. Later, I occasionally soaked the dry food to feed it and found that the overall amount of water it took in had increased.
6.Increase interaction to guide drinking water
When cats are playing or resting, we can hold a water bowl or a small dropper (if the cat is willing to accept it), gently approach the cat, call it in a gentle voice and guide it to drink water. We can also give it some small rewards after it drinks water, such as petting its head or giving it a small snack, so that the cat will associate drinking water with pleasant things. Over time, it will be more willing to drink water on its own initiative. Every time I see my cat drinking water on its own initiative, I will praise it for being good and then give it a small freeze-dried treat. Now I don’t have to worry too much about its drinking water.
7.Create a comfortable drinking water environment
Cats also hope that the surroundings are quiet and comfortable when they drink water. Avoid placing the water bowl in noisy and easily disturbed places, such as beside the TV or in the aisle where people often walk around. You can place the water bowl in a relatively quiet, warm and well-lit place to let the cat drink water in a relaxed manner. For example, my cat was not active in drinking water when its water bowl was placed in a noisy area of the living room before. Later, I moved it to a quiet corner of the bedroom, and its drinking water situation has improved a lot.
8.Try water at different temperatures
Cats also have preferences for water temperature. Generally speaking, they prefer warm water close to their body temperature. They may be reluctant to drink water that is too cold or too hot. We can prepare some warm water for cats to try, especially when the weather is relatively cold. Warm water will make cats feel more comfortable when drinking it, thus increasing their desire to drink water. I changed to warm water for my cat in winter and found that its frequency of drinking water was higher than when it drank cold water.
Dear cat owners, although the matter of cats drinking water seems insignificant, it is related to their health, which is a big deal. Through these ten methods, everyone can try and adjust according to the situation of their own cats. I believe that these methods will surely make cats drink more water, reduce the risk of diseases such as urinary system problems, and let them accompany us healthily and happily for a longer time.