As a pet owner, keeping our feline friends happy and healthy is one of our top priorities. This includes making sure they are hydrated- an issue that we are constantly worried about as we never seem to see our cats drink water. As water is essential for good health and survival, it’s important to make sure our cats are drinking enough.
Signs of dehydration to look out for
- Loose Skin: if you gently lift a bit of your cat’s skin on their shoulders, then let it go, it should return to normal position quickly. If your cat is suffering from dehydration then the skin will slide back more slowly.
- Dry Mouth: dry and sticky gums could be a sign that your cat is dehydrated. A well-hydrated cat should have pink and moist gums.
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Lethargy: if you can see a noticeable difference to your cat's energy level, this could be an indication that they are not getting enough water.
- Loss of appetite: if your cat is avoiding their food, this is a sign that something is wrong. As we know, some cats have strange eating habits such as picking at their food or wolfing down their food. Whatever the case, if you notice a difference in eating habits this could be a sign they are not drinking enough.
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Sunken eyes: your cat's eyes could be sunken into the sockets and dull instead of shiny, they may also appear slightly drowsy.
Tips to get your cat to drink more water and avoid dehydration
- Try using a cat water fountain: cats seem to be more encouraged to drink water when it’s running water.
- Make sure to clean your cat's water bowl: to prevent bacteria from growing on the water bowl, make sure you clean the water bowl daily and replace the water when dirty.
- Feed wet food: Purr and Miaow wet food pouches are 50% water which is perfect for keeping your cat hydrated.
- Place the water bowl away from the food bowl: place the bowl in a place where your cat spends most of their time and so will be encouraged to drink.
