How to Get Cats to Drink More Water

are you trying to get your cat to drink more water? we can help with that. I'm Dr. Yvette Huizar and I have River with me here. today today we'll be sharing a few tips to help your cat stay healthy and hydrated before we talk tips let's talk a little bit about how to tell if your cat is drinking enough water panting lack of appetite lethargy and sunken eyes are a few of the most common signs that your cat is dehydrated dry tacky gums are also a sign of dehydration you can check the gums by lifting their lip and touching the gums if you press on the gums to turn them white and they take longer than 2 seconds to become pink again upon removing your finger that's a sign of potential dehydration you can also check skin elasticity gently lift the skin over your cat's shoulders then see how long it takes for it to fall back into place in hydrated cats it should happen almost immediately in dehydrated cats the skin can remain tented or take a long time to return to its original state this isn't a foolproof test if you have a senior cat though because some senior cats have decreased skin elasticity even when they're appropriately hydrated one of the primary reasons cats drink less water is it's in their genes fand evolved from Desert dwellers and therefore have a low thirst drive and can survive on less water than their canine counterparts sometimes it's also related to an underlying health issue such as diabetes kidney disease cancer Dental issues or gastrointestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea if your cat shows signs of dehydration I recommend bringing them into your bed they can supplement them with fluids to get your pet hydrated and feeling better and also address the cause of the dehydration if it seems your cat's healthy but stubborn let's talk about a few things you can try at home still water is more likely to grow bacteria so it makes sense that cats would prefer to drink moving water consider giving your cat water through a fountain and even filtered water your cat may prefer this to tap water this is also more stimulating to cats and enriching to them however not all cats feel this way your cat may prefer water close or away from their food bowl some cats don't like drinking water that's too close to their food bowl because they think it's contaminated others are just the opposite and they're more likely to sleep the water if it's next to their food so they're reminded at meal time if your cat is not drinking water try placing water in different areas and see how your cat reacts just be sure to put the bowl away from any stressful noises or movements you might also try putting out multiple water bowls in different spots around the house try different textures such as a metallic bowl or a ceramic Bowl some cats have preferences over that [Music] too if your cat only eats dry food adding wet food to their diet can be a great way to help them stay hydrated wet food has a high moisture content meaning they don't need to sip on as much water throughout the day cats have super sensitive noses while humans have five million odor sensors cats have 200 million so if you think you can detect a dirty dish your cat definitely can cats are remarkably hygienic creatures so they won't go anywhere near an unclean water source so make sure to clean their bowl regularly cats whiskers can also be sensitive sometimes they may not like how it feels when their whiskers touch their bowl so try filling the water to the brim to help avoid any discomfort a raised Bowl may allow your cat to drink without crouching critting their heads down and rubbing their whiskers senior cats will especially be grateful for this assistance adding a splash of low sodium chicken broth or tuna juice to your cat's water can get them excited about sipping you can also make the broth into ice cubes which will both flavor your cat's water and keep it in a cool temperature they prefer it is safest to use cat safe broth from the pet store since certain ingredients like onions and garlic are toxic to cats hopefully one of these tips will help your cat start sipping more frequently thanks so much for watching and see you next time