Water?

[Henry's human]

I noticed Henry (and my three non-diabetic cats) have virtually stopped drinking water now I have been feeding them wet food. I used to fill up their water bowl daily (it holds over 700mls of water) and now it is barely going down at all. Should I be worried??
I know that Henry must be more regulated with his sugar levels now that he is not drinking like a crazy man, but I want to make sure that it is normal?

 

[Diana&Tom]

Hi Emily
There is quite a lot of water in wet food so it seems probable that your kitties are getting the moisture they need from the food alone. Having said that, cats have a low thirst drive so it is sometimes a good idea to add a little water to the wet food just to make sure they are kept hydrated. But keep the water bowl refreshed anyway, so it's there if they do want it.

Diana

 

[Henry's human]

Hi Emily
There is quite a lot of water in wet food so it seems probable that your kitties are getting the moisture they need from the food alone. Having said that, cats have a low thirst drive so it is sometimes a good idea to add a little water to the wet food just to make sure they are kept hydrated. But keep the water bowl refreshed anyway, so it's there if they do want it.

Diana

Thank you - it just felt strange to me as all four of my cats LOVE water and always get excited when I put fresh water out.. But this last week, no one has cared. I shall keep the bowl fresh and full though

 

[Diana&Tom]

Your cats probably loved water because they were thirsty and needed it! The wet food is better for them in every way, that's why they're not bothered about a fresh bowl of water any more!

 

[Jan Radar (GA)]

I noticed the same thing when Radar switched to all wet food last summer. I do add extra water to his wet food because it seems like a good idea to get more water into him. It is my understanding that in general the feline species gets most of their water/moisture from the meat they eat. With that species appropriate behavior in mind, I decided not to worry too much if the water dish is mostly untouched.

 

[Catticus Maximus]

I created a bit of a monster with Maximus...when I switched to wet food I always mixed a bit of water in. He no longer drinks from the bowl but begs for me to add more water to his "food soup" when he's on the high side...