does my cat drink enough water

I feel like my cat doesn't drink enough water!? So when I play with my cat after 5mins she stops and lays down, ill throw her toy, she'll chase it but when she gets to it she lays right back down. She opens her mouth and looks like she's breathing really heavy. It never looks like she doesn't put.a dent in the water I leave out for her. She is only 6months so I feel like she shouldnt be getting.out of breath so easy. Ok so I give her Tap water, should I try bottled water? Also she just.got spayed a week ago today, could that have anything.to do w it? I'm worried need suggestions please help....this is only a recent thing.

What are you feeding her?  Most cats don't drink much.  I think tap water is fine, that's what I have always given my cats.  Do you have a fountain?  I found that a couple of mine drink more because of the fountain, but they liked drinking from the faucet before we got the fountain.  But one of mine NEVER drinks from it .  And as I said before, most cats don't really drink much.

Are you feeding wet food.  If so, then they really don't need to drink much.

As far as her getting tired after only 5 minutes of play, if she just had surgery a week ago, that could explain that.  Plus, it depends on how hard you are playing.  But the Vet must have checked her out pretty thoroughly before the spay, didn't he?  Checked her out for heart problems, etc? 

Do you need to go back for any follow-up visit?  If so, you can always just mention your concerns.  If you don't have a follow-up scheduled, could you just call them and voice your concerns?  That way your mind will be at ease. 

Is it warm where you live? It's been an unusually hot summer across the U.S., so if it's warm in your home, kitty might be panting because of that :} Cats can also sometimes pant out of excitement. Panting itself, while not exactly a common behavior, isn't usually a cause for concern on its own.

How is her incision site? Does it look red or swollen, or is it hot to the touch? The only lasting negative effects from a recent spay would be infection of the surgical site. She shouldn't still be tired or worn out from being under anasthesia if it was a week ago.

As Mrs Green Jeans said, cats really don't voluntarily drink much water on their own. As their ancestors were desert critters, they've evolved to get a lot of the moisture they need straight from their food.

If you're feeding canned food, she's probably getting plenty of moisture from that. If she's eating kibble, check its moisture content, it'll say right on the bag.

Also, if she's an indoor cat, keep an eye on her litterbox "leavings". If she's peeing regularly, at least once or twice a day, she's probably fine. If her feces look normal and not "dried-out" or mummified, she's probably okay. My 14-year-old cat doesn't drink much water from her bowls, but she's on canned food and she pees often enough ;}

What kind of bowl do you use to provide water to her? I know it sounds silly, but cats can be super picky and might refuse to drink out of certain bowl types, like plastic. I switched to stainless steel and ceramic bowls, and my cat will drink out of those.

You can also try turning the sink on at a trickle for a few minutes. Some cats are attracted to the running water and will paw up drops of water to drink!

Tap water should be fine unless your state's/county's tap water is unusually heavily-chlorified. You can try checking to see if your city's/county's web site lists what company provides the water in your area - they should be able to list chlorine ppm and any other additives. If it's safe for human consumption, it's probably safe for kitties!

Another thing to keep an eye on and keep in mind is hairballs. In the summer, cats will shed more and groom more, and thus lick up more fur. If your kitten chokes or coughs, or does the "horking" thing, she might have a problem with hairballs that -could- cause her to pant.

Let us know how she's doing!