KitKat is 4 months old, she was found as a newborn infested with worms, underweight, and near death. She was treated, neutered, and is now doing great. She has a ton of energy, super friendly, eating well, and emptying her bowels regularly. HOWEVER she doesn't like to hydrate, the only water she gets anymore is when I come home at noon I feed her wet food and when she's full I take it away, add water and give her the soup for dinner. She eats dry food all day, but doesn't like to drink. How do I help her?!? I'm desperately trying to avoid a vet bill but obviously if it's my only option away we'll go.
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No H2O
- Thread starter kitkat060213
- Start Date
Hi and welcome to TCS! Most cats have a low thirst drive. They are geared toward getting their moisture from food. It's one of the reasons that dry food is not recommended (10% moisture vs. About 78% in canned food). Most cats do not drink enough water to compensate. I would increase the wet food if you can and add extra water with each serving.
You can also try a drinking fountain. Some cats seem to prefer one.
You can also try a drinking fountain. Some cats seem to prefer one.
Ditto what Vball91 said. Sounds like KitKat got very lucky with you. I wouldn't leave food out all day, it leads to what my vet calls "over-grocery-osis". What works for me is to feed twice a day, I've seen advice that says only once a day but I'm a softy. Cats are designed to go a long time without food. That's why they have a reputation as finicky eaters.
I like to water down my canned food. My vet says the more water in their food, the better. Thin it out as much as you can without making it unpalatable. Not enough water is one of the primary causes of urinary tract infections(UTI). Quit feeding dry food. The price of high quality canned food is nothing compared to the cost of vet bills and property damage caused by UTIs. It's been my experience that UTIs are the most frequent ailment that cat owners face. On top of that the in-discriminant urination that can accompany frequent UTIs is probably the single most common reasons owners opt for unnecessary euthanasia. That is heartbreaking for both the owner and the cat loving public at large.
Until recently I had 7 cats, I still have 5. Aside from a little initial resistance I've never had a problem getting any of them to eat the watered down food.
Good luck, Hope this helps.
Joe
I like to water down my canned food. My vet says the more water in their food, the better. Thin it out as much as you can without making it unpalatable. Not enough water is one of the primary causes of urinary tract infections(UTI). Quit feeding dry food. The price of high quality canned food is nothing compared to the cost of vet bills and property damage caused by UTIs. It's been my experience that UTIs are the most frequent ailment that cat owners face. On top of that the in-discriminant urination that can accompany frequent UTIs is probably the single most common reasons owners opt for unnecessary euthanasia. That is heartbreaking for both the owner and the cat loving public at large.
Until recently I had 7 cats, I still have 5. Aside from a little initial resistance I've never had a problem getting any of them to eat the watered down food.
Good luck, Hope this helps.
Joe
