My cat is drinking tons of water????

My cat Belle is now 12 years old he was always very far over weight although all he ever ate was dry cat food . in the past year he has slimmed down I figured because he is getting older the past couple days he has been drinking tons of water but then vomits right after but then wants more water I'm trying to limit his intake until his vet appointment on Monday I'm very worried I can't think of one time he was ever sick in the 12 years I have had him he doesn't want any food but begs for water he would drink the whole 2 quarts if I left it out but I don't want him to aggitate his belly by vomiting so much does anyone know what the matter could be? Tanya

Time for senior wellness exam

Welcome to the site. Sorry to hear Belle is not feeling well. To me, it sounds like Diabetes. Excessive thirst, weight loss are sometimes the first signs. Can you get your cat some canned food? Cats that eat dry food can never drink enough water to offset the almost non existent moisture in dry food. Also could be kidney issues. Is Belle constipated? Your vet will run blood tests to determine her blood sugar and kidney levels. It's hard as they get older, and it sometimes seems so sudden, especially when the kitty has been basically healthy all this time. Belle is now at an age, sick or not, that she should be seeing the vet at least once or twice a year. Try to get some wet food in to her, as her liver could get inflamed by not eating at all! Do you have ant vets that are at least open Saturday mornings? Best of luck with Belle! Diabetes can be controlled, often reversed with diet. Kidney issues can also be dealt with, and that is mostly diet.

Thank you so much for your quick response ya he has always had just dry food and he now won't eat anythi g but is laying in the kitchen by the sink He wants mire water I have been giving him small amounts but don't want him to keep getting sick poor guy I feel so helpless I'm going yo see if my vet is open tomorrow if not I'll have to take him yo the,emergency vet cuz I'm thinking it's not a good idea to wait till Monday he appears to 've getting weak I have him in bed with me now and he is puring so I think he is a little happy . Belle had never been sick a day in his life until now . I k,iw it seems funny his name is belle when I found him in the woods he was newborn still wet from the birth I waiting around for the mom to co,e back and looked for other kittens but nithi,g and she never came ba k si I took him home and straight to the vet he showed me how to feed him etc.... Well I named him belle I thought he was female and 6 mo ths later whe, I took hi, yo be spayed the vet laughed when I went back to get him and said " um belle is a boy Tanya." I laughed and Saud well he already k,does his name so he is stuck with it ! Belle boy HA ha HA

Do you think,k he will be ok?

I think if you go to the vet tomorrow, they will be able to tell you pretty much right away. At least my vet gets the results in office in about 15-20 minutes. It sounds more like diabetes to me, but I am not a vet. Diabetic people usually become quite thirsty. The vet might put Belle on insulin for cats, but I have seen a lot of stories about cats turning around and completely getting back to normal with proper diet. High carb diets, such as dry food can really mess with blood sugar. You might give Belle some real meat like chicken or beef to see if he would start eating something less starchy. Also, Beachnut baby food for some nutrients if not eating at all. You may have to syringe feed if Belle is refusing food. You cannot let him go without eating too long.   That is such a cute story about his name! I think when you raise those very young babies, there is a special bond. My Koi was about 4 weeks old, and he is still my "baby kitten" at 3 years old. Good luck tomorrow at the vets.

It's definitely something for a vet to check. Do let us know what your vet says and good luck!

Drinking tons of water and losing weight are classic symptoms of diabetes but may also be symptoms of other conditions. Definitley take your cat to the vet for a check up If the symptoms seem to get worse or if you notice new symptoms I would take the cat to the ER for treatment.

2 of my 3 cats in recent years were very heavy water drinkers. One is a diabetic, the other had kidney disease. Neither vomited immediately afterwards, though. Bloodwork will be able to confirm either of these conditions if that's what he has, so hopefully you can keep him as comfortable as possible until your appointment. Good luck!

My cat's been a heavy water drinker, too, and was on dry food for pretty much all her life. This year she was diagnosed with kidney issues, but for years she's guzzled water and sometimes threw up foamy spit water afterwards. Usually if she drank a lot of water on an empty stomach. I hope you were able to get your Belle to a vet. He needs some calories if he hasn't been eating, maybe he'll eat if you mash up a little of his food in a little water?

It very well be diabetes. I have a diabetic cat, myself, and the symptoms fit.  Is he also peeing a lot?  If so, That's because the kidneys are not doing their job,  the water he drinks just runs right through, leaving toxins in the cats body instead of eliminating them!

But most important, your cat sounds like he/she is very DEHYDRATED!. This is because of kidney damage.  I would say, GET YOUR CAT TO THE VET as soon as possible.

The vet will most likely hang some IV fluid, but let it run just under the skin on the cat's belly, instead of a vein.. This is just the emergency treatment. It may make your cat feel better, but you will need the vet's advice on how to proceed from there. Best of luck!

My mom had a cat who did almost the same thing. I told her to bring her to the vet because I think she is diabetic. After bloodwork the vet said she was diabetic so we could do daily shots or try a special food ( that doesn't always work). We went with the food and it worked great. She was running around and playing with the other cats.

 My mom got very sick in October and hasn't been able to come back home since. My dad who is also diabetic wouldn't give the cat her special food. He never takes his meds without a fight and he thought that she didn't need it as well. 3 weeks ago she passed do to her blood sugar levels.

 Please don't take this lightly. Bring her into the vet right away and do what they say. Let him have all the water he wants it won't hurt it may even help. 

Good luck and I hope things turn out well.

Sooo sorry to hear about your kitty's passing. Diabetes is a serious disease in both cats and humans. I hope your dad gives this some thought.

I give my cat an injection of insulin twice a day... Same as humans use, if their diabetes is severe. It's simple to do. "Nacho" is so used to to the shots,  he hardly ever objects. Plus he expects a treat immediately following!

tanyalee1962 said:

My cat Belle is now 12 years old he was always very far over weight although all he ever ate was dry cat food . in the past year he has slimmed down I figured because he is getting older the past couple days he has been drinking tons of water but then vomits right after but then wants more water I'm trying to limit his intake until his vet appointment on Monday I'm very worried I can't think of one time he was ever sick in the 12 years I have had him he doesn't want any food but begs for water he would drink the whole 2 quarts if I left it out but I don't want him to aggitate his belly by vomiting so much does anyone know what the matter could be? Tanya

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I agree 100% with "Anne with cats"....Diabetes.  Cats endure the exact same symptoms with Diabetes as adults do and that's exactly what happened to me, prior to being diagnosed....now, I'm extremely sensitive to animals with these warning signs.  Fortunately, there's oral meds, as well as insulin for animals which can give him longevity.  A GRAIN-FREE diet might be something to consider also, since carbs elevates sugar levels in all beings.  Your Vet will advise you on diet for your baby, I'm sure!  Don't worry...there's SO much that will get him balanced out again!!