How much water is too much?

Is there such a thing as adding too much water to your cat's food?

I never have observed my young cat drinking water since his total switch from kibble to a fully wet food diet, so I frequently add water to his wet food. According to some schools of thought, though, too much water may dilute electrolytes?

Any thoughts? Any calculation tables on how much extra water is appropriate for a cat who only eats wet food?

Interesting question, and not one I can easily answer. I know over hydration in humans (when taken to extremes) can cause all kinds of electrolyte imbalances, so logically the same could be true for cats. I think you'd have to work pretty hard to create this situation in a cat though.

The bigger potential issue is that if you water the food down too much some cats may struggle to eat enough calories.

I wouldn't be at all concerned about your cat not drinking noticeably now he's on all wet food though. It's pretty common with an all wet diet - especially if the wet foods have a particularly high moisture content (some are definitely drier than others in my experience).

Don't forget he may drink without you being aware of it...unless you have CCTV trained on the water bowl at all times :lol3:

I water my cats wet food (pate style) down a bit, and they're also on FD raw which I add more water to than necessary. I've never seen them drink from their water fountain, but I occasionally find little bits of their bedtime snack kibble floating in it, so I assume they're drinking at least a little bit. 

You should be fine adding a couple tablespoons of water to wet food, as long as it's still more food than water. But it's not unusual for cats on all wet diet not to drink much water. 

My cats will happily eat soup, basically. They eat the same portion size that they normally would, plus whatever extra water that I add.

I was concerned about my Boys not getting enough water because they are free-fed dry 24/7 and share 3 oz. of wet every day. Even though I changed their water several times a day, the level in the dish never seemed to decrease. I was also adding a drizzle of water to their wet food - I would add enough to the can and swirl it around to rinse the can and pour it over their food. 

So, I invested in a water fountain (I am considering getting them a stainless fountain now because the plastic one needs to be cleaned constantly because it builds up a film and is difficult to clean). At any rate, they are constantly drinking water now! Every time they eat, they both go right to the fountain afterward to drink. They love it! 

As far as a cat drinking 'too much' water? 

I read somewhere that a 10 pound cat should get about 8 ounces of water a day. So, when I figure in that I add approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups to their fountain daily, plus the water in their canned food, plus the additional 2-3 ounces I add to their wet food, plus the water they sneak from the sink....and yes, the damn toilet (if I close the lid, I find them both in the bathroom together pushing the lid up until one can get his head in, then they both shove themselves up until they can access the water. I am VERY adamant about keeping the toilet clean and I flush it several times a day to 'refresh' it) I believe they are getting getting an adequate amount of water a day. Sometimes they drink a lot more, sometimes a lot less. But neither of them is dehydrated.

Unless you are noticing and signs or symptoms of dehydration or unrinary tract/kidney problems and your cat is generally in good health, I would think he is drinking sufficiently. I wouldn't panic if his intake fluctuates. As humans, we don't always drink the exact required amounts of water every day, and neither do cats.

You might want to experiment and pour 1 cup of water in a glass bowl (preferably one that is shallow and wide enough that his whiskers don't touch the sides). When you change out the water, measure how much is left and you will know how much he has drunk throughout the day. Add the amount of water he gets from his wet food, plus any 'other' water he might get from the sink, toilet, etc. and you will have a rough idea of his daily intake. Also, learn how to check for dehydration by scruffing him. A well hydrated cat will have the scruff 'snap' back quickly. If he is dehydrated, it will 'tent' or go return slowly. Next time you are at the vet's office, ask about hydration, fluid intake and how to do the scruff test, as well as what to observe for regarding urinary tract, kidney diseases and diabetes.

My boys (I have two neutered male cats) are definitely sufficiently hydrated on my current regimen. From my observations of the litter box, my young male cat used to have "droplet" pee sometimes when he was on primarily dry, even though he drank some additional water. On all canned food with water added to the canned, he pees clumps.

I wasn't worried about them being hydrated, as much as I was asking if it's possible to overdo adding water to their food.

I'm guessing that the answer to that question is probably "no."  It seems unlikely that they're getting enough water to dilute their electrolytes, if I rarely ever see them touch their water bowls.

Here is an example of a typical meal. I measured out 1/4 cup (2 oz) of canned food for lunch today and added 2 TB water. It made a fairly soupy consistency. He emptied the bowl.

Will drinking too much water dilute electrolytes? 

Typically, the answer is no because the kidney's filter waste but have the ability to reabsorb necessary nutrients. That is what they do. However, every cat is different and there is no 'general' rule or answer because there are way too many factors that affect the outcome. Age, weight, diet, existing or underlying/undiagnosed diseases, actual fluid intake and output ratio, among other things will give bearing to a cat's electrolytes. 

I would think a cat would have to consume fairly large amounts of water before it affected/diluted his electrolytes, but it can happen. If you feel your cat is drinking an excessive amount of water, it might behoove you to have him checked by a vet and have a complete blood panel drawn to see exactly where he is right now and what the possible cause is. 

We love our water!

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Cute kitties!