New (young) cat drink a lot of water

[Lcbrn]

I have a new cat who is 2. He is pretty thin so may have lost some weight during his time in the shelter. He was in a previous home and the family had to move, so he was given to a

animal control (then moved to a shelter). He is very active, happy, relaxed, and everything is great on that end. Just curious though, he seems to want to eat a lot as well as drink a lot. I’m starting to measure the amount of water intake to see what it really is, but is this normal? Thanks!

 

[StefanZ]

Does he eats dry? If so, he needs to drink much. Many cats tends to drink to little...

Of course, if you worry, let your vet check him up. No crash emergency but do it.. I suppose blood work would show if he has a beginning diabetes or such.

If he has russian blue ancestry, (say, is a RB of pet quality) he will be lean by nature.

 

[Lcbrn]

Thank you so much! Yes, he is having just dry now. If he is happy with that, I don’t want to get him hooked on wet food. So yes, he is eating very well, and that makes all the more sense. I’ll take him to the vet in the next month or so to get established somewhere. Thanks again

 

[neely]

Welcome to TCS! Thank you for adopting this lovely male cat. I'm glad to hear his is happy, very active and relaxed in your home. I agree with the above member that he should be seen by a vet for an initial exam. This would also be in his best interest should any future problems arise so that the vet has his medical history. I'm sure he has been through a lot having been with a family who gave him to animal control then moved to a shelter. However, it sounds like he is acclimating pretty well. I thought this Article which discusses how to help your cat adjust to a new home might have some additional tips and information for you:
How to know if products you buy are actually ‘green’

I understand that your cat is happy eating dry food and my guess is that this is what he was eating before and probably in the shelter as well. You may want to consider offering wet food at some point since it has a lot of benefits. Should you decide to introduce wet food I thought this Article would be helpful: Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food – TheCatSite Articles

All the best to you and your new feline. BTW, what's his name?

 

[Furballsmom]

I don’t want to get him hooked on wet food.

Can I ask why? Wet food has a lot of advantages over kibble, including hydration, and less of a carb load.

 

[Lcbrn]

Welcome to TCS! Thank you for adopting this lovely male cat. I'm glad to hear his is happy, very active and relaxed in your home. I agree with the above member that he should be seen by a vet for an initial exam. This would also be in his best interest should any future problems arise so that the vet has his medical history. I'm sure he has been through a lot having been with a family who gave him to animal control then moved to a shelter. However, it sounds like he is acclimating pretty well. I thought this Article which discusses how to help your cat adjust to a new home might have some additional tips and information for you:
How to know if products you buy are actually ‘green’

I understand that your cat is happy eating dry food and my guess is that this is what he was eating before and probably in the shelter as well. You may want to consider offering wet food at some point since it has a lot of benefits. Should you decide to introduce wet food I thought this Article would be helpful: Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food – TheCatSite Articles

All the best to you and your new feline. BTW, what's his name?

Thank you for your help and the resources!
His name is Ash

 

[Lcbrn]

Can I ask why? Wet food has a lot of advantages over kibble, including hydration, and less of a carb load.

I guess I didn’t realize this. My previous cat became so obsessed with it it was all he wanted and a big hassle. I thought it wasn’t as nutritious so didn’t think it was necessary.

 

[LTS3]

Most canned / wet food are a complete diet just like dry food. Some are only treat / supplement type foods so those you have to watch out for and double check the teeny print on the label.

To keep weight in check, feed enough calories that the cat needs daily which is about 20 to 25 calories per pound of body weight. Spreading the food over the course of the day helps keep tummies happy and it's less likely a cat will want to hoard all the food and still want more.

Some people feed mostly canned food and leave a small amount of dry food out for snacking.

I would not measure out water. Animals must have unlimited access to water. Just provide a bowl and refresh the water daily. Every cat's water intake is different. Those who eat canned food won't drink as much water as those who eat dry food. Temperature, age, health conditions, etc can also play a role in water intake. If you notice the cat peeing huge amounts in the litter box (or no pee at all despite all that water), that needs to be checked out by a vet.