Stray cat to inside cat....Water Issue

[snickers2013]

I have a cat that was stray. She doesn't drink much water. It actually looks like she's NOT drinking water! I give her 2 fancy feast cans a day and leave dry food in her dish. She eats on it throughout the day. Prefers grilled over classic wet food. She looked about 7 or 8 weeks when we captured her. The vet said she's around 4 months by looking at her teeth. She was so skinny and all bones. The vet said not to give her milk since she probably never had milk. My hubby is against this and wants to give her milk.
How do I get her to drink more water?
Should I give her Milk?
Any advice please!

 

[shadowsrescue]

I have a cat that was stray. She doesn't drink much water. It actually looks like she's NOT drinking water! I give her 2 fancy feast cans a day and leave dry food in her dish. She eats on it throughout the day. Prefers grilled over classic wet food. She looked about 7 or 8 weeks when we captured her. The vet said she's around 4 months by looking at her teeth. She was so skinny and all bones. The vet said not to give her milk since she probably never had milk. My hubby is against this and wants to give her milk.
How do I get her to drink more water?
Should I give her Milk?
Any advice please!

Don't give her milk.  Cats lack the enzyme necessary to digest human milk.  She is getting water from the wet food so you could feed her only wet food and take away from the dry so she gets extra liquid.  Also try putting just a small amount of water in a bowl to get a better idea if she's drinking.  Cats don't drink alot of water which can lead to urinary issues.  That is why wet food is often so important.  Check with your vet if you are really concerned, but don't give her milk.

 

[vball91]

Agree with no cow's milk. If you can get raw goat's milk, that is much better, but really milk is not necessary since she is already eating regular food. Cats are geared toward getting their moisture from food. Some cats don't drink water which is dry food can be problematic. Remember that canned food is on average 78% moisture, so if she is on a mostly wet diet, she should be getting enough moisture. You can also add some extra water to her canned food to ensure she gets enough.

Oh, and even though she prefers the grilled version, the Fancy Feast pate versions are healthier (high animal protein/less carbs, no wheat gluten). http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf is a great chart that compares commonly available wet foods in the US. http://www.catinfo.org/ has a lot of valuable information on feline nutrition in general and some the related health issues. I think it is a must read for all cat lovers.

 

[snickers2013]

Thank you! Both replies are helpful. I'm not giving her milk and I'm reading the link vball91 posted.