Too much water ?

[Cat.mama]

I have two cats that no longer drink water.
I recently started adding bottled water to their food. Am I at risk of giving too much? I don’t measure.. i fill the bottom of the foam plate and mix it.
its been a week and between the two I have gone thru less than a 16oz bottle. Id like to start adding to both meals.

 

[Kris107]

Are you sure they aren't drinking water from some other source when you don't realize it? Dripping faucet? Wet shower/tub?
Are they peeing normally?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I feed three meals per day of wet food and add water to each meal just to make sure they are plenty hydrated. I don't really think you can over hydrate them, at least not via drinking or eating. If you are giving fluids via sub-q fluids, you can, but that's not what you are talking about here.

 

[Tobermory]

I also add water to each of their wet food meals. Iris is elderly with kidney problems and pees huge clumps, and I’ve never seen Mocha drink at all. I want to keep them well hydrated.

 

[Mac and Cats]

You are still keeping bowls of water out as well? I rarely see our cats drink water, but I know that they do. My last late cat was so weird about it. If he knew anyone was watching, he would stop drinking the water immediately and walk away. If I happened to see him drinking it and he didn't notice me watching, I would stop and not move until he was done. Our other cats, I rarely see them drinking, but I know that they do as the water disapears in the bowl fairly fast and also I do sometimes see them drink. The two elders get only wet food and the 1 year old gets wet and dry (only because he won't eat enough wet food to keep up his calorie intake). I have a friend who swears that her cat never drinks water (She still keeps a bowl out) because he only eats wet food. I have my suspicions. Maybe they are just drinking when you don't see them like at night or when you are not around?

I agree with mrsgreenjeens in that I don't think they can drink/eat too much water unless you're talking about sub Q fluids.

 

[Cat.mama]

Are you sure they aren't drinking water from some other source when you don't realize it? Dripping faucet? Wet shower/tub?
Are they peeing normally?

They do pee!! No problem there. I’m certain they don’t drink anymore. About a year ago I had issues with a dirty fountain. It became coated in litter dust horribly within a week of cleaning . (Two cats only drink with their paws. ) one cat was still using bowls but when I moved shorty after she stopped as well.
I have a third cat who still drinks. There is a water bowl up on the counter.Only kitty #3 uses it.
this same cycle happened many years ago. The two were using a fountain, something happened and they stopped drinking for a couple years until I got that last fountain. I’ve tried another one but have not had success.
I use bottled water but I don’t think they like the smell of the water here from cleaning. We have a softener which I’ve never had. I can’t see any other reason why kitty 2 stopped drinkingfrom bowls when we moved in.

 

[Kris107]

Cats can be as finicky about water as they are about food. They can be "water connoisseurs"! Have you tried bowls of different materials? Some of mine liked porcelain over stainless steel. I always have multiple bowls of the exact same style in case one needs to go into the dishwasher. I dump and refresh water just about daily. I also had one cat with what I called "water anxiety". From what I could tell she had trouble seeing the depth of the water surface so she'd either slosh the bowl to get it moving or she'd stick a paw in it. I tried to keep the water level roughly the same each day. I also had a fountain for a bit but they can be hard to keep clean. If/Once they get a smell, the cats often will turn their nose up. Cats are tricky, but glad they're getting water via their food for now!

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Have you tried bowls of different materials? Some of mine liked porcelain over stainless steel.

I was just about to mention this. When I first got Gabby I had stainless steel bowls and she didn't drink much in a day.. I switched to ceramic and she drinks plenty every day. And with the bowls they do need cleaned often. I clean hers every day and give her fresh cold bottle water it Is her favorite when it is cold lol

 

[Cat.mama]

Cats can be as finicky about water as they are about food. They can be "water connoisseurs"! Have you tried bowls of different materials? Some of mine liked porcelain over stainless steel. I always have multiple bowls of the exact same style in case one needs to go into the dishwasher. I dump and refresh water just about daily. I also had one cat with what I called "water anxiety". From what I could tell she had trouble seeing the depth of the water surface so she'd either slosh the bowl to get it moving or she'd stick a paw in it. I tried to keep the water level roughly the same each day. I also had a fountain for a bit but they can be hard to keep clean. If/Once they get a smell, the cats often will turn their nose up. Cats are tricky, but glad they're getting water via their food for now!

Hi!
We use ceramic now and have tried stainless in the past. When I moved and thought something was up with the water, thought maybe they were smelling something on the dishes, I disposable paper and plastic with no success.

 

[KingRichard]

I clean hers every day and give her fresh cold bottle water it Is her favorite when it is cold lol

I think my cat likes cold water too. He always used to drink my ice water. He hasn't done it much since I got him a fountain, but I've always wanted to put a thermoelectric chiller on the side for him. Wildly inefficient, but no stranger than a lot of the hoops he has me jump through.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

I think my cat likes cold water too. He always used to drink my ice water. He hasn't done it much since I got him a fountain, but I've always wanted to put a thermoelectric chiller on the side for him. Wildly inefficient, but no stranger than a lot of the hoops he has me jump through.

I wash her bowl every morning and give her fresh cold water then half way through the day I dump that water and get her fresh cold water again. Oh what we won't do for our babies. She is spoiled when it comes to getting her cold water lol
She loves it so she gets it..

 

[Margot Lane]

I wonder if the sneaky drinking at night thing when you’re not watching lists back somehow to vulnerability. If you watch lions on teevee shows, they’re crouched low, near the last remaining water hole. My cat doesn’t like to be watched drinking but I know that he does, as Mac and Cats mentioned.