Expert: Jessica - 2/12/2010

Question
Hi Jessica I have a three mth old Norwegian Forest kitten.  She won't drink water on it's own and the only way I've coaxed her to drink is by putting some of her kitty biscuits in some water.  She has wet food during the day as well as her biscuits.  I've tried kitten milk but she doesn't drink much of it.  Is it usual for kittens to not like plain water? Thanks.

Answer
Hi Andrea.  Cats get most of their moisture through their food.  This is true in nature and should be in housecats.  Wild cats get 80-90% of their moisture through their prey, which is why many cats survive well in desert areas.  Ideally, indoor cats should get this amount of water in their food, too.  Many of us see our cats drinking lots of water because we feed our cats strictly dry food.  This is not the natural way of things.  Since you are feeding your cat wet food during the day, this will cut back on the amount of water she needs to consume.  However, mixing water into her dry food is also a great idea to be sure she's adequately hydrated.

Cats are more attracted to moving water than standing water, and this is especially true with the Norwegian.  So you may want to consider getting your kitten a pet fountain to encourage her to drink.  These have a gently cascading stream of water, which is filtered to keep it fresh all day long.  I will also leave my faucet running just a trickle a few times a day for those cats who like their water fresh from the tap.

As an aside, I'm not sure which type of water you're offering her, but a recent study suggested cats favored unfiltered tap water over bottled spring water.  No one's sure why, but the cats consistently chose to drink from the bowls filled with tap water rather than spring water or filtered water.

Good luck!

Jessica