Expert: Jessica - 7/6/2010

Question
I rescued a cat from a neighbor, and he knows me. He eats well, but he won't drink anything. I am becoming very worried. He is very shy, because I have other rescued cats. Could this be part of the problem? They've stopped hissing at him, except for my 22 yr old cat. She even hisses at me. What can I do? Does he need to see a Vet? Thank you for your time, and God bless you for this site!

Answer
Hi Rosemary,

It's believed that most cats don't get adequate hydration, and to combat this, vets recommend placing several water bowls throughout the home.  This is especially important in a multi-cat household where territorial issues can cause some cats to become fearful to approach the water bowl if there are only one or two bowls available.  Keeping several water bowls throughout the home can be a lot of work, but it will be worthwhile to see the cats stay healthy.  Chronic dehydration is thought to be one of the major reasons why we're seeing such a high rate of kidney failure in our cats today.  So try to place a few bowls in quiet but easily accessible areas around the house, and if this new kitty spends a lot of time in one particular spot, try to situate one near him, as well.

If the cat does have a water bowl near him but still isn't drinking, try to tempt him with motion or even with a little flavor.  Some cats may have difficulty seeing the water and will be more likely to drink it if you place ice cubes in it.  The floating ice cubes help them to understand there is a substance in the bowl and also to gauge how far the water is from their nose.  A ping pong ball in the bowl can also work.  An even better idea is to use a kitty water fountain.  These are a financial investment and can run from $35 to over $100.  But they are excellent for the cats' health, and the movement of the water really does encourage the cats to drink as much as they should.  

As for flavor, what are you giving him for water?  In a taste test, cats unanimously preferred unfiltered tap water over filtered water or spring water.  They went for the tap water every time.  Why they had such a strong preference isn't clear.  Perhaps they were able to detect the water more easily due to minerals in tap water, but it did seem sure that in this test, the cats enjoyed tap water much more than bottled spring water or filtered water.  So if you happen to be using filtered water or spring water, consider switching to tap water.  If you're using tap, consider adding some flavor using a hint of chicken broth or tuna juice to tempt him.  Just be very sure that the broth doesn't contain onion or garlic ingredients, which can be toxic to cats.

If you're feeding the kitty a canned diet, that will cut back on his need for water, as he will receive about 80% of his required water from his food.  But he should still drink a bit of water here and there.  A cat with a good appetite for food usually is healthy, but if all the above fail to get him to drink, he should see a vet.  He may need fluids under the skin to correct dehydration, and an exam should be done to ensure oral problems are not causing pain when cool water touches his teeth.  If the vet finds he is adequately hydrated upon a physical exam, then you'll know he is probably sneaking some water now and then, and that, along with the moisture in his food, is enough to keep him healthy.

Good luck!

Jessica