Hydration is necessary for every living being to survive and perform daily physical activities, and cats are no exception. It is essential to notice if your cat drinks less water than normal to maintain its healthy lifestyle. That's why this query should be answered: how long can cats go without water for a day, thus saving your fur baby's life if, by chance, it is stuck in a condition where there is less water or unavailability of water?
How Long Can Cats Go Without Water
What will happen if you have a pet, especially a cat, and you leave it in a locked room with little or no water? You are almost on the verge of losing your favorite pet. In that situation, you have a question how many days can cats go without water?
An average pet feline can survive only a few days, like 3 to 7, without water. Your cat is most likely to die within a week because water is as essential for your cat's life as it is for a human's life.
Without water, your feline will face hepatic failure, and its muscle mass will catabolize, leading to your furry friend's slow and painful death. Approximately it survives only three days without water. Living 24 hours without drinking water causes dehydration in a cat's body, and if it goes longer, it strains its internal organs, leading to death.
Only sand cats survive without drinking water for weeks at a time; they will take moisture from their prey, like other desert-dwelling species.
Check this video to learn how long can cats go without water and food by kittyTV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9O6KauPj6o
Reasons Why My Cat Is Drinking Less Water
If your cat stops or slows down the process of drinking water, there may be several reasons, and some of them are as follows:
Hydrated Food And Sufficient Hydration
Most cats stop drinking water because they have wet food in their diet and are successfully fulfilling their moisture needs. If fresh and wet food is in their daily meal, their H2O intake increase, and they stop drinking water. Since cats require less water than dogs, they become hydrated with less water.
Bowl Placement And Cleanliness
Sometimes the reason may be a bowl that is not in the proper location and clean enough to drink water from it. Cat is one of those pets who stick to their habits, and different, high-anxiety bowl placements, such as near a loud sound or around other animals, keep them avoiding drinking.
Cleanliness is another factor that makes your cat stay away from water. A bowl containing dirty water with bacteria, fur, dirt, and even still water (not changed from many hours) is not favorable for your pet friend, and they start to avoid drinking.
Behavioral Quirks
Cats are particular about eating and drinking habits. Most of them avoid still water and especially find a moving water source. They may find a dripping faucet, lick the bathtub, or move away from home to find a water source outdoors.
Cats also have a particular focus on routine; therefore, any change creates a sort of hunger or thirst strike. Sometimes a different food type may lead to water refusal. Another common reason is other felines near their food and water bowl make them stop eating and drinking.
Health Problems
Health issues, especially dental diseases and pain in teeth or mouth, create discomfort that leads to dehydration. Pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel diseases, gastroenteritis, and other diseases may cause your fur baby to lessen or stop water intake.
Dry Diet
If your feline has a dry diet, its water intake capacity decreases. It is unreasonable for some of us, but it should be considered if your cat is only on a dry diet, said Tarina L. Anthony, and proven by some studies as well.
How Much Water Does A Cat Need
The Committee on Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats answers the query: how much water should a cat drink in 24 hours? Cats consume one ounce of water for every half ounce of dry food they eat. Typically, veterinarians recommend that a healthy cat of average size consume about 4 ounces, or half a cup, of water per day for every 5 pounds of body weight.
For instance, according to this general guideline, a cat weighing 10 pounds should consume approximately 8 ounces of water daily. Nevertheless, it is crucial to remember that the water needs of cats may differ based on various factors, such as age, activity level, and health condition.
Anthony said there is no need to measure the water intake of a healthy cat. However, according to the general formula of most veterinarians, the normal water intake of a cat is variable individually that ranges from 40-60 milliliters (¼ cup) per kg of body weight per day is considered normal. But, according to Anthony, 20-70 milliliters per kilogram per day might be normal.
The average cat weighs 5 kilograms (11 pounds), so he should drink roughly 250 milliliters of water, equal to one cup. One important thing to notice is your cat's daily routine, habits, and patterns, so you should call your pet if your cat's water intake increases or decreases.
Tarina Anthony added that it also depends upon the specific requirement for how much to feed your cat and the amount of water based on caloric needs related to ideal body weight calculated by the vet. This water intake calculation is used in hospital settings when a pet's water intake goes up or down.
Symptoms Of Dehydration In Cats (Drinking Less Water)
Some of the common signs and symptoms that show your cat is drinking less water and suffering from dehydration include:
- Panting
- Loss of appetite
- Loss of energy, dull or lethargic
- Dry and tacky gums
- Dull corneas and sunken eyes
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Troubled breathing
- Heat rate increases
- Less frequent urination
If you see any of these signs, then take your pet to the vet for a clinical examination. The chance of death is as severe as in humans without water, so don't take the dehydration issues in your cat lightly.
Problems Associated With Less Water Drinking
There are many problems associated with dehydration if it goes long, which would be fatal for your feline friend. Many pet parents never give any importance to the signs of dehydration in their cats, which may be dangerous in the future. Problems associated with drinking less water are as follows:
Skin Tenting
Dehydration is frequently linked with this ailment, which is quite prevalent. You can determine if your cat is experiencing this condition by gently pinching its skin between the shoulder blades or on top of the head, pulling it up, and releasing it.
If the skin quickly returns to its regular position, then your cat is adequately hydrated. However, if the skin remains tented for an extended period, you should be concerned as it indicates that your cat is probably dehydrated.
Sunken Eyes
Check your cat's eyes; if it appears to be sunken into its head, then this condition comes under moderate to severe dehydration.
Serious Constipation
Your pet faces severe constipation, which means the colon continues to dry out the stool and tries to keep the body hydrated, leading to this disease. If your cat defecates with no feces or only small or hard fecal balls, then your cat may be dehydrated, which causes constipation.
Vomiting and Diarrhea
Vomiting and diarrhea take away a lot of water from your cat's body leading to dehydration and making it difficult to maintain regular hydration. It is not dangerous in the early stage, but if it persists, then it may be fatal.
Dry Gums
To check for dehydration in your cat, simply apply slight pressure on its gums with your index finger. Within two seconds, the gums should return to their usual pink color. However, if your finger sticks to the gums or they appear cherry red, it may take longer than two seconds to return to normal, indicating that your cat may be dehydrated.
Other Diseases
Cats with these diseases like kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism are more prone to dehydration. So, you should monitor if your cat's drinking water capacity is lower in such health issues. All these signs are emergency signs and require a vet to cope with this situation immediately.
The cat needs to drink more water when affected by prolonged exposure to heat or physical activity. When you observe symptoms such as lethargy, loss of appetite, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, or trouble breathing, then it is time to visit a vet.
How To Get A Cat To Drink Water
If your cat's water intake is less than normal, then keep them hydrated; we should follow some points that are as follows:
- The first step you should take to avoid dehydration is to take a water bowl and add some tuna juice to it. You can also make chicken broth without gals and onion and low sodium and add it to your feline water bowl.
- Canned food that contains 70 to 80 percent water is also good for healthy cats to keep them hydrated, says Tarina L. Anthony, DVM, owner and medical director of Aurora Cat Hospital and Hotel in Aurora, Colo.
- To save them from dehydration, mix some warm water into the canned food, so their daily water intake can be leveled.
- It sounds funny, but cats love ice cubes in their bowl, which is the most exciting way to create interest in water.
- Cats are very much fond of cleanliness; they stop drinking water if their bowl is not properly washed. Wash their water bowl properly and frequently and also decalcify it to remove water deposits.
- Make a fountain for your feline friend to make them fond of water. Wash it regularly or with a filter if necessary because mold and mildew build in the fountain, which is unsuitable for your pet.
- Cats don't like still water; to keep them hydrated, keep the water moving, so they can drink frequent water.
- You can also increase the availability of water in your home by providing water bowls at different spots, it also attracts cats, and they feel happy to get easy access to it.
For mild dehydration, these small tricks are beneficial, but if your cat is suffering from severe dehydration, then it is necessary to visit a vet for clinical examination and proper medication.
FAQs
Can I force my cat to drink water?
No, it is not good; you should not force your cat to drink water; instead, you can try other ways to make it happy while drinking water.
How to force a cat to drink water?
Cleaning the water bowl, separating food and water bowls, keeping it away from a litter box, making a cat fountain, and using canned food, are some ways that help your cat drink needed water.
How many times a day should a cat drink water?
A cat can drink water from 10 to 12 times on average per day. The number decreases in the case of canned wet food; otherwise, visit your feline vet if your cat drinks only a few times daily.
How to get sick cat to drink water?
Water fountains, clean water, canned wet food, and the maximum availability of water bowls in every area of your home can help your sick cat to drink water.
Conclusion
Being a pet parent of a cat is an ultimate responsibility, and taking care of their feeding and drinking habits at home is not an easy job. But if you take care of these responsibilities properly, you won't have any problem.
Water is essential for every living thing's survival, including the cat; therefore, it is necessary to know 'how much water does a cat need and how long can cats go without water' so that you keep them hydrated and keep a check on the early signs of dehydration to ensure your cat's health and safety.