It is really important for cats to drink enough water to help prevent them from getting UTIs and bladder/urinary issues as well as replacing lost fluids in conditions like kidney disease and diabetes, or illness where they are losing fluid e.g. vomiting or diarrhoea.
Elderly cats may need more water as one example due to higher possibility of creating kidney disease, or eating less.
For instance with Puss’ bladder stones, we now know that they are calcium oxalate and therefore cannot be dissolved by diet, only a flush-through if the stones would be small enough, or otherwise surgery, which means a costly vet bill if they were to form again.
Her drinking enough water means it is much much harder for stones to form, and, offers the less likely occurrence of UTIs as her urine is diluted more.
So, I was recommended to try and get her to drink more water.
Adding water to her kibble did not go well. She refused it point blank, even though it was only a little.
She already has watered down wet pate, as she likes it like soup. But a tip for any of you out there in this situation.
Now, I used to have a fountain for her (Drinkwell) but there were so many parts to it and it was fiddly to wash and get to the nooks and crannies. Plus it was at floor level meaning she has to bend her head low, which is not the comfiest for them. But fountains are great for them as they mostly prefer running water, hence drinking from the bathroom tap, etc.
None of my cats have ever really liked the ones that allow water to just cascade smoothly over the dome, but they have always preferred a waterfall of water to sip from.
Puss also used to shove the water fountain and smaller water bowls. So I had to get her a whacking big bowl with rubber feet to try and stop her instead.
But the current events have led me to want to invest in a different water fountain for her.
One that is:
– correct height for comfy access
– still have access to water if there was a power cut (super important!!! and from what i can see not all of them do)
– has a waterfall feature
– quiet
– has filters to ensure the water is clean and fresh (I live in a hard water area so filitering definitely alters the taste to pleasant!)
The one I went with in the end is pictured here: Catit Pixi Fountain
This also has a light which will change to red when the water level is low. It is easy to see the water level so I can top it up, and it comes apart easily to clean all areas. It has a 2.5L reservoir which makes me feel safe ref going dry. You can remove the spout as well if you wish, but she likes it. And it has filters and they are easy to purchase afterwards also.
Within 2 hours of putting it together, she had already gone up to it on her own (last one I had to get down on all fours and look like i was drinking from it, to get her to!) and she has been using it every since despite having her previous big bowl refilled fresh daily. Just goes to show you.
So, in answer to my question in the title: absolutely yes!
Of course, there are other fountains, so do your research and see what fits your own cat best based on their preferences and your environment. This one is about 15cm wide but still fits nicely in her space.
And as a Bonus…
Other ways that I get her to drink more is by making her some catnip tea (even we can drink catnip tea) but I would make sure you go for catnip that you know has not had pesticides on it.
Plus I freeze her liquid treats and then defrost them slightly so they are cold, but not frozen. Plus in the really hot weather, I reduce her kibble and give her bit more wet food watered down.
Recent Comments