Hi everyone! Do you have a cat? Cats are super cool pets! But did you know they need water just like we do? We’ve seen lots of different ways cats get their water, from bowls to fancy fountains. Let’s learn why water is so important for our furry friends!

Why Water is Super Important for Cats

Imagine your body is like a busy town. Water is like the roads that help everything move! It helps:

• Make their bodies work: Water helps their hearts, kidneys, and other parts work right.
• Move food: Water helps carry food to all the parts of their body.
• Help their tummies: Water helps them digest their food.
• Keep their pee healthy: Water helps stop yucky stones from forming in their pee.
• Clean out bad stuff: Water helps their kidneys get rid of bad things.
• Cats can go without water for a few days, maybe 3 to 7. But that’s not good! Not having enough water can make them really sick. They could get very dry, which is called “dehydration,” and their kidneys could get hurt. And that’s really bad!

A cat needs about 3.5 to 4.5 ounces of water for every 5 pounds they weigh. We need to watch and measure how much our cats drink.

Uh Oh! Is My Cat Dry?

Here are some things to look for if your cat might be too dry:

• Their nose and gums are dry.
• They are sleepy and don’t want to play.
• Their skin doesn’t bounce back when you gently pinch it.
• Their eyes look dry.
• They might have a tummy ache.
• Their pee is dark and not much comes out.
• If you see these things, tell a grown-up right away!

How to Help Your Kitty Drink More Water

We are like our cats helpers, so we must make water easy to get.

Where to put the water:

• Cats don’t like their food and water together. It’s like us not wanting our drink next to our smelly socks!
• They also don’t like food bits in their water. Yuck!
• Put water bowls in quiet places around the house.

What kind of water:

• Give them clean water. Some cats don’t like the stuff in tap water, their noses are very sensitive, so filtered water is better.
• Change the water every day, and even more when it’s hot.
• You can put ice in it to keep it cold.

What kind of bowl:

• Use bowls made of metal, glass, or ceramic.
• Bowls with rubber bottoms are good so they don’t slide.
• Wash the bowls every day!

Water fountains:

• Some cats like drinking from fountains because the water moves.
• But we have to clean them really well! Use little brushes to get all the parts.
• Change the filters.
• If the power goes out, make sure they can still drink from the fountain or have a backup bowl.

Older Cats:

If your older cat sits while drinking from their paw, they might have sore joints. You should contact your vet for an exam.

Fun Ways to Help Your Cat Drink

• Give them wet food. It has lots of water!
• Add a little bit of chicken or fish broth to their water, make sure there are no onions, salt or garlic.
• Have different bowls, to see what they like.
• Watch them drink, to make sure they are drinking enough.

Let’s Keep Our Cats Happy and Hydrated!

Water is super important for cats! By giving them clean water and watching how much they drink, we can help them stay healthy and happy.

Remember, a happy cat is a hydrated cat!