Water: Never Underestimate the Importance of Water
Should you be concerned if your kitten or cat isn’t drinking water? Absolutely! Hydration is crucial for your cat’s overall well-being, and ensuring they drink enough water is essential. If you notice your kitten or cat is not drinking water, consult your vet immediately. Water intake is vital for maintaining their health, supporting digestion, and preventing urinary tract issues. Both the water your cat drinks and the moisture content in their food contribute to their hydration. This article from Veterinary Medicine Cornell Feline Health Center on hydration in felines highlights this point. Read: Here.
How to Encourage Your Cat to Drink More Water
It’s important to provide multiple water sources throughout your home to encourage your cat to drink more. Cats often prefer fresh and cold water, so be sure to clean water bowls daily and refresh them with cool water. Water fountains are also a great option, as many cats are attracted to the movement of water. My vet once mentioned, “cats like a moving source of water,” which makes sense when you consider that cats in the wild often drink from running water. If you don’t have a water fountain, a simple trick is to drop an ice cube in the water bowl to create movement—cats love it!
The Importance of Keeping Water Fountains Clean
While water fountains can be a fantastic way to encourage your cat to drink, it’s important to maintain them properly. We have three water fountains in our home, and with that comes the responsibility of regular cleaning. It’s not just about washing them out, refilling, and changing the filters. We learned the hard way that bacteria can build up in the mechanisms of the fountain’s motor, which can lead to bacterial infections in your cat.
Avoiding Bacterial Infections in Cats
Unfortunately, we had an experience where our cats became ill due to bacterial buildup in a water fountain. After an expensive vet visit, my husband Ron discovered that the small parts inside the fountain had accumulated bacteria. It was a lesson learned, and now we want to share this information with you to help you avoid a similar situation. The brochures for water fountains often recommend cleaning and changing filters every three weeks, but this may not be sufficient depending on the number of cats, the fountain’s location, and the temperature.
How to Properly Clean Your Cat's Water Fountain
We now clean our fountains thoroughly every two weeks and change the filters weekly. Here’s a video tutorial we made showing how to clean a Petlibro fountain thoroughly. Regardless of the model, every fountain has mechanical parts that need to be cleaned out. Some newer models have external mechanisms, making them easier to clean. If you think you have enough water sources around the house, consider adding two more! Not all cats like to share their water dishes and fountains, so having extra options is always a good idea.
Best Water Dishes for Cats
When choosing water dishes, opt for stainless steel or ceramic, as these materials are less likely to harbor bacteria compared to plastic. Our cats and kittens have a favorite water source: a stand with a stainless steel bowl that Ron made. They love to drink from it while crouching down, their shoulder blades up high, just like cats drinking in the wild. It’s a joy to watch, and they can’t get enough of it!