Lack of water is fatal to all living things, don’t you agree? Almost all people and sources are telling us to have at least 2 liters of water each day. How about cats? They do too.
They need certain amount of water every day so that their body can function properly. Dehydration, or the condition when someone lacks of water is very dangerous and serious.
Dehydration can also be experienced by cats. It can happen during warm or hot weather, when your cat easily gets thirsty and tries to remove the heat from its body. Water is really essential to your cats as they maintain their health and replace fluids that are excreted through urine, feces and respiration.
Dehydration in cats is caused by the reduced water intake or increased loss of fluid. Diarrhea and vomiting can be the main causes of increased fluid loss. Beware if your cat is vomiting blood, read reasons your cat is vomiting blood. It is a serious issue!
Causes of Dehydration in Cats
Generally, by referring to the meaning of dehydration, the main cause of dehydration in cats is the cats don’t get enough water or fluid in their body. However, there are some specific reasons why your cat gets dehydrated and doesn’t want to drink.
- The water is murky or dirty. Not a surprise, who likes to drink dirty water? Even your cats hate it. Make sure you maintain the cleanliness of the water in the bowl so they would like to drink it.
- Excessive heat is another issue. When the temperature is too high, your cat will get thirsty easily. So, make sure your cat gets the easy access to water to get itself hydrated.
- The water bowl is placed next to the food bowl. It is their instinct in the wild, they will not drink near their freshly killed prey because it can be contaminated. Though your cat is living at home, not in the wild environment anymore, but their instinct might remain the same.
- Medical issues, such as diarrhea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal problem may lead to fluid loss. When your cat loses a lot of fluid from its body and doesn’t get any water intake, then it must be suffering from dehydration. Diarrhea can be caused by several reasons, such as food allergies. Learn more about signs your cat has food allergies.
- The water is not cool. Most cats like cool water to drink. As a result, you need to avoid placing the water bowl near the heat sources, such as under direct sunlight. You can add some ice blocks or cubes to make the water cool during the days.
After you see the reasons why your cats don’t want to drink and dehydrated, you are supposed to consider these things before giving them water.
Treatment of Dehydration in Cats
The only treatment you can do to treat dehydration is by encouraging your cats to drink. Make sure you have your cat drink enough water every day. However, some owners might find it difficult to encourage their cats to drink as the cat itself doesn’t want to. Here are some tricks and tips for encouraging your cats to drink.
- Wet food instead of dry food – wet food contains more water than dry food, so it is one of the ways your cat gets hydrated through its food. Wet food can also be the alternative for cat which refuses to eat dry food.
- Cool water – as stated before some cats love to drink cold water. So, you can place some ice cubs to make he water cool. Or you can even make a juice from canned tuna and make them into ice cubes. Simply put the ice cubes into your cat’s bowl.
- Running water – you can ask your cat to drink from a running tap water or you can buy a cat water fountain. They love it so much.
- Flavor the water – you can add some tuna or clam juice to your cat’s water so it will be more flavorful and tasty. Or you can provide your cat with milk. Read more about it in a bowl of milk for a cat is common but there’s something you need to know.
- Consult with your vet once you see any signs of dehydration in your cat. Better prevention than cure, isn’t it?
Dehydration is as serious as other cat’s medical problem. Immediate treatment or remedy is really needed. You can read other health problems experienced by cats, such as explained in signs of heart disease in cats and heart and blood vessel disorders in cats.