Why is My Cat Drinking A Lot of Water?

Have you noticed your cat drinking a lot of water recently? Is this normal, or is it something to be worried about? If you’re wondering what’s causing your cat to drink so much water, or if you’re concerned about what this might mean, then this article will serve as a great resource for you.

Common Reasons Why Your Cat’s Drinking A Lot of Water

Typically, if your cat’s drinking a lot of water suddenly, then there may be an underlying problem you need to take care of. However, the issue may not always be a serious one, and it’s important to work through the list of possibilities to figure out what could be going on.

In the article below, you’ll find out more information about some of the most common causes of increased water intake in cats.

6 reasons that explain why your cat is drinking a lot of water include:

Outside Temperature

Before jumping to any conclusions, it’s important to think about any potential benign underlying factors that could be contributing to your cat’s increased thirst. One of the possibilities is the temperature outside. It is perfectly normal for your cat to want to drink more on a day that is 100 degrees than they might on a day that is 30 degrees, for example!

However, an increased thirst on a hot day should return to normal when the temperature events out again. Additionally, your cat’s increased thirst should not persist or continue increasing if this is the cause.

Diet Change

A change in your pet’s diet can also cause your cat to start drinking a lot of water. This problem is a benign one too, and it is easily rectified by changing your cat back to the food they were on—or just waiting for their thirst to even out instead.

Cats who are fed primarily wet food may start drinking more water if they are changed suddenly to a primarily dry food diet. Additionally, if your cat is changed to a food that has a higher sodium content than their old food, they may drink more water to compensate as well.

Diabetes

Diabetes is by far the most common cause of increased thirst in cats. Cats who have diabetes will also experience an increase in urination, a loss of appetite, and a sudden and significant loss of weight. They may become weak and lethargic if the condition is left untreated for too long, too.

If your cat is overweight, they are at a greater risk of developing diabetes. However, any cat can potentially suffer from this condition. If your cat’s increased thirst is not going away or if they appear sick otherwise, too, take them to the veterinarian to have them checked for diabetes right away.

Kidney or Liver Disease

If your cat’s drinking a lot of water, two causes could be either kidney disease or liver disease. Kidney disease is common in older cats and comes along with other symptoms, including itchy skin, foul breath, and significant weight loss.

Liver disease is less common, but it includes symptoms like dark brown urine, frequent drooling, frequent vomiting, and weakness.

Both kidney and liver disease require a diagnosis from the vet. The vet will help you figure out the best way to manage your cat’s condition for the rest of their life if they are diagnosed with one of these types of diseases.

Urinary Tract Infection

Cats are very prone to developing urinary tract infections. Cats who have a UTI may start drinking a lot of water because their bodies need to flush out the infection.

The good news is that your cat’s increased thirst should go back to normal after the infection is treated. However, you will need to take them to the vet and keep them on medication to treat the problem, and they may also need to go on a special diet to prevent UTIs in the future, too.

Fever

Another common cause of a cat drinking a lot of water is fever. Cats who have a fever are likely to want to drink more water, just like humans who have a fever. This is because your cat may feel overheated or may feel slightly dehydrated, and they may want to drink water to make up for what they are losing due to the fever.

Although increased thirst from a fever is fairly normal, it is crucial to get to the bottom of the fever’s cause. If your cat has a fever, take them to the vet (or to the emergency vet if they show any signs of a crisis) to be diagnosed and treated.

What You Should Do if Your Cat’s Drinking A Lot of Water

As you can see, there are many potentially dangerous causes of increased thirst in cats. Even those that are not life-threatening can be serious if they are left untreated, so it’s important to get to the bottom of this issue before it gets too out of hand.

By working with a professional vet, you can have your cat diagnosed properly and can start working on a treatment or management plant for her condition moving forward. Your vet will help you choose the best course of action to help deal with whatever the underlying issue is for your pet.

Do you notice your cat drinking a lot of water and you’re not exactly sure why? If you are, book an appointment for your cat at one of our Heart + Paw locations. Whether it’s something benign or something more serious, our team will find the underlying cause of your cat’s behavior and develop an appropriate treatment plan. At Heart + Paw, we care about your cat’s health as much as you do, and we want nothing more than to have them live a long, healthy and happy life with you.