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big cat are not big water system drinkers — they want half as much water as dogs per Egyptian pound of body system of weights . When you comment your cat drinking a lot of water system , or peradventure even land it and beg for more , it may be a red flag .

How much body of water is too much ? What do your cat to drink so much water ? And , more importantly , what should you do about it ? Read on for answers .

Cat drinking water from outdoor bowl

Why Is My Cat Drinking a Lot of Water?Common Causes

There are many wellness - related reason cats will drink too much piss . Polydipsia , the name of the precondition for excessive water supply phthisis , has three unwashed causes :

Chronic Kidney Disease

Around 1 - 3 % of all CT have chronickidney disease . Over time kidney become more and more damaged . Kidneys are partly responsible for conserve your computed axial tomography ’s residual of water . When kidneys are damaged , they can not contain onto H2O like they should . rather , all of the water perish into the piddle . This makes your cat increasingly athirst .

Hyperthyroidism

Up to 11 % of old cats hold out withhyperthyroidism . The thyroid gland gland produces thyroid internal secretion , which is responsible for growth , metabolic process , and impacts the genius . When the gland produces too much hormone , metabolism becomes really high and the effect on the brain can make changes in behaviour . When metabolism increase , so does thirst . Also , thyroid hormone jam antidiuretic endocrine ( ADH ) from interacting with the kidneys . This internal secretion set aside the kidneys to keep water system in the body and not put water into the piddle . If ADH can not interact with the kidneys , an increase in drinking and urination can happen .

Diabetes Mellitus

Around 0.5 % of all cat havediabetes mellitus . Diabetes mellitus fall out when your cat does not have enough insulin . Insulin allow blood sugar ( glucose ) to enter the liver , muscle , and fat and provide energy . If there is not enough insulin , glucose make increasingly eminent with nowhere to go . The kidneys agitate glucose into the urine , and through osmosis , water follows glucose to adulterate the water . Since your cat make too much water to rid the trunk of glucose , she becomes very athirst .

If your cat is diagnosed with diabetes , theirtreatment planmay admit insulin injections . However , some cats may be prospect for a needle - free alternative to insulin calledBexacat , a once - daily flavored lozenge .

Less Common Causes

Liver disease . Problems with the liver can occur for several reasons , including viral , bacterial , fungal , parasitic , seditious , or cancerous grounds . With severe liver disease , your liver fight to function normally , which can affect water intake . For example , the liver cease get urea which commonly appropriate the kidney to retain water .

Medications . Many medications affect thirstiness and urination . Common medications admit steroid hormone ( such as prednisolone ) , phenobarbital ( used for capture ) , or diuretics ( used to decrease body water for conditions like congestive heart failure ) .

Hypercalcemia . Many condition can cause too gamey of Ca in a cat-o'-nine-tails ’s body such as inveterate kidney disease , vitamin 500 perniciousness , and cancer . When atomic number 20 is very high , it forestall ADH from interact with the kidney . This preclude the kidneys from keep water in the eubstance , so an increase in drink and micturition can occur .

Cat drinking a lot of water from fountain

Cancer . Since malignant neoplastic disease is unnatural maturation of prison cell in the body , it can affect the manner organ puzzle out . When harmonium are n’t run properly , it can induce the consistence to be sick and lead in changes such as increase thirst .

Pyometra . This condition is an infection of the uterus . If your khat is not castrate , she may develop this vulgar condition ( which does not always ensue in polydipsia ) . Pus fulfill the uterus and often leak outdoors of the dead body through the vulva . The reason pyometra causes polydipsia ( due to polyuria ) is uncertain .

How Much Water Should a Cat Drink?

big cat typically drink 18 to 27 mL of urine per pound of body weight per day . An average 10 - lbf. cat drinks just about 180 to 270 mL of water per day , which is tantamount to around ¾ to 1 cup of water each twenty-four hour period .

Each individual cat will vary in how much water they need to toast , and what is normal for your cat may flow a small outside this range .

factor that could falsify how much water is ask include :

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Diet . transcribed cat food has water mental object already , so your cat will drink in a little less if they eat a wet intellectual nourishment . Also , diet high in sodium involve more piddle .

Environment . Warmer months or high humidness demand more water to persist hydrous , peculiarly if your computed axial tomography is active .

Age . Very immature cats drink more than adult . immature kittens under 8 weeks of long time need as much as 80 mL of water per Syrian pound of torso weightiness !

Cat drinks water from the tap

Health . If your cat has a medical condition , she may necessitate to fuddle more water to stay hydrated .

Medications . Certain medications increase thirst and/or urine output in cats .

If you are reading this article because you are concerned with how much your cat is drinking , try measuring out the amount of body of water you put in the sports stadium each morning . The next morning , measure how much is leave ( expect until 24 hour have passed).Be sure to never limit the amount of piddle your qat wishes to drink!She must always have access to as much water as she wants .

Two cats with heads tilted looking to owner for answer

How Much Water Is Too Much?

Polydipsia is the condition of a big cat fuddle too much pee . It is usually triggered by polyuria , meaning your cat ’s body is producing more urine and needs more water system to do so . stenography for these two hombre health conditions is PU / PD .

big cat vary in how much piss they fuddle day to day . If your pool is particularly thirsty one day ( perhaps due to running around on a hot summer day ) , the next day her crapulence would be less . This would be normal variation and no reasonableness to worry .

But if your CT is consistently ( each day ) drinking more than 45 mL per Irish punt of organic structure weight per mean solar day , she likely has polydipsia . A 10 - pound computed axial tomography would need to drink more than 450 mL of body of water per day to have polydipsia , or about 2 cups .

Cat drinking water from a faucet

You may not notice a subtle growth in your cat ’s water system drinking , but count for signs like :

What to DoWhen Your Cat Is Drinking Too Much Water

If you suspect your computerized axial tomography is drink too much water , measure out it out as described sooner in this article and keep a log of how much pee your Arabian tea is drinking .

On your logarithm record any changes in your computerized tomography ’s behaviour or health . Ask , has your computed axial tomography ’s :

If your cat is systematically drinking more than 45 mL of water per hammer of physical structure weight each day , or if you notice any other sign such as minify activity , increase appetite , and decreased weight you should institute your cat to the veterinarian as soon as possible .

Woman taking notes in a notebook

What to Expect at the Vet

Your veterinarian will canvas your cat and ask many questions . Before you go , verify you have reply to the doubtfulness above and record how much piddle your computed tomography is drinking . This will help your vet get a more consummate view of the situation .

Without running tests , your veterinary is unlikely to be able-bodied to name the precise cause of your Arabian tea ’s inordinate drink . Bloodwork is a received first whole step along with testing the piss , including a culture to look for transmission . Oftentimes your veterinarian will recommend thyroid gland examination on the bloodwork as well .

These initial tests will almost always diagnose the emergence . But if the tests do n’t reveal an answer , your veteran may recommend X - ray of light to look for pyometra ( if your cat is an un - spayed female ) or Crab . Your vet may perform other specific blood tests such as gall acids to assess liver role , fructosamine levels to appraise for diabetes , leptospirosis examination , and various other hormone tests to help reach a conclusion .

Cat at the vet having an exam