Water Consumption

[cooterz]

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this, but I've noticed that my 12 week old male doesn't seem to drink...at all?

I currently have a stainless steel which I clean regularly and change the water. I've tried tap, filtered from my fridge door, and filtered from a Mavea pitcher.

I also own a Drinkwell fountain with filter. I've tried this powered on and off, but he doesn't seem that interested in drinking; the noise does attract him though if I put my hand in the running stream.

He does use the litter box multiple times a day, so I know he's getting some source of water. His diet is purely cut chicken breasts with a Mazuri supplement. I can only assume that this is his source of water.

I believe he's fairly timid around water for now. He's tried getting in the shower at one point and then quickly ran off once he noticed that water was a factor. I've also dripped water on top of him after washing my hands and he quickly scurried away.

I have tricked him by placing his water bowl down during feeding time and he quickly goes for the food, which turns out to be water and normally just sticks his nose close and ignores it.

I have also tried a plastic bowl, but he didn't seem to care for it either. Is this something I should be worried about? Any suggestions in getting him to drink?

 

[DChap]

My kitten did not drink water at all when I got him at 13 wks. I was worried and since I was feeding him prepared raw I added water to it to make sure he was getting some. I even bought him a fancy fountain that he totally ignored for several weeks. Then all of a sudden one day when he was about 18wks he started drinking from it and the stainless bowls I have. Now he seems to drink water regularly.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

It's hard to know what they do when we are not there to watch them too... and putting a bowl down and watching a kitten seems destined to disappointment, kinda "a watched pot never boils" kinda thing.

I like fountains for my cats, they seem to like them...some lick from the stream and some from the bowl so it works for all types that way. But given your kitten is eating raw meat there is some moisture in that and so maybe he doesn't feel as much need to drink water all the time which if he was eating kibble maybe he'd feel thirstier..

 

[admin]

I moved this thread to savannah cat help and advice

He is probably drinking but you just don't see him

 

[cooterz]

I assumed he was drinking when I was not around. The only evidence I conceived in my mind would be water around the bowl possibly or the water level itself lowering. I don't really notice any of that, however there is always a chance that I just can't tell and he is indeed drinking.

I'll try adding a bit of water to his chicken to see how he takes it.

I'm fine with leaving out kibble as well. I'll see how that fairs.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Per Lausund]

If you can't see input, watch for output. If you have clumping litter the urine clumps are easy to recognize, if you use other kinds look for colour or moisture. The other thing to do is check if he is dehydrated, lift a fold of skin on his thigh and see if it falls back quickly or is left standing (dehydration). If the kitten pees, appears normal and is not dehydrated, he is drinking in addition to what he gets from the food.

Here, we believe some of the cats are absorbing moisture through their skin, it's raining so much (that, of course, was a joke: the absorption, not the rain bit).
cheers
per