How Much Should My Cat Drink 

Depends on how much they are squished.

Honestly, this is one of THE kindest and heart-warming channels that ever existed on RU-vid

Clicked for Mr Pirate, stayed for the info. …and Mr Pirate too of course, he’s just that majestic.

Mr. Pirate is lucky he has you 😊

My cat Xander has never cared for water. He only played with it. He suddenly started drinking water a lot. I took him to the vet immediately and diabetes.

One thing i will add to this excellent advice is to make sure your cats water source/s are in an area they feel safe and secure. I have noticed nervous or sick cats tend to become unwilling to eat or drink as much as they should because in the wild having their heads down doing these things in a dangerous area means they are more likely to be subject to attacks from other predators. My brothers cat had a lot of urinary tract infections because he was not looking after her properly and she was highly stressed, i had to spend 3 months allowing her to get used to me before she started to slowly get better. In the end she would come into my room to Meow at me to lead me to her food bowl and water fountain, so i could "stand guard" at the door whilst she ate. it made her feel safe and secure having a member of the pack to look out whilst she ate and drank.

Obviously im not a vet, but i can attest to everything you are saying. When my now much older boy was 8, he started drinking a ton of more water, and then very little. I got him to the vet and he had some kidney issues. He ended up being quite ill for over a year, but eventually he recovered. A lot of the reason I think he is still around is because i noticed it and got him treatment before he got worse.

With water fountains, don't forget to clean the filters regularly. I do a full clean and disassembly at the start of every month. And have spare filters ready in case the current filters look a bit meh.

Another really great, important video! I add a little extra water to my cats pate wet food and blend it. Kinda like a smoothie. Thank you so much and it's so good to see you and Mr. Pirate! Also sending love to Princess Clawdia! ❤🐾💙

The mind blow when you said isolate the healthy cat. I grew up with cats, always been passionate about them and tried my very best to understand and read them. Never would such a thing cross my mind. I salute you Dr. Uri

I'm worried we haven't seen you and Mr. Pirate in so long! 🙏❤

And why do three out of three cats hands down prefer the water glass on the bed stand over all other water sources?

If you are interested in the PETLIBRO Dockstream water fountain featured in this video, please follow the link below and get a 20% discount using the code: Official website: bit.ly/43aNbXT Code: URI105 Amazon: bit.ly/3WHS8Fy

my Mei has a little drink after pretty much every meal and treat, she's fussy with wet foods and never eats too much of it in one go. I used to worry whether her drinking was excessive as I'm the most anxious pet owner ever, but I've learned this is her baseline and all her bloodwork has thankfully so far been normal, she turns 9 next week. it was thanks to this channel that we started doing regular bloodwork! it's well worth the hassle and cost.

Thanks for this great information on how much water my FurBabies should be drinking. I'm so glad that Mr Pirate is still in good health since he was saved when you were still at Sydney University Veterinary School. Hope that Princes Clawdia still doing well. All cats are very lucky to have you as their pet parent!

my cat is 18 and has health issues similar to Mr. Pirate. My vet gives him excellent care and has helped me manage his conditions for the last 8 years. I have been giving him extra fluids occasionally but found it difficult to do due to my work schedule. When I watched the Mr. Pirate health update video I tried the suggestion of putting extra water dishes around the house. I put one next to his bed and he loves having it there. I may get a fountain to encourage him to intake more water.

Danke! Plüsch and Plumm, Plumm is the Silver striped guy Plüsch is his sister. They are now 14, I am sure your education about cats already helped a lot keep them healthy and happy.

My cat has a water bowl but she barely touches it. I add water to my cat's wet food. I'll put a little water in the empty food can and swish it around and put the water in the bowl with the food. (Bonus, gets the little extra bits and gravy left in the can.)

I saw mr. pirate in the thumbnail and I have never clicked on a video so fast, because I got so excited to see his adorable little face !!!!

Hey I am really missing you and hope all is ok. I would love to hear you let us know how you are doing and how Pirate is doing. ❤

my cat's not a big water drinker so ive added water to her dry food and she seems to do very well with that. i alternate between kibble and wet food to keep her hydrated bc she's a spunky sprinter!!

I’ve learned so much about my little guy from you! I want to give him a healthy, happy long life ❤

A couple tips I would like to contribute to help cats drink more water ❤️ First, observe your cat's typically patrolling routes around the home, and put water bowls or fountains along those routes! That makes it convenient for them to just stop by and have a little drink, then move on with their daily stroll around their little territory. Second, is to elevate the water bowls (if you have a fountain, they're typically already about a cat's shoulder height, and that's good enough). As Dr. Uri explained in the video, many cats enjoy elevated water sources, and they don't feel safe or convenient lowering themselves to drink. Third is for the winter time. I find that my cat really dislikes drink ice cold water in the winter, in fact, drinking water that cold often gives her an awful cough. I hate that so much, I feel so bad for her, and there's just no modern gizmo that's able to solve that issue yet. I'm lucky enough to be able to spend a whole lot of time of the day with her, so I pretty much change her water up to 5 times a day or more, almost every time I spot her eating or having an intense grooming session, after which she will likely go for the water bowl. Or she will literally sit at my feet and do the awfully sad blinking face if I hadn't noticed her before hand 😂 I will quickly replace about half of the ice cold water with fresh hot water from the pot (she hates heated hot water from tap - boiled cold water only. Very fancy taste), and she will take her sweet time, usually over a minute, enthusiastically lapping at the water bowl. It's a lot of work, but there's just no other way she can safely drink water, and more importantly, drinking enough water for her health in the cold winter months. I do welcome tips & input!

had a guy (who actually knew a good amount about cats) tell me I should give my cats dry food since they drank more water that way vs. wet food. I couldn’t get him to understand they drank less water because they got it in their wet food. and I wish my cats liked fountains/faucets but several different types have largely gone untouched 😕

Excellent video! I have a cat who drinks (and therefore pees) a LOT, seems like about the equivalent of 4 “normal” cats! However, he’s done this ever since he was a kitten and living with my niece, who’s a vet. He was checked several times when he was young, and is re-checked every year. He’s 9 now, and apparently this is just normal for him, but I keep an eye out for any changes. I love him to pieces, but it makes litter costs and litter hauling a bit challenging!

A very high quality wet food and your cats will avoid so many problems. Had a vet years ago who diagnosed one of my cats as diabetic and no choice but to do daily injections. Thankfully, a very wise vet who studied feline diabetes, suggested I change her diet to a wet food. Within 2 weeks of the change her glucose level plummeted, she lost weight and was perfectly healthy until she passed at 19.

It was recommended that strays be given canned food just for the moisture because they don't always have access to water.

WHERE ARE YOU WE MISS YOU

Thank you for another great video. I bought my cat a water fountain this past Christmas, she loves it and drinks more.

My kitty eats canned food to which I add about 1/8 cup warm water for her breakfast. I add her supplements as well to make a 'kitty porridge' which she loves, laps up every drop! She has a water fountain as well. Squishy hugs to Mr. Pirate; he sure loves you!!

My childhood cat, may he rest in peace, became incontinent and drank a lot more, we missed the symptoms and then all his problems added up, diabetes, cancer, a torn ligament and arthrosis, he was 17 and the vet told us he's not going to get better and suffering a lot, I cried for days when he was put down, I still dream of him, I'm crying now as I'm writing this, take good care of your cats.

We hope you are all well

Oh man, you have no idea how much your videos are helping me! Hahaha. As a long time owner of dogs, I have found myself with a kitten and no knowledge. I found her last month, or rather, she found me and after waiting for her mom to show up, several days passing, I took her in. Found out by my dog's vet, she was only 6 weeks old and 1.3 lbs! It'll be officially a month I've had her on the 30th and she's pretty healthy and yeah, your videos have been such a great help! I had just been wondering what her daily intake should be since she doesn't like to drink from a bowl, and this really answered my questions! So thank you again! On a side note, Surprisingly my dachshund has really come around and just loves her. Maybe because he's 11yrs old so his prey drive isn't as strong anymore but she was snuggled up next to him purring and asleep! :D

Doctor Uri, I just want to say thank you for posting these useful and relaxing videos. I am going through some personal issues lately, but your videos are so uplifting, they bring happiness in my heart and keep me going. The love you show to cats is heartwarming.

Dr Yuri....we need you to check in with us please. Dr Yuri....check in please.

What I've heard, cats prefer running water over standing water instinctively because in the wild, running water (e.g. from spings or small creeks) tends to be cleaner than water from puddles. Not sure if that's true, but it sounds plausible.

Ever since I first found your videos you have been such a ray of sunshine! Informational, fun to watch, especially since I have cats of my own now. Thank you so much

We have two fountains but my cat demands faucet. Now I understand why he spends a lot of time near it.

I come here for sound and compassionate advice. Thank you very much, Dr. Uri! Mr Pirate is such a beautiful cat even at his age with the cutest face!

Missing your videos 😢

My Siamese gets through the same amount of wet and dry food year in, year out and his water is changed morning and evening . The state of his litter tray is an excellent way of monitoring things. Meal times are announced loudly and his heads inside the packet before it's fully opened. A loud bellow tells his staff to go and clean away the No. 2s more or less as soon as he's performed. Any change in the litter tray situation will be a sign for concern.

Love that cat bed!

It is nice to see you again sir! Sometimes YT suggest me one of your famous videos every year and I like to watch it every time! It is amazing that it has been 5 years.

My cats started drinking more water when I invested in a fountain. They love the tap. I give them fresh clean spring water, the same as me,

Pirate is such a cool cat!

My cat insists on drinking from the tap. She's so spoiled. Doc, how is Mr. Pirate doing? He's such a good boy.

My cat is a social drinker, so I don't have to worry too much.

How much, as it relates to beer, wine, and liquor?

My 3y/olds have no thirst drive. Fountains, bowls, faucets, ceramic or stainless…zero interest 🤦🏻‍♀️ now I leave a bowl out in the off chance one might drink, but I clean an untouched bowl 99% of the time. Since I can’t trust my boys to drink any water, I add it to all their wet food meals and track their litter box. They eat 4 small meals/day and at least two of them are wet food. I’m able to make it 3 a few times a week. I’m always worried about their health but I hope that what I’m doing is enough to keep them healthy for a long time. They are my world ❤

please update us on you and Mr. Pirate. We love you and we are concerned.

That story about the leaky tap was so cute

Mr Pirate is back again! Yay! 🎉❤

Mr. Pirate be like: less talking, more petting!

Great info. It's funny how "personal" this can be to each cat, though. I had a girl who drank a lot/peed a lot and it was due to kidney disease (we caught it early), but I have a boy who does the same and - per the blood work - he's apparently fine. Or, in the words of his current vet, "Some cats just seem to pee crab cakes."

I generally cut him off after a couple shots, other than that he just drinks water.

mr. pirate is very cute. thank you so much for the detailed explanation, doc!! i hope you and mr. pirate have a great day

I hope all is well with Dr. Uri. It’s been 6 months since his last video.

I've worried more than once that my kitty has always been a heavy water drinker & peer, but he's always been this way; it's just in comparison to other cats I've had, he drinks (and subsequently pees) a lot! But you and whatever article I found when I googled it, made me feel better because it seems he's just on the high end of normal. It's possibly a little over if you include all his wet food, but again, the trend is that this is normal for him over years, not a new development. Also, he's a chonk (yes, we've tried all the diets and recommendations and whatnot, he still is), so his ml per kg per hour is just going to be higher, which I didn't think about before (and my vet never said anything about it). So thank you for this!

Mr. Pirate is adorable!!!! I'm so glad he's doing well. Interesting video! Keep them coming!!!

I just got a kitten and now I will be binging all of your videos about cats. It's been a while since I've been here (ever since squish the cat actually), and I remembered yet again why I had subscribed that time even without having a cat, or any pet rather, becase of your calm and loving energy towards animals. Lots of love from Turkey

I had no idea that drinking too much was an indicator. Will keep an eye out for that!

My cat only drinks from the faucet. I have to turn it on for him a few times a day.

There are also water fountains and feeders that scan the microchip and can monitor intake for different cats on the same device!

Hi Dr Burstyn, watching this recent video. I so enjoy the information you provide over the years; I am a fan, wish you were in closer proximity but your insight is so helpful. Mr Pirate looks amazing for being now about 19-20 years old? I know he is your favorite kitty even though I know you love little Clawdia as well. I've followed how he became your kitty years ago as a resident on your shoulder - hense the name...so adorable! In light of your video highlighting water consumption, I have indeed done an experiment to measure Tiger Lily's water consumption (my sole kitty - almost 10 years old) where she drinks about 4-5 oz per day which appears to be average. I did confirm this to be sufficient with my favorite vet practictioner. Tiger Lily is a super picky eater with wet food but I supplement with other moisture foods. She does love her dryfood and treats but I do make an effort to measure and keep that to a minimum and maintain balance. I will look into the water dish you were discussing. The last blood work we did identified slightly elevated calcium levels at 11.8 and possible hypercalcemia but we are monitoring that carefully. But what I wanted to ask you about is that my vet has identified her as having eye herpes quite a few years ago. I adopted her from a multiple cat home many years ago and they said it was possibly transferred from other cats but it didn't happen right away upon adopting her. Anyway they provided me with Viralys maple flavored ointment that I give her daily to minimize the eye "crud" drainage. It has gotten better but is still persistent. Question, do you have any thoughts on other treatments? I know this causes her eyes to be itchy. I appreciate any advice you can provide. I understand you can't and won't provide a diagnosis, but your thoughts would be welcome. Keep the videos coming! Hopefully not too much TMI.....Thank you in advance.

Just what I need! Thank you so much doctor and you too Mr. Pirate

Thanks for info! Though my cat scared of a fountain when I got one when he was a kitten 🤣🤣I end up measuring water intake from his water bowl. (He loves warm water, so I am heating water) Plus adding water to his wet food.

Our senior "Rocki" has always loved drinking from the tub/tap. The vet warned us about "hyperthyroidism" a few years back. Last year, her water intake increased dramatically, and her cat box took only a few days to get flooded with urine. Rocki has been on medication for awhile now, along with fairly frequent blood work. Rocki still drinks a ton of water, and pees like a race horse, her appetite for wet food has increased as well. Perhaps she just wants more wet food because of the moisture, like you mentioned. The vet has adjusted the dosage of her meds up and down slightly over time in an effort to keep functions close to normal. I just wonder why her thirst hasn't reduced with the medication. I asked the vet if Rocki is in discomfort, her activity level and mood seem normal in spite of drinking all the time.

I cracked it! I know who you look like-Mike Burstyn - The famous Yiddish singer (When he was younger). For instance you can see the resemblance on his LP album cover: Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen. Is it accidental that you have a similar/the same last name??

TY Dr. Uri and Mr. Pirate.

I love Mr Pirate!

I was worried that my Ebony-May wasn't drinking enough, however she has regular urine output. At 22 Ebony-May eats both wet and dry food. On hot days I add water to her wet food, not a lot say about a tablespoon.

Great video as always. And it is wonderful to see Mr. pirate again.

Thanks so much for this video and your others. You present information with such gentle kindness. We lost our dear kitty Ecco in February to kidney disease; we did SubQ hydration for nearly two years until it was her time. We lost another kitty many years ago to the same disease, so I'm always very mindful of water intake. We recently adopted a new kitty (Phoebe1.5yrs old). We feed her wet and dry food, and I actually sprinkle a little water on both kinds of food to increase her water intake. I've been thinking about purchasing a water fountain, so this video was especially helpful. Thanks again for your beautiful work.

Thank you so much, Dr. Uri! My 2 girls and I just moved to Vancouver and really hope they can become patients at one of your clinics! Your videos are so informative and entertaining and have helped us very much along the way 🙏

Mr. Pirate is just loving all those pets!

One hypothesis for preferring running water is that in nature it's more likely to be safe to drink than still water.

Just caught your performance as Translator in Family Law - knew it was you even with the headphones. Well done, Uri!

It's endearing that MrPirate use part of is fluids to groom the hands that grooms him. That cat knows he is cared for and care for his human.

are you sure there aren't any exceptions? one of my cat which is quite a big fella drink from the sink everyday plus his bowl of water, i doubt he has any kidney problems he looks in perfect shape but i must say because i open the sink for him everyday like twice or more a day and leave him there drinking usually like 10 mins, i must say he does pee alot but maybe he doesnt drink from his bowl at all and simply wait for the sink everytime? either way i might get this fountain thingy, hes also a big hunter during seasons and eat alot of mice and birds and what not.

This is the first time I've watched your videos. You had me hooked when you talked about Mr Pirate in a baby voice around 9:50.

Great video as always. Thank you.

I help my cat get more water by mixing liquid treat with two or three tablespoons of water. She loves it. It’s her favorite thing. When she hears me stirring it, she comes running and begs for it. I call it her “treat water.”

I put a spoon of schesire kitten kibbles in a bowl of water. And she gets also wet food. She drinks all the water of the bowl to get to the kibbles 😂

I have one cat who flips his water bowls over and one who throws his toys in them! Very funny, but also annoying. Why do they do this/what can we do about it? I’d love a video on weird cat water bowl habits!

Mr. Pirate is so cute!

I was just watching Family Law and who did I see but my favourite vet! Great job on the acting!

Just don’t let them drive if they’ve drunk more than a standard drink.

I was so focused on Mr Pirate i had to watch this a few times 🤗

my cats love their water fountain, but what they love even more is drinking from any water source that's not theirs. A pitcher of water I put on the table for myself will attract the kitties. So will a vase full of flowers. Or a beaker with the left over water from refilling their water fountain. Makes it hard to gauge how much they're drinking, but at least they are drinking. The fountain itself I need to fill with about a liter of 1-1.5 liters a day for my 2 kitties, but of course part of that is due to evaporation. With what other water they find, they're probably getting 600ml each per day. consistently.

Thank you so much, Dr. Uri Burstyn.💕

Whenever he starts slurring his meows and flops over on the floor

I have three seniors and one youngster. I feed a little Hills prescription urinary health dry just to give them something to crunch on, but by far the bulk of their diet consists of The Honest Kitchen dehydrated chicken that I reconstitute with water and goats milk. I make it a thick soup/gravy consistency, so I know they're getting plenty of water. Love love The Honest Kitchen.

My cat hates wet food so out of the 4 feed times she gets dry food 2 times (early morning and late night), and wet food 2 times (afternoon and evening). I also add about 20ml water to each wet food serving. She hates me for it but I always tell her she'll thank me later. We also have 2 accessible water bowls, which she usually drinks from at least once a day, and I'm hoping to shift to a running water source soon (but this bluetooth fountain isn't available where I live). I'm constantly worrying about her water intake since she's getting on in age and we live in a hot and humid climate.

This angle is so funny it makes pirate and your hands huge:D

Between you and The Kitten Lady, I'm all set.

Is there a video on your channel for the pros and cons of pet insurance? Thank you Dr. Uri for all of your great educational and entertaining videos! Love to see your cats as well.

My cat Max lives for the bathtub tap and jumps up and waits for the tap to be turned on when I go to use the toliet 😂

I love this channel! Thank you for the heart warming videos doctor!

I wished my 3 cats liked the fountains, unfortunately it only lasted a couple weeks. Back to cleaning out many water bowls and refilling everyday.

My cats wouldn’t drink much until I started putting distilled water in their fountain. I also took out the filters which are plastic and toxic. Plus if I don’t clean the fountain/change the water at least once a week they stop drinking from it. Lots of bad stuff in city tap water.