# Kitten hasn't drunk water yet?



## ellie.p (Mar 5, 2010)

We got our new 8 week old kitten yesterday, he's been very calm, relaxed and inquisitive, and after settling in last night he's been very friendly too. Yesterday he was a bit nervous of us and didn't want to be touched, but he's letting us stroke him gently now, and I even picked him up for a few seconds! 

He had probably about 1-2 tbsp of dry food (Royal Canin Kitten) over yesterday and last night, and had about 1/2 a pouch of wet food (Whiska's Kitten), but he hasn't to my knowledge had any water yet.

We left it out for him all day yesterday and all last night (we changed it once because it had been sitting a while) but it doesn't look like he's had any of it!

He also hasn't used his litter tray yet, but I hear that it's quite normal for a cat in a new household not to go for 24 hours or more.

So is there a way that I can "tempt" him to drink his water? He seems fine, but I worry in this heat.

Thanks!

-Ellie


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## dharma66 (Oct 25, 2009)

Cats have a very week thirst drive, so its not unusual. However, it is important that they drink something. Wet food helps, as it contains a lot of moisture. You can even enhance this by adding a couple of table spoons to his wet food.you can try adding a little to his dry food as well. Use tepid rather than cold water, as cats prefer their food to be the temperature of a freshly killed mouse 

Cats often prefer water that has been standing for a while, as it gives some of the chemicals added by the water company a chance to settle or evaporate, so leaving the water rather than changing it might be good. If you have a water but that is clean, he might even prefer water from that.

Cats also like running water, so you could try interesting him in a trickling tap if you are ok with that. Alternatively, many people report good results with 'cat fountains'.

Like I said, the thirst response in cats is very low, so not drinking for a day or two should be ok, as long as you have a try at some ideas and get him taking water one way or another fairly soon.


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## The Twins (Oct 11, 2009)

My two didnt have a thirst or the drive to drink when i first got them but they now LOVE their water and are indeed fascinated by the kitchen tap. 

I would recommed a couple of things... Try kitten milk to try to get them used to drinking - you can water it down gradually and then replace it with water. Or use a filter water jug as my two hate tap water and love filtered water especially if its been sat for a day. Also try different types of water bowls... one of mine like the normal brown clay mason and cole bowl and the other prefers a glass ramekin type dish... someone else i know uses pint glasses filled to the brim. 

If all else fails, and they're not a drinker i'd try a water fountain. But also, i'd remove his dry food too and put him on 100% wet food as they get 80% of their water this way. You'd be shocked to see how much water a cat would have to drink to replace the moisture in his diet if he is on dry food... several pints!! 

Also, playing with them with water is good too - mine often put their toys into their water bowl and love flicking water all over the kitchen and licking it up! Nice!

Good luck!


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## ellie.p (Mar 5, 2010)

dharma66 said:


> Use tepid rather than cold water, as cats prefer their food to be the temperature of a freshly killed mouse


I'll remember to warm it to dead mouse temperature next time :lol:

Thanks for the advice about letting it sit. I didn't realise that about the chemicals! I'll definitely remember not to change it as often.



The Twins said:


> I would recommed a couple of things... Try kitten milk to try to get them used to drinking - you can water it down gradually and then replace it with water.


We don't have any kitten milk in the house (one of the few things we forgot to buy when preparing ) but we do have some regular lactose free stuff. I gave him a little and he lapped it right up! Even mixed with a little water he had some.

As I said, he's only been here a day, so I expect he's missing his mum's milk!

I think I'll try gradually watering it down. Failing that, we'll give the water fountain a go!

Thank you very much for your advice


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## The Twins (Oct 11, 2009)

Thats great! Remember to keep watering it down and he'll be on plain water in no time! Bless...


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## lillylove (May 4, 2010)

My kitten likes to mess about with ice cubes in a bowl. It makes a huge mess (so put it in the shower tray) but the other day I realised she was very very hot, but doesn't like the fan blowing on her. I had some ice cubes and she was knocking them about in the shower tray and licking them a lot so then I put them into her bowl of water. She thought it was quite fun and drunk loads
Cats are strange - as much as they appear to hate water, they are facinated by it at the same time


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## ellie.p (Mar 5, 2010)

lillylove said:


> My kitten likes to mess about with ice cubes in a bowl. It makes a huge mess (so put it in the shower tray) but the other day I realised she was very very hot, but doesn't like the fan blowing on her. I had some ice cubes and she was knocking them about in the shower tray and licking them a lot so then I put them into her bowl of water.


That's a great idea for this heat! Luckily Max doesn't seem to be feeling the heat too much (he's in one of the cooler rooms of the house), but I'll keep it in mind. 

He seems to be drinking a little (possibly more at night than in the day) but I've given him a drink of 1/2 lactose-free milk 1/2 water twice a day yesterday and today, and he does drink a little of that. But he doesn't really seem to be thirsty and doesn't drink too much.

I've just bought a fountain for him - should be arriving this week. I'm not too worried about him not drinking the water any more (I think he must do it when we're not watching), but it might be better for him to drink the water from the fountain, which will be filtered. And hey, if he doesn't like it, I can always sell it on! 

Thanks again for all your help!


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## eyelicker (Jan 26, 2010)

I agree with Dharma66, I always add a spoonful of water to their food as it's a far more natural way for them to absorb fluid. Cats have extremely effective kidneys which are designed to abstract fluid from food and really only drink if dehydrated.
My 3 cats are fed on raw and commercial wet food and they never drink, which my vet assures me is a good sign their kidneys are functioning well.
If you are concerned about your cat drinking stick to a wet diet and (like with mine) make dry food the ultimate treat.


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## Bellini (Mar 30, 2009)

Millie didn't drink when she was little either.

One day she was sitting on the floor of the bathroom and I got out the shower and water dripped out of my hair onto the floor. At first she played with the droplets and then after a few minutes of me flicking the water on the floor she started lapping it up.

So every day I'd play the game of flicking the water onto the floor and she'd lap some. After a week or so I let her watch me flick the water into her bowl and I'd leave it under the sink in the bathroom. After a while she realised that the water in the bowl was the same as licking it off the floor and so she used that and then a few weeks later she started drinking from the bowl in the kitchen.

Again, if she's on just wet food she hardly ever drinks but in this weather she is. I leave a bowl at the end of the garden under her favourite tree as well as in the kitchen.

Good luck xxx


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## Lyceum (Sep 25, 2009)

Cats get the water from food, which is why a dry only diet is bad for them. If they drink a lot, they're not getting enough from their food. If I were you, once he's all settled I'd get him on a good quality dry food (bozita, purely, natures menu etc - sorry but whiska's is a pretty bad food) to go with his royal canin.

The water fountain is another good idea, a lot of cats love moving water.

Oddly, when we got Chyna she refused to drink or eat for three days. We were really worried, the vet said he could see no reason why, then on day four I didn't use her usual plastic bowl for some reason, instead I put her food on a saucer and she wolfed it down. Changed the water to a ceramic bowl and she started to drink too. Turns out she didn't like the plastic. She's the same now, metal water bowl and ceramic food bowls.


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