Cat behaviorists believe this may be due to cats hunting away from their water source in the wild. Cats also do not enjoy the scent of food while drinking water. In addition, they are turned off by food particles in their water. Therefore, keep cat food and water bowls in two separate locations.
Where should I put my cat's water bowl? Just like their food, your cat's water bowl should be somewhere relatively quiet. A hallway, for example, may be too busy for them, even if they are very sociable. Put your cat's water bowl somewhere clean and odour-free – and far away from their litter tray!
If your cat likes to drink out of a water glass, leaving one out for her at night can actually be a great way to get more moisture into her. That's important because cats have a low thirst drive that can lead to chronic dehydration. The risk of problems like kidney disease goes up when a cat doesn't drink enough water.
There's no hard and fast rule about the distance between a feeding area and a litter tray, but it's best to be aware that the two shouldn't interfere with one another. Your cat does not want to be dealing with the scent of its toilet while it enjoys its food.
Wet Food Keeps Cats Hydrated
Instead, they have two options: wet food, or dry kibble. Unlike dry cat food, wet food has enough water in it to provide your cat with much of the hydration they need. You can then use a running source of water (like a pet fountain) to provide the rest of the hydration that they need.
Cats are biologically programmed not to drink water which is near their food or near their toileting area - this is thought to be their instinctive avoidance of contaminating their water with potential sources of bacteria.
Wet or canned food contains about 80% water where as dry food contains about 10%. A 4kg cat solely eating canned food may only need to drink about 30ml of water per day where as the same cat eating only dry food would need to drink more than 200ml of water per day.
Cats do not like their food and water right next to each other. Cat behaviorists believe this may be due to cats hunting away from their water source in the wild. Cats also do not enjoy the scent of food while drinking water. In addition, they are turned off by food particles in their water.
Cats are particular about their food and litter, and they usually don't like having their food close to their litter. This could result in your cat creating a new litter box somewhere in your home, like your bed, your bathtub, behind your living room couch, and the like.
Stay Away From the Litter Box
It's best to keep a considerable distance between the litter box and our food. Not only is it unsanitary, but our wild cat instincts tell us to use the bathroom away from our nest so that predators don't pick up on our scents. Eating near our litter box goes against this very instinct.
Health problems
Cats with dental infections, inflammation in the mouth or gastrointestinal disease may avoid drinking water due to the discomfort it causes them. Cats with underlying health issues may be more likely to become dehydrated, especially those with kidney issues, hyperthyroidism, some cancers and diabetes.
"If a cat can maintain his weight, free choice feeding is okay," says Dr. Kallfelz. Even dry food left out for your cat to free feed needs to be fresh, so be sure to provide new food each day. If free feeding doesn't work, you need to control how much they eat.
Cats sometimes prefer drinking water that is cold, because they might perceive cold water to be fresher. Keep your cat's water cold by replenishing it regularly. You could even pop a few ice cubes in the bowl if the weather is particularly warm.
Even though your cat is drawn to running water, some studies suggest that domesticated cats don't show a preference for fountain water over bowl water.
In addition, cats drink less often when their bowl is above ground level, reducing the chance of them spilling water on the surrounding floor - thank goodness for cat placemats! So if you have multiple cats who share space at meal times, raised water bowls are the ideal choice for giving your pets food and water.
So a cat drinks ten to twelve times per day on average. Cats also get some of the fluid they need from their food, and the amount of water will naturally depend on the type of food.
As far away as possible. If they must be in the same room, do put as much space between them as you can, and if your cat(s) will accept one, consider using a covered litter box. Some cats, however, do not ever adapt to a covered box, so don't penalize the cats(s) if that doesn't work.
Most cats prefer an open litter box. Most cat owners prefer a covered litter box. Covered litter boxes may trap odors and make the human environment smell better but for those reasons they may not be as desirable for the cat. If boxes are not cleaned regularly, the odor may be aversive to them.
“It's hard for cats to get water, because they can't really see still water well, and they may feel vulnerable sitting at a bowl, especially if it's in a corner, so they have their back to other cats who might jump on them,” Greco says.
Cats who eat dry food that you can make readily available may be left on their own for 24-48 hours as long as fresh water is accessible as well. Beyond that time frame, water may get too dirty to drink and the litter box full.
If you have more than one cat, it may be best to change the cat litter more often, every 2-3 weeks. If you use a non-clumping litter and have only one cat, changing the litter twice per week is a good guideline. If you have more than one cat, every other day may work better.
Cats on dry diets will need to drink more than cats on moist food so if you have recently changed your cat's diet this may be the reason for a change in drinking habits. If you are worried about how much your cat is drinking you might want to try to measure their actual intake.
Factors That Affect How Much a Cat Drinks
Cats eating dry food drink more to make up for the lack of water in their food. Canned food, however, has plenty of moisture, so cats tend to drink less. Cats may also drink more water when it's hot outside. This should go immediately back to normal once it cools off again.
After all, all cats are different. But there are some guidelines you can follow. Let's take a look at the first guiding principle right now: Generally the average adult cat should weigh around 10 pounds and needs about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of food per day.