Cats And Conserving Water

[Wildflower]

My sister and I are having a disagreement about how often water should be changed out for pets. She has 3 cats - she fills up one big bowl of water for them and then doesn't refill it again until it is completely empty which is usually about a week. I, on the other hand, change out the water daily for my cats and dogs. I have 2 that have kidney disease and my vet says fresh water daily is essential for them. Sis doesn't think it matters and says it is wasting water to empty it down the drain everyday. I am totally into conserving water too and I use the extra water on my deck plants, but in the wintertime I have to admit that I often let it go down the drain.

I just don't think it is healthy to let cats drink the same stale old water for days. Sis says that is what wild animals do and they are fine. I point out that her cats are not wild animals, but domestic cats that completely depend on her for their care. She thinks I'm just being persnickety. Maybe I am, but according to my vet I'm not. Really I don't care whose wrong or right. I just want what's best for her cats.

Curious as to what your opinions might be on this subject. :)

[iris lily]

Anything to get cats to drink is the thing to do.

I've got one of those fountain things for the cats, only for the cats. It amazes me that I put 3/4 cups of water in it each day. I don't know how 3 cats can go through so much water. Where does all that water go!??

The dogs I don't worry about. I swap out water 1x weekly or more often if a big dog has been here to stay. Also they drink out of an outdoor dog bowl that DH fills up with the garden hose each day.

[setis]

how would you like to drink water that has set for a week and a couple others have sipped out of it. Put down enough daily for them all to get plenty of water.

[iris lily]

how would you like to drink water that has set for a week and a couple others have sipped out of it. Put down enough daily for them all to get plenty of water.

well the thing is, I would not want to eat the poo of other dogs here, but they do. And they consider the cat poo a delicacy. They've not demonstrated that they are picky at least according to human standards.

[Float On]

I didn't know until earlier this year that cats do not like standing water at all. No wonder my cat would never touch the water in the water bowl I set out for her but instead always drinks out of the garden pond because it has a little fountain making it 'running' water or would travel thru the woods to the little stream. I don't even put out a water bowl now and she is much happier not having that sitting next to her food bowl. In the winter time she will drink a bit out of a bowl but it has to be fresh and then what she doesn't drink emptied out. She'll ask for water about 4 times a day in winter when her other water sources are unavailable. She is an outside cat in all but the worst winter weather. If I were to ever have an inside cat I think I'd set up a small water fountain at floor level and would add fresh water daily.

[early morning]

We refill our big bowl daily, but only dump it once a week or so. Only one of our cats likes moving water - he stirs it around w/his paw before drinking. Which is why the water bowl sets on a big towel. The cats seem pleased enough with this arrangement. My vet says "fresh" water refers to basically clean water, not necessarily just out of the faucet.

[leslieann]

I remember stirring the water with a finger for one of our cats.

IrisLily, I had to laugh at your characterization of the pickiness of pets. Yep, poo is certainly a delicacy and also other unmentionable things, so we really can't apply our standards of delicacy to the four footeds.

[jp1]

Our cats will only drink out of the bowl if they're really really thirsty. I change it out every couple of days. But at least 2-3 times a day I have to turn on the shower for 3 or 4 seconds and then they run in and drink up the water off the floor of it. My old cat would jump up on the bathroom sink and lick the water out of the faucet. If there wasn't any there I'd start it to a trickle and he'd happily lick at the running water.

i agree with Iris. Anything that will get them to drink is the right answer. Their nature is not to drink a lot and there are a number of health problems that can result if they don't. One of our boys had to have dental work a few weeks ago. They injected him with saline after the procedure to help clear the anesthesia faster and I was stunned to find almost twice the amount of urine clumps in the litter box the next afternoon, so either they gave him a LOT of saline or he doesn't normally drink much water.

[Tiam]

Seems odd to think it's conserving water. There's not a scrap of grass or a rosebush or houseplant she could add it to?

Speaking of cats, my 15 year old cat is being weird. Low appetite, wandering, yowling. EXTREMELY affectionate to the point of being annoying, jumpy, skittish. I have an ant problem in the summer and ants get into her dish so I only put out her dish twice a day. I've been reducing the amount of food and she still isn't eating it.

[Mrs-M]

We don't have pets, Wildflower, but I would change-out the water daily for fresh, water conservation or not. Animals in our house would be treated exactly like babies, only the best for them.

[loosechickens]

well, in this case, I think "conservation" is a cover term for "lazy" at the expense of the kitties........there is no need for the water to go to waste if she changes it every day. She can lift off the lid of the toilet tank and dump the "old" water in there, or water a plant, or use it to clean the sink. Remind her of the Golden Rule and tell her that in things like this, it should apply to animals, too, especially those dependent for their water on their humans. I'd say, nice try, no cigar.........

[Gina]

I don't think that water that sets in a bowl a day or two has suddenly become unclean. In fact, I suspect that gives time for any chlorine that comes in tap water to de-gas and it might even be healthier. In the old days people were told to let tap water sit uncovered for a day or longer before putting it into the fish bowl so the fish wouldnt' die.

I often will drink water that has been poured into a glass the day before. I think too often Americans think things are overly dirty or contaminated because they are 'old' when they are not. Think of all the good food we toss simply because the 'best-by' date has passed.

That said, I change the cat's water every 2-3 days or whenever it gets low or there is something in it. Or I feel like it. I do think that cats can soil their own water by dropping food particles from their mouth area into it, and when that happens, it gets changed.

I do think drinking it down to dry is a bit extreme. Unless this is actually a battle of wills between siblings ;) , why not suggest she keep a bucket into which she dumps the 'old' cat water and rinsings. I've lived in serious droughts - buckets for grey water are not out of the ordinary in all rooms with faucets.

[Wildflower]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. I appreciate it!

[Glo]

We have two dogs and two cats. They all drink out of a large bowl, which holds more than a quart of water. In the summer, I fill the bowl about three or four times a day; in winter I change the water morning and night. We have plenty of water in our area so I don't worry about water consumption. That water gets yucky between changes. We do have a soft-mouth golden retriever if that makes a difference.

[jennipurrr]

I have a small bowl for the cats and I change it every couple of days. One of my cats is a determined toilet drinker and I gave up along time ago trying to stop him. We have another inside bowl that is mostly for the dogs and it has one of those tanks (water jug) on it. I only fill that when the tank is empty...which is probably every week. The dogs also have a water bowl outside that usually gets refilled daily as it evaporates a lot.

[cdttmm]

One of the primary health problems that can arise from cats not drinking enough water - which is why clean, fresh water is critical - is renal failure. A general disinterest in drinking most standing water is further compounded by the fact that most cats kept as pets eat a highly processed commercialized cat food diet and little else. Once a cat's renal function is compromised it cannot be regained. Better to provide your cats with clean, fresh water daily - moving, if possible - than to have to provide them with subcutaneous fluids 3x a week to keep their kidneys functioning. Speaking from experience on this one...and currently providing my mid-stage renal failure cat with the aforementioned sub-q fluids.

[KayLR]

I would have no choice in the matter as Miss CeCe lets me know in no uncertain terms each and every morning that she is ready for her new, clean, fresh water...dispensed by me. If I'm in the shower or sleeping, my husband changing the water is not good enough. She'll complain, and if he changes her water, she will not touch it. It must be from my hand.

I've been in the habit of changing water out every day for my pets forever.

[djen]

My dog will happily drink out of the big bowl (that is filled from a 5 gallon jug) as long as there is even a dribble in there. She doesn't care if it's got food and hair floating in it, she'll slurp away at it all day long.

The cats, however, prefer a little finger bowl of water that we keep on the bathroom counter that gets refilled each time someone uses the bathroom (there are six of us, so that's several times a day.) If the fingerbowl isn't refilled often enough, they drink out of the toilet. Yum!

None of it makes any sense, we just go along with it.

[rosarugosa]

My older cat drinks from a ewer and pitcher that gets changed out weekly, but topped off daily. He is in early renal failure and drinks a ton of water. Now it was my cats who decided that this pitcher was their water station; and this was quite a few years (and a couple of cats) ago. I considered it my plant-watering jug, but the boys repurposed it, and who am I to argue?
My younger cat wants his water fresher than fresh; we joke that we should bring him to the Quabbin reservoir one day. He has a bowl right next to the sink, and we refill it constantly. He tries to drink from the coffee pot when I'm filling it at the sink. Older cat drinks from younger cat's bowl sometimes, but not always. So they both have access to really fresh water and standing water. DH and I are here merely to serve as the furry masters require :)