If the cat is constantly thirsty and drinks more than usual, you need to think about the health of the animal. Increased thirst can be caused by changes in the animal's diet or conditions, or it can be a symptom of a serious illness.
When it's okay to be thirsty
If the cat began to drink more - first of all, pay attention to whether her diet has changed recently. If the cat has been transferred from natural products or wet canned food to dry industrial food - an increase in the amount drunk is quite natural, because the moisture content in the food is low. Therefore, the cat begins to apply more and more often to the bowl of water in order to get the liquid that it previously received with food.
The reason for thirst can be an imbalance in the cat's diet: low protein or high salt content. In this case, you need to adjust the menu.
In addition, there are a number of natural reasons why a cat will drink more, thereby compensating for the increased water consumption. This is pregnancy, increased physical activity, high temperature in the house or outdoors, stress.
An increase in water consumption while taking a number of medications (diuretics, corticosteroids, etc.) is also considered normal. If the treatment is carried out under the supervision of a doctor, this side effect does not lead to any consequences for the cat's body, and after the drug is discontinued, water consumption will decrease to normal.
The normal water intake for cats is 25-50 milliliters per kilogram of body weight per day. You can talk about increased thirst if the cat drinks more than the norm.
Diseases of cats with thirst
If neither the diet nor the conditions of keeping the cat changed, and she drinks more and more water, this is a reason for an immediate visit to the veterinary clinic.
Increased thirst and drinking too much water is called polydipsia (from the Greek polydipsios, where poli means "a lot" and dipsios means "to drink").
Increased thirst can be a symptom of a number of serious medical conditions, including:
- diabetes;
- insulinoma;
- liver tumors;
- hepatitis;
- acute or chronic renal failure;
- pyelonephritis.
In order to make a diagnosis, in most cases it will be necessary to pass a urine test and undergo an examination - only after that the doctor will be able to prescribe treatment for the cat. Some of these diseases are incurable, but nevertheless, with proper care, the animal can continue to live an active life for many years to come.
In any case, care must be taken to ensure that the thirsty cat always has access to water. Dehydration in such animals occurs quickly enough, and the cat, deprived of the opportunity to drink, may die.
