Causes

 

When cats drink more water than normal, it can be a sign of something very mild, such as a medication side effect or the fact that the weather is hotter than normal and the cat is just thirstier. It can also be a sign of something serious that requires medical intervention, such as diabetes, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, or liver disease.

If your cat is showing signs of being very thirsty and you are finding yourself filling up the water bowl more than normal, contact your vet so they can perform a complete examination and tests.

Causes of increased thirst in cats include:

• Diabetes.
• Kidney disease.
• Hyperthyroidism.
• Cushing’s disease.
• Addison’s disease.
• Liver disease.
• Medications.
• Electrolyte or calcium deficiencies.

Symptoms

If you notice that your cat is drinking more than usual, this may indicate that something is wrong. Increased water intake is known as "Polydipsia."

If you are worried about how much your cat is drinking, it can be useful to monitor their water intake for an entire day. You can measure their water intake over a 24 hour period by filling the cat’s water bowl with a measured amount of water from a measuring cup.

Then measure the amount of water left over at the end of the 24 hour period and subtract that amount from the amount when it was full.

Polydipsia is defined as a cat drinking more than 100ml per kg of their bodyweight per day, but any cat that is drinking more than usual should be seen by a vet.

Treatment

If your cat is showing signs of excessive thirst, contact your vet. Your vet will do a complete physical examination of your cat. They may also perform several different tests, namely blood testing, urinalysis, and biochemistry profile. These tests alone will allow the vet to determine if your cat is suffering from any type of abnormalities in the kidneys, liver, electrolyte and calcium levels, and other gland hormone deficiencies.

Once the preliminary tests come back, the results will guide the vet as to what other tests need to be performed, if any. Your vet may also choose to take x-rays or an ultrasound in order to take a closer look at the organs.

Once your vet is able to come to a conclusion as to why your cat is drinking more water than normal, they will explain the diagnosis and treatment options that are available.