Dehydration?

[3felines]

So I posted a thread here before about how Grady hasn't been acting as his usual self but lately, within the last two or three days he's been coming out more not hiding away sleeping in 'his' chair and cuddling with Athena again but he still isn't back to his *true* self. My question about dehydration. I've always grabbed the scruff of a cats neck and let it go to determined their hydration level (good or bad), if it springs back quickly it's good but the slower it retreats the worse the hydration, correct? I was holding Grady and he started growling and tried to attack my arm so I grabbed his scruff to stop him and place him on the floor and noticed that his scruff did not recede as quick as I would like. He's been urinating/defecating normally and eating (he's actually eating right now), and there is water readily available but I don't think he's been drinking like he should and seeing his scruff like that has worried me. I was wondering if anyone has any information/tips on something like this or anything I can do until he can get into the vet

[Nan]

Well, if he's eating, not vomiting and isn't constipated, then he's not probably dehydrated- at least not really bad.

You can always give him a squirt of water with a syringe (no needle) into the side of his mouth to make him drink, but he probably won't thank you for it!

[chris10]

Your description of the scruff test is fairly accurate. If you haven't done that type of test on a cat thats truly dehydrated. Then it can be tough to tell whether or not your kitty is. But if its not retracting back at its usual speed, then there may be a chance that your kitty is dehydrated. If your worried you can feed more wet, if his diet is mainly dry. Keep monitoring it and if it does get to a point were the skin retracts freakishly slow. Then its time for a vet.