Why add water at all, is it something he prefers? I have a cat that only gets canned as well, he's a street cat and doesn't drink very much from a bowl (I think he doesn't 'get it'). His urinations are good and his poops aren't hard. What age is your guy and how long have you been doing that?

 

My vet told me that cats are desert animals and tend to be a bit "dry" compared to, say, dogs. If you're giving your cat canned food, it's quite possible that's enough water in the diet. If he ever develops kidney problems you may have to find creative ways to lure him to drink, but there are special foods for that which induce thirst.

 

I didn't know if the moisture in canned was enough. He's 6, has always been fed like this. Before I changed his food (they discontinued EVO 95 ) he may not have finished it all. But with his new rotation of wellness he finished every drop along with however much water I add. So, if he really likes it, is it possible there is any harm in too much water. - once again, assuming no health issues.

His pee is good, and his poop is formed and solid, like tootsie rolls.

 

The water in his canned food is sufficient...cats that eat only canned rarely drink any additional water.

Too much water can mess with electrolyte balances in the body. Humans can get water poisoning from drinking too much which can lead to all kinds of issues including death. I googled water poisoning and it seems that drinking 6 liters (or 25 cups) of water could kill a 165 lb human. Assuming a direct correlation....then 1.5 cups (12 oz) is a problem for a 10 lb cat. It wasn't clear in what I read, but I think that the numbers refer to binge drinking.

Since he likes his food soupy I don't see any harm in adding some water but 2/3 of a cup per day is extreme. If he eats one 5.5 oz can per day he's getting almost 4 oz from it. Another 2/3 of a cup and he's getting a total of 10 oz per day. Your cat obviously isn't binge drinking, but 10 oz per day is not a number I would be comfortable with.

My Misty eats a 5.5 oz can per day and about 1/4 cup kibble. I add about 3 oz of bone broth to her food to offset the dehydration aspects of the kibble. Bone broth would be a better option for you as it would not deplete electrolytes like water does.

 

I have one that licks the plate so I make a little gravy with water and put it on the food just as a precaution. His pees are pretty big. I haven't measured but I would say I give 1/4 cup or even less.

 

I mix in some water with the canned food. It's so cold out, any water I leave out for the cat will freeze, so he gets water in his food. He licks his plate clean every meal. Seems to me he likes it that way, so we continue in summer.

A goal I have is avoiding UTI problems, since this outside cat is semi-feral and vet visits and meds are a REAL HUGE challenge for all of us, vet included.

I always feed pate' food, not that stuff with the gravy. Have never felt sure I was getting my money's worth there, for there's a lot of gravy and not all that much solids.

I don't think I'm using 1/3 cup water per feeding though... more like a couple tablespoons? The food is like a thick soupy stew.

 

Thanks Doodlebug. Would chicken broth do the trick also? Also glad to see you give a little kibble as my Mama cat has to have her little dry kibble treat each day.

 

Bone broth formulated specially for pets is a better choice. There are several options but Honest Kitchen makes a powdered version that you can mix up ahead and is actually less expensive than buying human broth. I make a quart at a time which lasts about a week (Misty & Jake both get it at every meal, Holly refuses it).

 

Wow, I didn't know that doodlebug. Thanks. Since Celia has stage 4 CKD, obviously she's drinking a lot of water. Of course, she's just peeing it right out, so I don't think she'd ever actually have too much water, but it's good to know.

I suppose it makes sense. I'm pretty sure that too much IV fluids can be fatal, and I have heard of cats ending up with fluid build-up around the heart and lungs.