How Do I Get My Cat to Drink More Water? 11 Practical Ideas
To encourage a cat to drink more water, offer several clean water stations in quiet, easy-to-reach places; keep them away from food and litter; refresh them daily; and let your cat choose between a wide bowl and moving water. Wet food can also increase total water intake when it suits the cat’s diet.
The longer answer is that individual cats have different preferences, so the best setup is the one your cat consistently chooses to use.
Some cats like still water. Some prefer a fountain. Some will ignore a carefully purchased bowl and drink from a glass beside the bathroom basin. The most useful approach is to run a small, safe experiment and watch what your cat actually uses.
First: when is poor drinking a veterinary concern?
A cat may drink less visibly when eating moisture-rich wet food, so the level in the bowl does not tell the whole story. A sudden change matters more than whether your cat matches another cat’s habits.
Contact a vet promptly if reduced drinking comes with lethargy, weakness, poor appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, dry or tacky gums, or sunken-looking eyes. A cat that repeatedly strains to urinate, passes little or no urine, cries in the litter tray or becomes increasingly distressed needs urgent veterinary attention. A urinary blockage is an emergency.
Likewise, a sudden increase in thirst deserves a veterinary discussion. Kidney disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism and other conditions can change drinking and urination. Do not try to solve a marked change with a new fountain alone.
1. Offer more than one water station
One bowl beside the food is convenient, but it may not be the location your cat prefers.
Place water in more than one part of the home so your cat does not have to cross another cat’s territory, enter a noisy room or wait for someone to move. In a multi-cat home, separated stations also reduce the chance that one cat quietly controls access.
You do not need to buy several expensive fountains. Start with clean bowls in two or three safe locations and track which one loses water.
2. Move water away from food and litter
International Cat Care advises offering water in the same room as food if necessary, but not directly beside it, and feline environmental guidance recommends separating key resources. Keep water well away from the litter tray.
In a small flat, “separate” can simply mean the other side of the room. The goal is a clean, calm drinking spot.
3. Choose a quiet, accessible location
Avoid placing the only water source beside a washing machine, slamming cupboard, loud speaker or busy passage. Give your cat a clear route in and out without forcing them into a corner.
A senior cat or a cat with mobility problems may need water on the level where they spend most of their time. If your cat has a diagnosed condition or struggles to bend, ask your vet what setup is appropriate.
For room-by-room examples, read Where Should I Put My Cat’s Water Bowl in an Apartment?.
4. Refresh the water every day
Empty the bowl, wash it, rinse away detergent and refill it with fresh water. Topping up yesterday’s water leaves old residue behind.
Fountains also need a proper cleaning schedule. Disassemble the unit as directed, clean the pump and contact surfaces, and replace filters on the manufacturer’s schedule. Flowing water is not automatically clean water.
5. Try a wide, easy-clean bowl
Some cats prefer a broad, shallow drinking surface. A stable bowl is less likely to slide or tip, and a smooth surface is easier to clean thoroughly.
If your cat prefers still water, the Rogz Anchovy Stainless Steel Cat Bowl 200ml is a compact, easy-clean option. Check a small bowl frequently and never allow it to run dry.
6. Offer moving water—but keep a bowl as backup
Some cats are more interested in running water, and a pet fountain can encourage those cats to drink. Others prefer still water. A fountain is an option, not a universal prescription.
Introduce a fountain beside the existing bowl rather than removing the familiar water source on day one. Keep both available while your cat decides. A cat that likes drinking from taps may respond well to the Pet Water Fountain with a stainless-steel drinking surface. The Pawise Pet Water Fountain 1.1L offers a flowing-water fountain with a 1.1-litre capacity.
Before choosing, compare capacity, material, noise, replacement-filter availability and how easily the pump can be cleaned. Our cat water fountain versus bowl guide explains the trade-offs.
7. Test temperature and water type
Cats can have strong preferences about water temperature and taste. Offer ordinary cool tap water unless local water quality or your vet gives you a reason to do otherwise. If your cat consistently refuses it, try a separate bowl of filtered water and compare—do not assume the expensive option wins.
Keep the test simple. Change one variable at a time, label the locations for yourself and observe for several days.
8. Add moisture through food when appropriate
Wet cat food contains substantially more moisture than dry food and can contribute meaningfully to total water intake. If wet food suits your cat’s life stage, health and feeding plan, it can be part of the hydration strategy.
You can also ask your vet whether adding a little water to the cat’s usual food is appropriate. Introduce texture changes gradually; a cat that rejects the altered meal has gained neither water nor lunch.
Never make an abrupt diet change for a cat on a veterinary or prescription diet without professional guidance.
9. Use flavour only with care
Cornell’s Feline Health Center notes that a small amount of tuna water or low-sodium chicken broth can sometimes encourage drinking. This is not an invitation to use salty household stock, onion, garlic, seasoning or brine.
For a pet-specific meal topper, Rocky & Rosie Chicken Bone Broth Powder and Rocky & Rosie Beef Bone Broth Powder are made for cats and dogs. The current product directions say to add the recommended powder directly to wet or dry food; water is not required. Because the powder itself does not add fluid, treat it as a flavourful complementary topper rather than a source of hydration unless the manufacturer provides separate water-mixing directions. Introduce any new supplement gradually, keep plain fresh water available and ask your vet first if your cat has a medical condition or prescribed diet. Bone broth powder is not complete food, a treatment for dehydration or a replacement for veterinary care.
Ask your vet first if your cat has kidney, heart or urinary disease, food allergies, a prescription diet or another medical condition. Keep plain fresh water available as well.
10. Reduce competition in a multi-cat home
Resource control can be subtle. A confident cat does not have to start a fight to make a nervous cat avoid a bowl; staring, blocking a doorway or resting beside the station may be enough.
Spread bowls across different locations rather than lining them up like a cafeteria. Each cat should be able to approach, drink and leave without passing close to another cat, dog or busy child.
11. Prepare for heat and power interruptions
South African summers can be hot, and fountains stop during prolonged power outages, including local substation failures. Fresh water should remain available at all times, so keep at least one ordinary bowl filled even when a fountain is the favourite station.
Check bowls more often on hot days. Place water in shade, never in direct sun behind glass, and contact a vet immediately if a cat shows weakness, collapse, excessive panting, drooling, vomiting or diarrhoea during heat.
A simple seven-day drinking experiment
For one week:
- Keep the familiar bowl in place.
- Add one wide bowl in a quiet second location.
- Refresh and wash both daily.
- If available, introduce a fountain without removing either bowl.
- Record which sources your cat uses and how often you refill them.
- Note changes in appetite, urination, energy or behaviour.
- Keep the preferred setup and discuss worrying changes with your vet.
The purpose is not to force a target volume. It is to make safe water easy to find and learn your cat’s preference.
Frequently asked questions
How can I get my cat to drink water quickly?
Do not force water into your cat’s mouth. Offer fresh water in accessible bowls and contact a vet if you suspect dehydration or your cat seems unwell. Significant dehydration needs professional assessment and may require veterinary fluid therapy.
Do cats drink more from a fountain?
Some do, but not every cat prefers moving water. Introduce a fountain gradually and keep a familiar bowl available. Clean the fountain and pump according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Should a cat’s water be next to its food?
It is better to give the cat a water option away from the food bowl. In a small home, move it to another part of the room or a nearby quiet area. Keep all water away from litter trays.
Can I add water to my cat’s food?
Often, but the change must suit the cat and the diet. Start with a small amount only after checking with your vet when the cat has a medical condition, eats a prescription diet or has a history of food refusal.
Why is my cat suddenly drinking much more water?
A marked increase in thirst can be associated with several medical conditions. Arrange a veterinary assessment, especially if it comes with increased urination, weight loss, appetite changes, vomiting or weakness.
The bottom line
If you want your cat to drink more, make water fresh, separate, quiet and easy to reach. Offer a choice of clean bowls and, if your cat likes movement, a properly maintained fountain. Watch for sudden changes, keep a bowl available during power interruptions, and involve your vet when drinking or urination becomes unusual.
Your cat may still prefer the water in your glass. Treat that as useful information about bowl position, shape or freshness.
Sources and further reading
- Cornell Feline Health Center: Hydration
- International Cat Care: Encouraging your cat to drink
- Feline Veterinary Medical Association: Setting Up the Environment for Success
- Cornell Feline Health Center: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease
This article provides general cat-care information, not individual veterinary advice. Last reviewed on 27 August 2026.