Hello - As some of you may know, I adopted a 5/6 wk old male, kitten (Ziggy) 9 days ago as a companion to my 10mos old kitten, Molly. I don't think he drinks any of the water I provide though. I am presently feeding him what I call "kitty slop" and it contains IAM's hard kitten food, soft kitten food, and KMR to soften it a bit. I also add a little water to re-loosen the mixture after a bit. I know it sounds gross - but the Animal Shelter said that this was what was the best food for him at his age. He eats quite well (Molly likes his food too) - but I don't think he's getting enough water. Not sure how to tell though. He seems to be doing his business in the litter box (mix of hard and soft), but I don't ever see him approach the water. Does anyone know why? As a matter of comparison - Molly does not drink much water either - or not that I've witnessed. I change the water for both of them daily, and sometimes it looks like it's gone down some - but it is difficult to tell. I'm taking Ziggy to the vet for a follow up on Friday, and I'll ask about it then too.
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Enough Water?
Replies (3)
Sounds like Ziggy is doing just fine with his water intake. You can check with the vet just to be sure, but it sounds like he is getting enough in the concoction you are feeding him. Canned kitten/cat food is 98% water anyway plus you are adding more to the mix. If you want to check his hydration, gently pinch the skin between his shoulder blades into a tent and if it snaps right back he is fine. If it tends to stay tented for several seconds, then have the vet check his hydration. But I really don't think you have to worry. 
I hardly ever see one of my cats drink any water. Some cats like drinking from a water fountain too, so if you are really concerned, you may want to get one of those pet water fountains like PetMate. It made quite a difference in the amount of water some of mine consumed. Guess they like the constant running of the water, lus it is always fresh since there is a filter in there.
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Dottie
Thank you!!
I don't know if you are going to look back at this, but it also helped in my house to keep the water dish somewhere completely different than the food dish. It is also nowhere near the cat box. I agree with Munchie though, ziggy is getting lots of water in his food.
One way to check is to see if there is any urine in the cat box. What goes in will come out....
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