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My 10 month male cat is hardly drinking any water. However, when I added water to his food, then he drank it all. On the other hand, I feed him dried food since the vet told me that it is good for the teeth. But I guess that the dried food gets soft with the water. My question therefore is what is most important for my kitty? Drinking water or maintaining healthy teeth?

p.s. I have tried adding extra bowls of water in different places in the house but he keeps on just smelling it and then nothing else. I also let it on the sink with the water running just in case he prefers fresh water directly but he doesn't.

Hi There,

Cats are derived from desert animals so it isn't unusual for a cat to not drink much water. Often a cat that starts drinking a lot has a health problem such as kidney failure or diabetes. You can try a couple of things, such as offering your kitty bottled water, or getting one of those water fountains for cats.

Dry food is not going to keep any cat's teeth healthy. Canned food is best for cats for many reasons. It is more natural for them as it is closer to what they would eat in the wild. Plus it contains a lot of water. Cats are carnivores and feeding them food loaded with grains is hard for their systems to process. They don't even have the enzymes in their saliva to break down starches and grains.

Remember also that cat's teeth are designed to tear meat, not chew. Most cats will swallow at least some of their dry food whole, if not all of it. Dental treats or diets may help a little, but only if the pieces are large enough to force the cat to bite down on them.

So, in answer to your question, it's a good thing anytime you can increase the amount of water a cat drinks, but unless you want to start brushing your cat's teeth, he will eventually need his teeth professionally cleaned.

PHKitkat

Thanks for your reply
Yes I was aware that dry food might not be the best option. I'm still a bit confused though because one said this and one sais the other. The vet said that in order to control weight and good teeth dry food is the best (not the commercial one in the supermarket but from specific stores). Then she said that the canned food is better for water. I'm not 100% sure what is best for my kitty. I currently feed him dry food (royal canin) but sometimes canned food...

I had the same problem with my kitties until I got them a fountain. They used to only drink out of the sinks, toilet, and bath tub. Now I'm having trouble keeping the fountain full. They both are on a high protien dry diet, and I give them one small can of wet food (chunks in a gravy) I would definatly recommend getting a water fountain.