The cat does not drink water: what to do, warning signs, is long-term dehydration dangerous?

How much water should a cat drink per day?

The average moisture requirement of mammals is about 5% of their live weight. This includes drinking water and taken with food. If there is neither one nor the other, body reserves are consumed: with the oxidation of 100 g of fat, an average of 106 g of water is formed. In hot weather the animal drinks more, in cool weather less.

If your cat is sick, water intake may decrease or increase. Therefore, you should not panic. If the cat does not lap up the water, then perhaps she is getting enough moisture from the food.

Reasons why a cat doesn't drink water

All the reasons why a cat does not lap from a bowl are divided into physiological and pathological.

Physiological reasons

The cat does not lap from the bowl for the following reasons:

Eating natural food or wet canned food. In the wild, there is enough water in the body of a mouse or bird. In the savannah, during the dry season, predators eat meat that contains enough moisture, and if hunting does not bring luck. They use up their own fat reserves.
The bowl of water smells unpleasant. Instinct does not allow a cat to drink bad water. If the drinker is located next to a tray or feeder, it takes on the smell of excrement or fermented food. In the wild, it is not dirty water that poses a danger to a cat, but microscopic algae that multiply in it and release algatoxins.
The cat doesn't like the bowl. Metal utensils rattle, plastic utensils absorb odors. Therefore, it is necessary to use ceramic or glass bowls.

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Pathological causes

Diseases that cause vomiting, swelling, inflammation of the mouth, paralysis, are accompanied by a refusal to drink. The cat doesn't drink not because he doesn't want to, but because he can't.

The gag reflex applies to everything that enters the stomach: food and water. This condition is called hydrophobia and hydrophobia. Associations with rabies should not be made.

There are many pathological conditions in which a cat refuses to drink. The most dangerous are panleukopenia or calcivirosis. But such diseases are typical for unvaccinated kittens and are distinguished by many other pathological symptoms.

Prevention measures

Prevention rules that will help avoid problems:

Make sure water and food bowls are always clean.
Include only high-quality food in your pet's diet.
Try not to expose your cat to stressful situations.
Brush the coat regularly. This must be done using a furminator. This procedure will prevent the accumulation of hair in the cat’s gastrointestinal tract after licking.
Eliminate the presence of cockroaches in the house, which can carry serious infections.
Protect your pet from contact with street animals.
Regularly wet-clean the floor.
Do not give your cat any medications without consulting a doctor.
Deworm your pet once every 4–6 months.

To protect your animal from a number of diseases, it is recommended to keep outdoor shoes in the closet. This is important to prevent the cat from coming into contact with bacteria that can easily be carried home on the soles.

If a cat loses its appetite and feels unsatisfactory, then there is no need to try to cure it at home. If the provoking factor is not serious and does not pose a threat to life, then the pet will recover in the next 24–48 hours. When this does not happen, you should immediately consult a doctor.

The cat does not drink water, what should I do?

If the cat stops drinking from the bowl, it is necessary to assess his condition and analyze his diet. If the cat is given mushy natural food or wet canned food, enough moisture is supplied. However, some owners believe that the cat must drink and to do this they open the water tap or purchase a drinking fountain. Other felinologists consider tap water unsuitable for pets and purchase bottled water.

If the cat does not lap up water, then it is necessary to monitor its behavior. When a pet is depressed, its eyes are sunken, its fur is disheveled, its skin is flabby, it is necessary to force it to drink. You can draw water into a syringe without a needle and pour it into the mouth drop by drop. The animal may not like it.

Then they resort to an alternative option: saline or Ringer-Locke solution is injected under the skin. The latter remedy is preferable because it contains Potassium, Sodium and Calcium chlorides in the same proportion as blood serum. Glucose binds toxic substances. converts them into safe compounds that are eliminated in the urine.

Up to 150 ml of liquid can be administered per day. After the injection, bulges are formed, which decrease before the eyes. When the cat begins to lap on its own, parenteral administration of the electrolyte solution is stopped. If the animal's general condition does not improve, seek veterinary help.

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Advice from veterinarians on what to do if a cat doesn’t eat or drink, just sleeps; why a cat with liver disease doesn’t eat and goes to the toilet.

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Often, a pet’s refusal to eat can frighten the owner. When a cat is lethargic and spends most of its time in one position, this is certainly not a good sign. If the cat doesn’t eat or drink and just dozes, you need to understand the reasons for this behavior, because it’s entirely possible that your cat is sick and needs to be cured.

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From time to time, situations occur when a cat does not eat or drink for a certain number of days, but only dozes without apparent circumstances. If a cat does not eat and, accordingly, loses its appetite, then this can be called anorexia. But an animal’s appetite is determined by mental factors, in contrast to hunger, which is a physiological phenomenon.

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There can be many reasons why a cat does not eat for a number of days and only sleeps. Often a kitten does not eat because some harmful processes have begun in its body, in other words, a disease is emerging. Usually, if a cat is very lethargic, does not even drink water for a long time and lies in one place for most of the day, then this indicates diseases of the stomach or other major organs. After all, when experiencing severe pain, the animal will not be able to eat.

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It is also necessary to emphasize that if the pet is very lethargic during the day and does not even drink water for a long time, this may indicate the first heat. Many owners think that their pet is sick, but this is not the case. In this case, the animal begins to get acquainted with new natural urges, and this can lead it to confusion. Usually, this behavior and refusal of water and food can only go away for a few days, and then everything returns to normal.

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If the kitten doesn’t eat anything for a long time and doesn’t even drink water during the day, he’s lethargic and doesn’t want to do anything, then your pet is probably sick. Often, contagious diseases such as worms are a prerequisite for lack of appetite. To prevent your pet from losing weight and becoming lethargic, you need to give him preventive medications against parasites from time to time.

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Below is a list of the most common diseases among domestic cats. If the cat does not eat anything for a day or a certain number of days, is very lethargic and only lies in one place, plus he has also lost weight, then, of course, the pet has fallen ill. But what kind of infection is the prerequisite for this? Let's try to figure it out.

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As stated above, an accurate diagnosis can only be made by a specialized doctor, since there can be many reasons for lack of appetite. Diagnosis of a pet’s health condition comes down to the following measures.

you too abruptly and unplannedly began to accustom him to other foods;
First, if the cat has lost weight, then it is likely that she has gastrointestinal diseases. Typically, such a disease is accompanied by diarrhea and other unconventional discharge. Only a veterinarian can make a more thorough diagnosis.
This may also indicate liver disease. If the cat is sick, then you also need to go to the doctor, and for the future - create a diet that would cleanse this organ.
Pancreatic diseases. Sometimes a cat does not eat precisely because of this disease.
Diseases of the reproductive system.
Blood diseases.

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But just because your cat isn't eating doesn't mean she has one of these diseases. If your pet has lost weight, this may well be due to the fact that he:

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I don’t like the new food (the diet needs to be changed);
new place of residence (over time, the cat adapts, you can help him with this: veterinary stores often sell appropriate medications that help animals when moving);
other causes of stress (it is necessary to identify specific causes of stress).

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In any case, if the cat does not eat during the day, then this is not a big deal. But if this trend continues for a long time, then the pet must be taken to the doctor. However, you also need to take into account some nuances. For example, if you are worried about the health of your pet and don’t know how long it can go without food, then consider the following factors:

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A young and healthy cat can easily go without food for more than five days, and this will not harm him in any way. After this period, the body will be replenished with all the necessary vitamins and carbohydrates and the cat will feel normal again.
If your cat is already old and has stopped eating, then he can go without food for about three days without harm to his health. As in the previous case, after which his body will be replenished with vitamins. Of course, if the reason for such a diet is not a disease.
If the kitten is small and has not eaten all day, then it may die of hunger. A small and fragile organism can survive without food for about a day, in rare cases - a little more. Therefore, kitten owners need to immediately sound the alarm if their pet does not eat for at least half a day.
If you know that your cat suffers from chronic diseases, then she should not be allowed to starve for a long time. Regardless of the stage of manifestation and degree of the disease, a sick pet should not fast for more than two days.

If your cat doesn’t eat anything and has lost a lot of weight, then first you need to try changing your pet’s diet. After all, if your pet doesn’t eat during the day, and you just gave him new food or food, then perhaps the problem lies in the food. In this case, you need to do this: add not very much of the food that she ate previously to the new food, gradually reducing its level to a minimum.

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Perhaps the cat is lethargic and does not eat during the day due to the dirty bowl in which her food is located. After all, bowls must be perfectly clean, so they need to be washed every day. It is likely that your pet does not like the location of his bowls. Try placing the bowl in a different place and watch the cat.

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In general, if the cat does not eat for a long time and is very lethargic throughout the day, or even several days, and the above tips did not help, then there is only one way out. What to do? Take your pet to the veterinarian as these symptoms indicate the development of the disease. Only a doctor can determine the real cause.

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eating too quickly;
the cat ate a lot at lunch;
the food you feed the animal is very difficult to digest;

the food is of poor quality and has already spoiled;
Perhaps the pet was poisoned by digging in the trash or eating something poisonous.

Try feeding your pet a different food and observe its behavior and condition. In addition, certain health problems in your animal may be a likely cause of this condition. It could be:

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digestive system cancer;
renal failure of the body;
diabetes;
presence of infection in the stomach;
the presence of parasites in the esophagus.

liver treatment in Germany In the first four cases, home self-medication is not allowed. Take your pet to the veterinarian for examination as soon as possible, otherwise the situation could end in disaster. A timely diagnosis and treatment can save the animal, but if you hesitate, you can completely ruin the health of your pet.

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If you think that your cat has parasites in his stomach, for example, worms, then you can check it yourself. How to do it? It's painfully simple. Go to the nearest veterinary store and buy an anthelmintic for domestic cats. Sometimes it can be mixed with water or added to food. More often it should be given to the pet in its pure form.

In addition, this can be caused by various diseases of the mucous system, in other words, the throat, nose, mouth, etc.

Of course, this is not so easy to do, especially when the animal breaks out. With one hand you need to open the cat's mouth, and with the other you need to put a pill in it. Make sure she swallows it, otherwise there will be no point. When the cat has eaten the drug, wait until it goes to the toilet.

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After the animal has left excrement in the tray, you need to visually assess it. If there are parasites in the animal's body, they will be visible in the cat's feces. If they are not there, then take your pet to the doctor.

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It is believed that a dry nose in a cat is the initial sign of illness. This is partly true, but not always. For example, after sleep your pet’s nose will be dry, as if you didn’t want the opposite. But if the lack of appetite is accompanied by this factor for several days, then there is only one way out - take the animal to the veterinarian.

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Also, touch your pet to see if he has a fever. If this is the case, then immediately take the animal to the doctor.

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My cat hasn’t eaten or drunk for 3 days, I give Rigedron 2 ml - every 10 minutes - I give activated charcoal - I give a little milk with a syringe - sweet water - glucose. The veterinarian in our city is strange - he refused to put on an IV for fear that the cat would scratch (this is not a veterinarian, I think, but an idiot). Help with advice: what should I do, the cat sleeps head down all the time! I would install the system myself, but I don’t know how.

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Comprehensive and complete inspection. The veterinarian will check the oral cavity, listen to the cat's breathing, palpate its tummy to identify stomach diseases, estimate the cat's weight and measure its body temperature.
You will also need to undergo urine and blood tests. They will help identify hidden diseases of your pet’s organs.
If certain signs are present, your veterinarian may order an x-ray of your chest and abdomen.
He may also order a stool test to detect parasites in the pet’s stomach.

Once the diagnosis is made, the veterinarian will prescribe specific treatment aimed at the cat’s recovery. This can be either specific treatment or supportive.

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Specific treatment consists of eliminating the reasons why the cat stopped eating and drinking. For example, these could be antibiotic injections that will help fight the disease. It can also be surgery if there are foreign bodies in your pet's body.

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As for maintenance treatment, it is designed to maintain the state of the animal’s weak body when the kitten does not eat anything. This may be therapy aimed at stimulating appetite.

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When I moved to a new place of residence, I had a similar problem. But then I didn’t know about stress and everything else, and I was seriously scared. The cat was afraid of the new apartment and was constantly hiding from me. He didn’t go to the toilet for a number of days, and he barely ate at all for probably 4 days. But over time, he began to slowly crawl out, and then I breathed a sigh of relief. Everything worked out fine, but I was so scared then.

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My cat was also stressed at one point.
After communicating with the dog, or rather, after she chased it. So, no veterinary remedies or drugs helped her. The cat shut down and behaved strangely for two days. She showed her to the veterinarian, who prescribed several medications, but to no avail. And guess what? Ordinary valerian helped. I gave the cat a few drops and she purred as if nothing had happened! So sometimes the answer is right under your nose. acute liver disease treatment

liver cirrhosis in Berlin For what reasons does a domestic cat lose its appetite? Why doesn't he eat or drink, but only sleeps all day? You can find out the answers to these questions from us.

Cat refuses water after sterilization

After the operation, the animal recovers from anesthesia and does not eat or drink anything for the first day. On the second day, they begin to feed the pet a little. To prevent the cat from straining and the stitches from coming apart, they give watery food: it is more profitable to take dry food for sterilized cats and dilute it to a liquid state.

You will have to forget about natural nutrition, otherwise the cat will be at risk for obesity and urolithiasis. In this state, the pet will not lap until it is switched to a dry type of food.

What happens if a cat doesn’t drink water for a long time?

If a sick cat does not drink, a condition called dehydration or dehydration will occur. The load on the heart will increase, which will begin to pump viscous blood.

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The conditions for the enzymes to work will be disrupted. The kidneys will stop filtering toxic substances. Conditions will arise for the formation of blood clots and blockage of blood vessels.

The following pathological symptoms are characteristic of dehydration:

depressed state;
the eyes are sunken;
dry mucous membranes;
When squeezed, the skin fold straightens out slowly.

Dehydration threatens the animal's life.

What to do?

If your pet does not drink enough fluids, it can lead to the following health problems:

Dehydration. Lack of fluid leads to dehydration, which can lead to serious health problems;
Constipation. With a lack of fluid, feces become harder, which leads to constipation;
Urinary tract diseases. If your cat doesn't drink water, she can develop urinary tract infections and kidney stones.
Kidney failure . Dehydration can cause kidney damage due to the kidneys not functioning properly and filtering harmful components.

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