Your cat might not be the type to guzzle a ton of water (like your dog might). But just like us, they do need to drink water every day to stay healthy. So if you’ve noticed your cat drinking a lot of water out of nowhere…well, it’s understandable if you’re wondering why.

So here are a couple of reasons why your cat may be drinking too much water – and how monitoring their everyday activity can help you catch on to health issues early. Let’s get started.

How much water should a cat drink?

As a rule of thumb: a cat weighing 10 pounds should drink between 7-9 ounces of water each day – so around one cup of water. Smaller cats consume less water, and larger cats drink a bit more.

If this sounds a bit…well, less, it’s just how your cat is built. Your cat’s wild ancestors originated from the desert. Aka, hot, dry climates where they mostly didn’t need a ton of water to get by. It’s why modern day cats have adapted to live on relatively small amounts of water. (So they don’t actually need to drink a ton of water per day to stay healthy.)

What else can influence how much water my cat drinks?

Your cat’s activity level, the type of food they eat, and the climate where you live can affect the amount of water that your cat drinks each day.

  • A very active kitty that spends time outdoors patrolling their territory on a hot summer day might drink a bit more.
  • A sedentary cat that relaxes all day in an air-conditioned home would drink less.
  • Cats that eat dry food will usually drink more water than cats that eat wet canned food.
  • Cats that eat wet food get a portion of their daily water needs from their food. 

💡An Activity Tracker that’s built for cats can help you figure out just how active your cat is all day long – which we’ll cover in detail a little further below.

How to tell if your cat drinks a lot of water

Look out for these signs of increased water intake:

  • Your cat visits the water bowl more often than they used to
  • Your cat starts drinking from places they had not drank from before, like faucets, ponds, puddles, or the toilet. (Though if your cat has always had these drinking habits, there’s no need to worry).
  • Your cat visits the litter box or urinates more frequently 

Why is my cat drinking so much water? The less “scary” reasons

There are several possible reasons for a cat drinking a lot of water. Let’s start with a couple of the less concerning ones:

  • In warm or hot weather, cats will often drink more water, especially if they spend time outdoors. During these times, make sure to watch out for the signs of heat stroke in cats.
  • Increased physical activity can also spur your cat to drink more water. (Like if they’ve been expanding their outdoor territory or have befriended the squirrels in your backyard.)
  • Some medications, such as diuretics which are prescribed to treat heart disease, can cause cats to drink more water than usual.

⚠️ If none of these scenarios describe your cat’s situation, you may have a more serious problem on your hands. Including underlying medical issues.

Medical issues that can cause a cat to drink a lot of water

Certain medical conditions can cause your cat to drink more water than they usually do. If you suspect that your cat has any of these conditions, visit your veterinarian as soon as possible.

  • Diabetes mellitus, where your cat’s body struggles with high sugar levels – making them drink more water to dilute the sugars.
  • Urinary tract diseases (UTIs) which tend to be caused by inflammation in the bladder, making your cat unable to pee and be in pain. So they might drink more water to help them pee.
  • Chronic kidney disease, where your cat’s kidneys don’t remove toxins properly from their blood. With this toxin buildup, your cat might feel increasingly thirsty as their kidneys aren’t filtering out toxins like usual.
  • Liver disease, which – like the kidneys – might not be “detoxing” your cat’s body properly.

How can I tell if my cat is actually sick?

Like most animals, cats are experts at hiding their illnesses. (It’s just how they’re built from an evolutionary perspective.) But with a little vigilance, you can catch on to a change in their behavior that might signal they’re struggling with a sickness, infection, or even pain.

So pay close attention to any changes in your cat’s daily habits, including if they start drinking excessively. Some other signs you can watch out for include:

  • Eating more or less than normal
  • Behavior changes, including aggression
  • Sleeping more than normal, or in unusual locations
  • Diarrhea or other signs of illness
  • A drop in your cat’s activity, or how much more (or less) on the move they are

If you see any of the above conditions or you’re concerned about your cat’s behavior, drop by your vet. They can help you rule out any underlying medical issues and advise you on the best way to care for your little buddy.

💡And if you’ve invested in an Activity Tracker for cats, you can spot the first signs of illness – much in advance.

An outdoor cat exploring a garden with Tractive's Activity monitoring features in the foreground

With your trusty Tractive device strapped to your cat’s collar, its built-in motion detector picks up on your cat’s movements throughout the day.

Which, with time, helps you figure out:

  • How active your cat is on the regular,
  • How active your cat is compared to other, similar cats in terms of age and breed
  • If there’s an abnormal change in your cat’s activity – like a weird drop that might signal lethargy

So you can spot a change early, get your cat to a vet – and potentially save their life, while at it.

Discover Activity Tracking

Wrapping up: What to do if your cat is drinking lots of water

Once you’ve ruled down any sudden heat waves or your cat suddenly remembering their New Years exercise resolutions, start by observing their habits.

  • Your cat might be drinking water extra if it’s just too hot outdoors or if they’ve been getting some extra activity.
  • Else, if you notice them drinking water excessively or peeing outside of their litter box, watch out for other signs of illness, like lethargy and a loss of appetite. These could signal a serious health condition you’re best off catching and preventing early.

Your vet can run tests to determine if your kitty has an underlying problem that requires treatment. They’ll also be able to best instruct you how to help your cat recover and live their best, happiest, healthiest life by your side.

A woman hugging a cat on a couch

💡And if you’re wondering how to avoid a huge vet bill in treating your cat’s health issues – preventing it from worsening is always the way to go.

Which you can get started with today with your very own GPS and Health Tracker for pets – built with love for cats around the world and the cat parents who’ve devoted themselves to them.

Track your cat’s wellbeing

See how they’re doing at a glance with Wellness Score. Know if they’re getting enough exercise. Spot nap patterns. Detect issues early and keep them healthy.

Discover Tractive GPS

Wondering how to catch on to the signs of UTIs in cats? Here’s Dr. Sean McPeck weighing in:

And if you’ve liked this post, share it with a friend or a loved one – and let’s help build a safer, kinder world for our furry friends together.

Your furry friend’s health and wellbeing means as much as to us as it does to you. So we’ve made it a priority to only share medically-relevant content on our blog.

This post was checked, double-checked, and medically verified by Georgia-based vet, Dr. Dwight Alleyne.

Dr. Dwight Alleyne, DVM

Originally from Long Island, New York, Dr. Alleyne began his career at a no-kill animal shelter before becoming a licensed veterinary technician. He graduated from Cornell University Veterinary College in 2006 and completed an internship at Purdue University.

Now practicing in Georgia, Dr. Alleyne specializes in soft tissue surgery and ultrasounds. He also writes pet health articles on his website, “The Animal Doctor Blog” (www.anmldrblog.com).