The daily need for water depends on various factors such as exercise, ambient temperature, and type of nutrition. In principle, the cat should always have access to clean drinking water. The amount that is drunk depends very much on the ambient temperature, the amount of, activity and the type of food. Dry food contains much less moisture than wet food; cats that eat chunks drink more than animals that eat canned food.
As a guideline for the amount of fluid that is ingested per 24 hours is half a liter per 10 kilograms of body weight. In this case, all the moisture must be taken into account, including the water in the canned food. Cats generally drink less than this guideline. This is because cats can concentrate the urine much more strongly and therefore lose less fluid. It is therefore advisable to tempt the cat to take in extra water. Many cats like water ‘with a taste’ from the pond, vase or fishbowl. Others prefer a dripping or running tap. Put some bowls of water in strange places to accommodate this characteristic.