How Can We Calculate How Much Water They Get From A Certain Wet Food? Can We?

MissClouseau · Jul 19, 2019

I read that cats need around 220-280 ml water a day. About 9 ounces for a 10 pounds cat. I can somewhat tell how much water she drinks from the bowl. I add extra water to her wet food, I know how much it is too. But how can we calculate the water content of their wet food so we can check better if they are hydrated?

As example if anyone knows how to calculate, Naturea chicken is one of Hima's wet foods.

Composition, 85 grams can
Fresh Chicken: 45%
Fresh Chicken Liver: 15%
Water: 39%

Typical Analysis
Crude Protein: 9%
Crude Oils And Fats: 4%
Crude Fibre: 0,5%
Crude Ashes: 2%
Moisture: 81%

Around how many ml water would that be you think?

KarenKat · Jul 19, 2019

So I googled how many grams of water is in a millimeter and conveniently 1 gram of water = 1 mL!

So 39% of an 85g food would be 33.15 grams. So I should think that your food would have 33.15 mL of water per container.

MissClouseau · Jul 19, 2019

KarenKat said:
So I googled how many grams of water is in a millimeter and conveniently 1 gram of water = 1 mL!

So 39% of an 85g food would be 33.15 grams. So I should think that your food would have 33.15 mL of water per container.

Thank you!!! But also it sucks I was hoping to see a higher ml. My math is bad enough to wishfully expect more yes. For a 4kg cat it’s like 4 cans a day and even that makes half of their water need.

maggiedemi · Jul 19, 2019

If a cat is on all wet food, I would think they would be getting what they need. I know the couple times I tried all wet food for the day, my cats peed a lot more!

MissClouseau · Jul 19, 2019

maggiedemi said:
If a cat is on all wet food, I would think they would be getting what they need. I know the couple times I tried all wet food for the day, my cats peed a lot more!

Right now she’s on a “one can wet food, rest dry food” diet but I was thinking of changing it to 2 cans wet food-rest dry. She needs dry for late nights at least, she eats small portions throughout the day including late nights sometimes.

Also, oddly sometimes she gets less water with wet food as it appears now. I had her on wet-only for a week and she drank no water at all. She seems to get the wrong impression she gets enough from wet food maybe.

maggiedemi · Jul 19, 2019

MissClouseau said:
I had her on wet-only for a week and she drank no water at all.

Same here, when I tried all wet food, my cats didn't drink any water. So they must have gotten enough from their food. They peed a lot more. I can't go all wet food though, Demi throws a fit and threatens to leave home if he doesn't get his dry food.

MissClouseau · Jul 19, 2019

maggiedemi said:
I can't go all wet food though, Demi throws a fit and threatens to leave home if he doesn't get his dry food.

Hima pushes the dry food measurement cup off the shelf to demand service. Cats...

Willowy · Jul 19, 2019

If you only eat watermelon, your body doesn't need as much water to digest it, so the watermelon may be all you need (yes, a silly example but all I could think of, lol). But if you ate some crackers with your watermelon, your body would need some more water to break down the crackers, so the watermelon may not provide enough moisture for your needs. See what I mean? So I think a cat who eats some dry food and some canned food will need more water than a cat who only eats canned food, so I don't think we can say positively that every cat needs 250-ish ml of water per day.

But, yeah, generally speaking, if a food is 80% moisture, out of 10 ounces of that food, 8 of those ounces are water (or, out of 100 grams of that food, 80 grams are water). Which makes you mad about paying so much for a can of water

. But that's what cats need so can't complain too much. So if a cat ate 5 ounces of that food a day, they'd be getting 4 ounces of water from the food.

Go with the 81% figure, not the 39% figure, because the chicken also provides moisture. The 39% only means water that was added, not counting the chicken moisture. So the 85-gram can would have 68.85 grams of water.

My cats who eat canned food only don't drink water either. So it must provide enough for most cats.

KarenKat · Jul 19, 2019

Willowy said:
Go with the 81% figure, not the 39% figure, because the chicken also provides moisture. The 39% only means water that was added, not counting the chicken moisture. So the 85-gram can would have 68.85 grams of water.

That’s a good point, I didn’t think of that!

darg · Jul 19, 2019

MissClouseau said:
I read that cats need around 220-280 ml water a day. About 9 ounces for a 10 pounds cat. I can somewhat tell how much water she drinks from the bowl. I add extra water to her wet food, I know how much it is too. But how can we calculate the water content of their wet food so we can check better if they are hydrated?

As example if anyone knows how to calculate, Naturea chicken is one of Hima's wet foods.

Composition, 85 grams can
Fresh Chicken: 45%
Fresh Chicken Liver: 15%
Water: 39%

Typical Analysis
Crude Protein: 9%
Crude Oils And Fats: 4%
Crude Fibre: 0,5%
Crude Ashes: 2%
Moisture: 81%

Around how many ml water would that be you think?

I could be mistaken but I think the 39% water is added water. The moisture content is 81% which, I think, accounts for the water added plus the water already present in the ingredients. I'm thinking that the amount of water in that 85 gram can of food is 81% of the total weight (or real close). Also the 81% moisture is in the range of what would be found in the critters (mice, squirrels) that they would kill and eat if they were outside cats and had to fend for themselves. If you are adding extra water in addition to that, I think it's safe to say that they are getting more than enough water.

I used to see my cat drink water from his bowl all the time when he was eating dry only. Now I rarely see him do so. I know that he still does because I will see a little bit of food left in his water bowl at times. But he pees at least a couple times more a day since he was switched to all wet food.

edit ... I see that Willowy beat me too it. At any rate, we both agree so hopefully that will provide some peace of mind that your cat is getting enough water.

MissClouseau · Jul 19, 2019

Willowy said:
If you only eat watermelon, your body doesn't need as much water to digest it, so the watermelon may be all you need (yes, a silly example but all I could think of, lol). But if you ate some crackers with your watermelon, your body would need some more water to break down the crackers, so the watermelon may not provide enough moisture for your needs. See what I mean? So I think a cat who eats some dry food and some canned food will need more water than a cat who only eats canned food, so I don't think we can say positively that every cat needs 250-ish ml of water per day.

But, yeah, generally speaking, if a food is 80% moisture, out of 10 ounces of that food, 8 of those ounces are water (or, out of 100 grams of that food, 80 grams are water). Which makes you mad about paying so much for a can of water . But that's what cats need so can't complain too much. So if a cat ate 5 ounces of that food a day, they'd be getting 4 ounces of water from the food.

Go with the 81% figure, not the 39% figure, because the chicken also provides moisture. The 39% only means water that was added, not counting the chicken moisture. So the 85-gram can would have 68.85 grams of water.

My cats who eat canned food only don't drink water either. So it must provide enough for most cats.

Watermelon is the best choice for a hydration calculation in this hot weather :-) I definitely see your point. You’re right. I would guess 220-280 ml a day is accurate though at least for the summer or summer temperatures indoors when it’s winter. Then again maybe less if the cat isn’t very physically active.

MissClouseau · Jul 19, 2019

darg said:
I used to see my cat drink water from his bowl all the time when he was eating dry only. Now I rarely see him do so. I know that he still does because I will see a little bit of food left in his water bowl at times. But he pees at least a couple times more a day since he was switched to all wet food

In the morning I first replace yesterday’s water with fresh water when Hima sees and hope she will drink it. It doesn’t always work but it makes her drink more than changing the water after her breakfast.

Azazel · Jul 20, 2019

Your cat doesn’t drink water on wet food because she’s hydrated. Cats aren’t meant to go to a water hole to drink. If they’re going there often it means they’re dehydrated. A cat who eats all wet food and doesn’t drink water is properly hydrated. A cat who eats dry food and drinks water is dehydrated.... and a cat who eats dry food and doesn’t drink water is probably even more of a concern.

daftcat75 · Jul 20, 2019

House cats are descended from desert cats. They got their moisture from their prey because there weren’t many watering holes in the desert. Even still, as a prey animal, it’s disadvantageous to rely on watering holes. Watering holes are lunch counters for predators. Those animals that do rely on watering holes counter this through size or numbers. This is probably why cats don’t want to drink water unless they are dehydrated.

If you want to increase your cat’s water intake, make a meat broth and add a teaspoon to their meals. Or offer some between meals. Krista will eat the golden jelly cold from the fridge.

Cook meaty bones in water to cover on low for several hours until the meat falls off the bone. Strain and reserve this liquid. It will set up like a jelly in the fridge. That’s how you know you got some good collagen tissues extracted from the bones and connective tissues. But this broth is also mostly water. It’s also so good for your cat with loads of raw materials (amino acids, minerals, glucosamine, chondroitin, gelatin, and other collagens.). Concentrated healing. It is rewinding the chronic conditions in my 15 year old like a fountain of youth. Such good stuff!

MissClouseau · Jul 20, 2019

daftcat75 said:
House cats are descended from desert cats. They got their moisture from their prey because there weren’t many watering holes in the desert. Even still, as a prey animal, it’s disadvantageous to rely on watering holes. Watering holes are lunch counters for predators. Those animals that do rely on watering holes counter this through size or numbers. This is probably why cats don’t want to drink water unless they are dehydrated.

If you want to increase your cat’s water intake, make a meat broth and add a teaspoon to their meals. Or offer some between meals. Krista will eat the golden jelly cold from the fridge.

Cook meaty bones in water to cover on low for several hours until the meat falls off the bone. Strain and reserve this liquid. It will set up like a jelly in the fridge. That’s how you know you got some good collagen tissues extracted from the bones and connective tissues. But this broth is also mostly water. It’s also so good for your cat with loads of raw materials (amino acids, minerals, glucosamine, chondroitin, gelatin, and other collagens.). Concentrated healing. It is rewinding the chronic conditions in my 15 year old like a fountain of youth. Such good stuff!

I do it without bones with chicken! I’m not a big fan of brand treats. Hima’s main treat is boiled chicken breast pieces. I add its water too. I will do it with bones the next time.

daftcat75 · Jul 20, 2019

MissClouseau said:
I do it without bones with chicken! I’m not a big fan of brand treats. Hima’s main treat is boiled chicken breast pieces. I add its water too. I will do it with bones the next time.

The marrow and the connective tissues is where all the good collagens and minerals live. Definitely do it with bones next time. Especially pieces with joints like wings. You only need to cook it until the meat falls off the bone (several hours) for a good meat broth. You can stop well before bone broth cooking times and still get a highly nutritious moisture rich meat broth. If it sets up like a jelly in the fridge, that’s good broth.

Krista has Ibd, multiple food sensitivies or allergies, and arthritis. I haven’t been able to give her glucosamine-chondroitin supplements because they all give her bonus poops and soup poops. So much poop! It’s not worth it for either of us. But the turkey broth I made her has not only improved her mobility and activity level, but her poops are great too. Probably because her gut is finally healing instead of being “well-managed.”

I can not recommend meat broth enough!

MissClouseau · Jul 20, 2019

daftcat75 said:
Definitely do it with bones next time. Especially pieces with joints like wings

I was thinking of getting chicken chops. Are wings better?

daftcat75 · Jul 20, 2019

MissClouseau said:
I was thinking of getting chicken chops. Are wings better?

Use both. I used turkey drumsticks and turkey wings. The drumsticks (legs) are bigger bones so more marrow. But the wings have more joints so there’s more cartilage and connective tissues. Both are excellent healing foods for cats. And people too.

MissClouseau · Jul 20, 2019

daftcat75 said:
Use both. I used turkey drumsticks and turkey wings. The drumsticks (legs) are bigger bones so more marrow. But the wings have more joints so there’s more cartilage and connective tissues. Both are excellent healing foods for cats. And people too.

Just added both to next week’s grocery shopping list. Thank you from me and Hima :-)

How Can We Calculate How Much Water They Get From A Certain Wet Food? Can We?

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Kitty on the half shell, tortie power!

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Kitty on the half shell, tortie power!

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