Best Ways to Add Hydrate Daily

[Kgraham1511]

Right now I have 9 pound Maine Coon 1.5 year old male that is refusing wet food. I have tried from Tiki Cat to Crave wet food. I think he likes the crunch of dry food.

I know an all dry diet is not good for cats. I have read the ways of hydrating them of water fountains, which we currently have, to tuna water, soaking food in water.

I have two questions on all this.

1. How are some other ways to keep a cat hydrated?

2. How much is enough when a cat is on a all dry diet? A few wet treats? Or a
teaspoon of pumpkin a day?

Our vet was just like don't worry about a dry diet at his age. And I wanted to say what about his long term health. And I know long term dry diet for males can lead to urinary problems.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Could you place extra water bowls and also water glasses and mugs around the house? Be sure and keep everything very clean and fill daily with fresh water.

Have you tried Merrick Backcountry's pouch foods? Natural Balance has some also, and these have quite a bit of gravy.

I don't know if the pumpkin is necessary, but what about ice cubes in the water, or a little bit of tuna or clam juice in the water you have in the ice cube tray. Experiment with plain ice cubes, tuna water ice cubes and clam juice ice cubes and see if he has a preference.

Also, try using some filtered water in some of the bowls and see if he likes that water better

This also has information;
Tips To Increase Your Cat’s Water Intake – TheCatSite Articles

 

[maggie101]

Right now I have 9 pound Maine Coon 1.5 year old male that is refusing wet food. I have tried from Tiki Cat to Crave wet food. I think he likes the crunch of dry food.

I know an all dry diet is not good for cats. I have read the ways of hydrating them of water fountains, which we currently have, to tuna water, soaking food in water.

I have two questions on all this.

1. How are some other ways to keep a cat hydrated?

2. How much is enough when a cat is on a all dry diet? A few wet treats? Or a
teaspoon of pumpkin a day?

Our vet was just like don't worry about a dry diet at his age. And I wanted to say what about his long term health. And I know long term dry diet for males can lead to urinary problems.

You can try crushing freeze dried treats or bonito flakes. That is the only way my cat will eat canned. I have pure bites freeze dried from Petco and freeze dried food from small pet stores

 

[cmsandford]

In the interim, feed him dry food for urinary tract support...to keep his urinary PH in balance. Helped clear my girl's bladder stones. Purina Pro Plan Focus Urinary Tract, Petco Whole Hearted makes one, and Wysong has one too.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

There are quite a few cat food broths, or foods that are very brothy with just a few bites of meat in them. They are for soupplemental feeding only. This is how I'm getting extra hydration into one of my cats right now. He doesn't like most of them, but does l like the Fancy Feast Creamy Salmon broth. It has little chunks of salmon in it.

FYI, an adult cat eating only dry food needs to drink at least 8 oz of water per day, minimum. I think probably 12 oz is better to be fully hydrated! Shocking, no?

 

[Kgraham1511]

Thanks everyone for all your help.

Update: Right now he is on 1/4 cup dry in the morning and I manage to get him to eat a 3 oz can wet food at night.

But he takes his time to eat the wet. I have to give half the can early evening and the other half before bed. He eats a little bit and will come back and then a little more. I don't get why begs and then eats so little. Guess because it is not dry food.

 

[maggie101]

Thanks everyone for all your help.

Update: Right now he is on 1/4 cup dry in the morning and I manage to get him to eat a 3 oz can wet food at night.

But he takes his time to eat the wet. I have to give half the can early evening and the other half before bed. He eats a little bit and will come back and then a little more. I don't get why begs and then eats so little. Guess because it is not dry food.

My cat Maggie is like that. She is only fed wet. Eats some then comes back for more, just like a cat in the wild. Dry food is gobbled up fast so fuller.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

One of mine does the same thing also. Climbs my leg for food, then I give him some, and he completely ignores it . Sometimes I give in and give him something else (another WET food) and he STILL ignores it. CATS!

Anyway, now that your guy is eating at least a little bit of wet food, have you tried mixing in a little bit of water right into the wet food? I do that with every meal for both my cats and use filtered water only (that's because I've had three kidney cats and want to avoid having anymore - don't know if it's our hard water, but not taking any chances!)

 

[Kgraham1511]

So after 2 days of mixing his dry food with 1/3 cup water he has soft stool today. For the past 3 days he had normal poop.

He eats 1/4 cup dry morning, 3 oz wet in the evenings with probiotics, and 1/8 dry with 1/3 water mixed in before bed.

The only reason I'm concerned is because about 2 weeks ago he stopped eating and went to the vet for a steroid shot. We were told he probably had a hairball that got his gut bacteria out of balance and inflamed his stomach. After that he was fine.

Then a week after that he went to his regular vet for his one year appointment. At the regular vet he got the rabies and fvrcp shots. After we brought him home from those shots he had about 4 days of soft stool but finally rebounded back to normal playdough with shape like stool.

Could the extra water with his dry have caused him to have loose stool?

He is also an inch of hairball medicine of my finger evey evening. Maybe the combo of the hairball gel and extra water caused it.

 

[Furballsmom]

Could the extra water with his dry have caused him to have loose stool?

It could have, I'm hoping he gets back to normal right away

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

How long have you been giving that hairball remedy? I thought that was only to be given 1 - 2 days per week, not every day (except when first starting it). that could be the problem. Or it could even be the probiotic, ir it's new to him. Sometimes it takes a little while for their systems to gt used to them. But I really don't think it's too much water. At least not the amount you are giving him. Is he drinking aside from what you are adding to his food?

 

[Kgraham1511]

The vet said to give him the hairball gel everyday. The instructions on the gel start out with 1 tbs a day for 3 days them backing down to like a tsp twice a week. Not sure why the vet told us one inch strip everyday. Just following doctors orders lol.

He has been on the probiotics for over half a year.

We think he may have ate like small handful of dog food the night before.

 

[carebearbaby1]

Water fountain! Most cats love them and will drink more water if it's moving.

 

[Furballsmom]

So, he's better today ?

 

[Kgraham1511]

Yeah he has been acting his normal self. And hungry like a pig. Just waiting on the next poop to see. Lol

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Back to the Laxatone. What is the reason your Vet has you giving it to your little guy in the first place? Hairballs or constipation? I really think you should clarify that he should still be on it daily because it's main ingredient is Vasoline, which inhibits nutrient absorbtion since it lines the intestines, thereby helping hairballs or hard stools pass on through. So, if you give it daily, you definitely don't want to give it any time near mealtimes (like within two hours either side of a meal). I recently had a cat who was constipated and our Vet had us give Laxatone along with Miralax and she explained that the Laxatone would work for the hard stool that was already built up inside him, and the Miralax would work on keeping new stool from getting hard. If the issue is hairballs, there may be other options

 

[Kgraham1511]

The laxatone was, or is, for hairballs. I give it to him before bed time we'll after he has had all his daily meals. We were never given a time to stop it.