What Other Liquids Are Ok For Cats?

cheeser

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I still have a batch of homemade bone broth in the freezer, and am going to pick some goat milk the next time I'm at the grocery store. I'm also going to pick up a bit of meat to make small batches of beef, pork, and goat broth. Alas, Buddy is allergic to chicken and turkey, and can't have fish, so tuna broth isn't an option for us.

So what other kinds of liquids can I give him, either to pour into a saucer, or to mix with his food for syringe feedings when needed?

Buddy has never been much of a water drinker, especially since we transitioned him over to a wet food only diet. But since he's had bouts of urinary tract problems and constipation in the past, we prefer to err on the side of caution, and always add extra water or some kind of moisture to his food.

The vet assures us that Buddy isn't getting dehydrated, and doesn't appear to be any worse for wear. So on the bright side, Buddy isn't in any immediate distress. I'd just like like to keep it that way, especially since his food intake has slacked off a little this summer when it's been so insufferably hot and humid, and he's getting less moisture than usual. :wink:
 

lisahe

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Sorry to be a buzzkill but I'd stay far, far away from Gatorade since it's loaded with artificial stuff -- who knows what all those chemicals to replace sweat would do to a cat's chemistry.

Clam juice is often (usually?) salted so I wouldn't use that unless it were just plain clam juice, no salt added.

And personally, I'd stick with broth made from just muscle meat to keep things easy and "clean." Maybe putting two proteins in the pot for one broth might help switch things up a little?

cheeser cheeser , I'm figuring you mean bone broth in the true sense, right, that you boil meat and bones? Does your vet have any concerns about minerals leeching from the bone into the liquid? I'd definitely want to check that out very carefully before feeding it to a cat, particularly given the mysteries (at least to me!) of the balance of calcium and phosphorus.
 
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cheeser

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Hi!
What about Kitten Milk Replacer?
Pedialyte
I read gatorade could be of use, that was a surprise
Diluted clam juice, unless that's too close to his sensitivity (I might have to try this one)

Liquids that are very healthy for cats to drink are: Water and ???
Thanks!

We had looked at some milk replacers the last time Buddy was going through a rough patch, but had pretty much forgotten about them since he hasn't been that sick in awhile. Well, relatively speaking, since he's almost always sick with something. I definitely remember the price though! :wink:

We did give Pedialyte a try the last time Buddy was so sick, but he didn't want any part of that. Plus, it did make his poop a little runny. However, we did have some luck with dissolving a dab of Nutri-Cal in water and mixing it in with his food. But I'm guessing that's probably not a good idea on an ongoing basis. :)

I keep hoping that one day we'll finally stumble across that Holy Grail of cat-safe liquids, which Buddy will happily lap up on his own. And while I'm dreaming, I'd like to eat all of the chocolate I want without having to worry about gaining weight. :lol:
 
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cheeser

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Sorry to be a buzzkill but I'd stay far, far away from Gatorade since it's loaded with artificial stuff -- who knows what all those chemicals to replace sweat would do to a cat's chemistry.

Clam juice is often (usually?) salted so I wouldn't use that unless it were just plain clam juice, no salt added.

And personally, I'd stick with broth made from just muscle meat to keep things easy and "clean." Maybe putting two proteins in the pot for one broth might help switch things up a little?

cheeser cheeser , I'm figuring you mean bone broth in the true sense, right, that you boil meat and bones? Does your vet have any concerns about minerals leeching from the bone into the liquid? I'd definitely want to check that out very carefully before feeding it to a cat, particularly given the mysteries (at least to me!) of the balance of calcium and phosphorus.
Thanks for the heads up re: the Gatorade and clam juice.

Our vet doesn't have a problem with us giving Buddy any bone broth, but alas, I don't have a lot of confidence these days re: vets' knowledge about feline nutrition. ;)

So maybe I'll just stick to making broth from muscle meat. Buddy seems to prefer the taste of meat broth anyway.

We're very fortunate that he's usually a good sport about being syringe fed. But I try not to resort to that unless it's absolutely necessary. If only the little goofball would drink more water, it would save us all a lot of trouble. :)
 

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You're pretty sure he likes the taste? Have you tried a pur filter, a brita pitcher (be sure and deep clean it to avoid buildup), different bottled brands, purified, maybe even distilled?
I'm not a fan of distilled for cats, but you see what I'm thinking of... If you can find water he likes the taste of, he may very well drink more :)
 
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cheeser

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You're pretty sure he likes the taste? Have you tried a pur filter, a brita pitcher (be sure and deep clean it to avoid buildup), different bottled brands, purified, maybe even distilled?
I'm not a fan of distilled for cats, but you see what I'm thinking of... If you can find water he likes the taste of, he may very well drink more :)
Oh, gosh. We've tried just about every kind of water except for distilled, and Buddy just isn't interested.

We've also tried putting ice cubes or ping pong balls in his water, adding a little bit of broth, different kinds of wide, flat bowls to prevent whisker stress (some with designs at the bottom, and some without), different elevations, different locations, water fountains -- you name it. The last time I can remember Buddy lapping up water like crazy was when he was a stray, and drank filthy water from the runoff from the driveway. I keep joking that I need to make Buddy a fountain that looks like that! :wink:
 

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Broths are becoming trendy with natural pet food companies, so if you want to go that route you have some options. Stella and Chewy's has stew toppers and bone broths now, Primal has bone broths and goat's milk, Honest Kitchen has a bunch of dehydrated broths and supplements, and there's always frutiables. But even with specifically pet formulated products, it's best to read the ingredients first especially if you're trying to avoid things like sodium or preservatives. Some brands are better about those things than others!
 
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cheeser

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He's so lucky to have you!!!
Have you seen this one?
Alas, streams of water tend to spook Buddy, which kinda defeats the purpose for us. :)

This Lucky-Kitty fountain that has a slope kinda like the end of the driveway might be more appealing to him. But doggone it, I haven't been able to find anything like it in the US. The Pioneer Big Max is the closest we've come to finding something he liked, and unfortunately, he quickly lost interest in it. But Oscar likes it just fine. Cats! :crackup:
 
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cheeser

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Broths are becoming trendy with natural pet food companies, so if you want to go that route you have some options. Stella and Chewy's has stew toppers and bone broths now, Primal has bone broths and goat's milk, Honest Kitchen has a bunch of dehydrated broths and supplements, and there's always frutiables. But even with specifically pet formulated products, it's best to read the ingredients first especially if you're trying to avoid things like sodium or preservatives. Some brands are better about those things than others!
Thanks muchly for the info! :)

I usually prefer to make broth from scratch, since Buddy has some funky allergies. But it wouldn't hurt to keep some commercially prepared broths on hand in case of emergencies, if the ingredients look like they'd be a good fit for him. I'll definitely look into that. I kinda have my hands full these days with life, the universe, and everything, and sometimes a little bit of convenience sure would be nice!
 

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If you go the commercially-prepared route, I'd definitely get "cat broths" from the pet section, not "human broths". The last time I had a "broth emergency" (had a recipe I wanted to cook, but no homemade broth) I was rather alarmed at the sodium content in the "low sodium" human broths. I saw zero "no salt" brands. Plus, it is hard to find one which doesn't have onion.
 

lisahe

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If you go the commercially-prepared route, I'd definitely get "cat broths" from the pet section, not "human broths". The last time I had a "broth emergency" (had a recipe I wanted to cook, but no homemade broth) I was rather alarmed at the sodium content in the "low sodium" human broths. I saw zero "no salt" brands. Plus, it is hard to find one which doesn't have onion.
Yes, broth ingredients are alarming! I buy low-sodium chicken broth for use in human food and even with "natural" and organic brands there's always a fair bit of salt plus other weird stuff that I would never feed to the cats. Even broths designed for cats have ingredients I'd be concerned about: Fruitables has potato, which we can't feed, and I have a vague memory (false? real? I don't know!) of seeing one that had sugar in it.
 
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cheeser

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Y'all are so right about the sodium content of broths marketed for humans, orange&white orange&white and lisahe lisahe , as well as some other ingredients! Eep. That's why I usually make my own from scratch, with nothing but meat and water. I figure I can always get creative later. ;)

But until hurricane season is over, it's probably a good idea not to completely depend upon my supply in the freezer. Guess I better get busy doing some research and deciding which commercially prepared broths for kitties would be a good fit for us. :biggrin:
 
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cheeser

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Hi!
I was looking for something else and came across this so I thought I'd mention it as a possibility for you;
Drinkwell Zen Pet Fountain, 1-gal
Thanks muchly! :grouphug:

Maybe that could be a possibility. We think Buddy might be a bit claustrophobic, as he seems skittish about sticking his head into the bowl part of some fountains. So maybe a more open design that like may be better suited for him. :)

Oscar, on the other hand, will drink water from just about anywhere. It's a good thing I've finally trained the guys around here to put the toilet lid down! :lol:
 
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cheeser

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Answers makes a fermented fish stock that our cat Louie and his doggie sibs all love.
Alas, Buddy can't have fish or turkey, so the broths aren't an option. But the milk may have some possibilities! Thanks! :biggrin:
 
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