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Tabby cat drinking from a wide ceramic water bowl placed on its own in a sunny hallway, a simple cat hydration setup

How to Get Your Cat to Drink More Water

Good cat hydration comes from the bowl and the food dish together. Cornell's Feline Health Center puts a cat's daily need at about one cup of water for a 10-pound cat.

To help your cat drink more, feed some wet food, keep fresh water in several spots away from the food bowl, and try a fountain if your cat takes to one.

If your cat rarely seems to drink, that alone is not a reason to panic. Cats are famously light drinkers, and the reasons are worth knowing.

How much water does a cat need?

The Cornell Feline Health Center's guideline is about 4 ounces of water per 5 pounds of lean body weight per day. Here is that rule of thumb worked out:

Lean body weight Water per day
5 lb About 4 oz (½ cup)
10 lb About 8 oz (1 cup)
15 lb About 12 oz (1½ cups)

That total is not all drunk from a bowl. Cornell notes that cats on wet food may drink less, while cats on dry food take in more of their water by drinking.

So a cat on canned food who barely visits the bowl may be getting plenty. The food is doing much of the work.

Why do cats drink so little?

The Merck Veterinary Manual says it plainly: cats often do not drink a lot of water. A 2025 review in the Journal of Animal Science offers one possible reason.

The authors write that cats may have a lower thirst drive than most other mammals, given their evolution from desert-dwelling species. It is a hypothesis, and the review frames it with a "may".

Here is a detail worth stopping for. A study in Science found that cats drink with a subtle trick. Water clings to the upper side of the tongue, and the cat pulls it up fast enough to beat gravity.

Measurements across the cat family support the same mechanism, so a house cat at its bowl drinks much the way its wild relatives do.

Timing matters too. A 2026 study that recorded every drink with monitored fountains found cats consistently drank more after meals than during fasting periods, whatever food they ate.

Does wet food count toward a cat's water?

Yes, and by a wide margin. Cornell's feeding guide puts canned food at 75% moisture or more, and dry food at 6 to 10%. Cornell's hydration page says wet food can be up to 80% water.

The research lines up. In that 2026 study, cats drank the most from the bowl on dry food, yet took in the most water overall on wet food.

The 2025 review describes one study where cats on a wet diet took in 42.0 mL of water per kg of body weight a day, against 34.0 mL on dry.

You don't have to switch completely. Wet food can be fed in addition to dry or instead of it, Cornell notes, and adding water to food is another option.

Cornell also suggests a little tuna water or low-sodium chicken broth to flavor the water. Check the broth label for onion and garlic, which the ASPCA lists among foods to keep away from pets.

If you're still settling on a routine for a young cat, our guide on what to feed a kitten walks through wet and dry food by age.

Where should I put my cat's water bowl?

Away from the food. The AAFP and ISFM Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines say food and water should be separated, and that each resource should sit in its own location.

More than one bowl helps. The Merck Veterinary Manual states that multiple water sources encourage drinking, and calls this particularly important in cats.

In a home with more than one pet, watch who is using which bowl. Cornell points out that one cat can be kept away from the water by others, so a bowl in a second, quiet room gives everyone access.

Does the type of bowl matter?

For most cats, the evidence says not much. A 2019 study compared still bowls, circulating bowls and free-falling water in 14 cats. Average daily intake did not differ between them.

Three of those cats did show a clear preference, each for a different style. Individual taste is real, so offering two styles side by side and watching which one gets used is a fair test.

We found no veterinary guideline on bowl shape or material. On temperature, the 2025 review reports four of eight cats drank more cooled water, while questioning how that study's statistics were done.

Do cat water fountains actually help?

Some cats drink more from a fountain, and some don't. The best-known study, by David Grant in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, followed 12 healthy cats.

They drank an average of 31.6 mL per kg a day from a fountain, against 22.9 mL from a bowl. That difference was statistically significant, but their urine was no more dilute, and Grant judged a substantial increase unlikely.

Many cats seemed to enjoy them. In that study, 10 of 12 owners said their cat liked it, and 5 saw their cat playing with it. One cat reacted badly to the fountain.

The wider evidence is mixed. The 2025 review found the belief that cats prefer moving water is not well supported, and Cornell describes fountain preferences as varying from cat to cat.

If you try one, keep your old bowl out while your cat decides. Clean the fountain and change any filter as its maker directs.

Can milk count toward a cat's fluids?

Plain cow's milk is a poor choice for most cats. Cornell notes that many cats can't digest lactose, the sugar in milk, and dairy can upset their stomachs. Our guide to can cats drink milk goes deeper.

If you'd like to offer something different now and then, Berry Good Milk is lactose-free cow's milk with added lactase. It provides taurine, calcium, vitamins D3 and E, omega-3, CoQ10, glucosamine and cranberry extract, ready to pour.

Lactase breaks down milk sugar only. It does nothing for a cat that reacts to milk protein, so start with a small amount and watch how your cat does.

Keep it an extra. Cornell's rule of thumb is that extras stay within 10 to 15% of a cat's daily calories. Fresh water remains the main drink.

How can I tell if my cat is drinking enough?

Most healthy cats manage well on the steps above. Cornell's hydration page lists the signs vets look for when a cat is low on fluids, and they are worth knowing.

Call your vet promptly if your cat:

  • seems unusually tired or weak
  • has a poor appetite or stops eating
  • has dry, tacky gums
  • has eyes that look sunken

Your vet can check hydration properly in a few minutes. Cornell notes that vets look at the gums and how quickly the skin springs back.

Questions new cat parents ask

How much water should a cat drink a day?

Cornell's guideline is about 4 ounces per 5 pounds of lean body weight, so roughly one cup for a 10-pound cat. Water in wet food counts toward that.

Do cats prefer running water?

Some do. Studies find average intake from fountains and bowls is similar or only modestly higher, while individual cats can have strong preferences.

Can I add water to my cat's food?

Yes. Cornell lists adding water to food, alongside feeding wet food, as a way to increase a cat's water intake.

Why won't my cat drink from its bowl?

Check where it sits. The AAFP guidelines advise keeping water apart from food, and Cornell notes other pets can keep a cat away from a shared bowl.

Sources

This article is for general information and is not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet about your own cat — they know the animal in front of them.

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