Since the beginning of times humans have known that cats love to hate water: they hate touching it and bathing in it, but at the same time they love the sound that water makes and, most of all, watching it gurgle from creeks and faucets.
Kittens are not particularly fond of water; they don’t drink a lot of it, either. This bad habit can become a health hazard, however. The first undesired effect is dehydration, which can lead to renal insufficiency in the long run, a very serious condition that can’t always be reverted.
There’s no scientifically proven reason to explain this dislike for water, but the most solid theory states that felines drink little because their kidneys normally retain more water than they actually need because their ancestors lived in desert areas, where water is scarce.
Domestic cats eat mostly dry food, with low water contents. For this reason, they absolutely need to hydrate with a certain frequency: ideally, they need between 50 and 100 ml of water per kg of body weight per day, to help their kidneys eliminate waste products and therefore preserve their urinary tract from infections and disease.
There are a few simple ideas you can use to make your cat drink more. First of all, remember to keep her water bowl away from her litter box and her food bowl: we all know that cats are finicky when it comes to cleanliness. Their water must always be fresh and clear. We can’t always be home to change the water, and after a few hours sitting there it can look unpleasant to your cat. Ferplast has a simple solution for this: a water fountain, such as its Vega model.
The particular feature of this water fountain is its “spring” effect: on the one hand it ensures continuous water recirculation, while on the other it draws your cat’s curiosity, as we know that felines love bubbles and water in motion. Its ergonomic handles make it easier to move around the house, and the non-slip rubber feet keep it stable so that even when hit by your cat’s paws, it won’t topple or slid.
It’s also easy to clean: just separate the upper part from the base. The bowl has three different drinking points, to avoid fights if there’s more than one cat in the family.
It’s important to keep your cat’s diet under control, and that includes food and water!
