Persian Cat

　　Moisture mainly comes from food

　　Cats have a lower sensitivity to thirst compared to dogs, and they don’t proactively drink water as dogs do. Moreover, cats excrete highly concentrated urine, which puts a heavy burden on their kidneys. If a cat’s food has very low water content, it is very easy for them to develop urinary system diseases.

　　When a cat shows signs of urinary system problems, you should provide them with a diet high in moisture. But why wait until after the problem occurs instead of preventing it? The correct approach is to regularly feed cats an appropriate amount of high-moisture canned food before any issues arise.

　　A cat’s physiology means they are more accustomed to absorbing water from their food rather than drinking it. For example, the most common food for cats—the mouse—contains up to 70% water. Wet cat food contains about 78% moisture, whereas dry cat food only contains 5% to 10% moisture. So, before you have to manually flush your cat’s bladder several times a day, seriously consider feeding cat canned food!

　　Drinking water is also important

　　An adult cat’s body is composed of 60% to 70% water. Long-term dehydration can have fatal effects on pets, leading to serious illness or even death.

　　Although wet cat food can provide more moisture, it is still very necessary to offer some clean, fresh drinking water in the house. Keep in mind that some cats may like to drink tap water but can be sensitive to its bleach content, so you might need to buy bottled water for them. Also, some cats prefer drinking water from less clean places, like toilets, mop buckets, or fish tanks, and owners must correct this behavior in time.

　　Here’s a little trick to help your cat drink more water: buy some fresh catnip leaves, fill the water bowl with fresh water, and put chopped catnip leaves in it. Then just sit nearby and enjoy watching your cat enthusiastically drink water!

　　Wet cat food is beneficial, but don’t go to extremes and feed it exclusively. On one hand, wet food is much more expensive than dry food; on the other hand, exclusive wet food feeding can cause a lack of stimulation and friction on the teeth, leading to dental problems. Feeding a mix of dry and wet food is perfectly fine.