CATS NEED WATER BUT ARE NOT GREAT DRINKERS
Water makes up about 80% of a cat’s body. It is vital to almost all body processes that maintain life. Cats need to drink more water, especially those who are on a dry food diet. But even cats on a wet food diet benefit from the extra water they get from drinking. It has therefore become increasingly more evident that cats need a water fountain in order to maintain a long and healthy life. Our domestic cats today evolved from ancestors living in a desert environment. They retain some of the characteristic physiology that helped their predecessors survive that harsh environment. So even when there is ample clean, fresh water in their bowls at home, cats have an inherent low thirst drive and they don’t drink much. Their bodies are still adapted to getting most of the water that they need from the food they eat. Furthermore, their kidneys still concentrate urine in an effort to conserve body water.
Cat drinking tap water
MOST CATS INSTINCTIVELY PREFER DRINKING FROM MOVING WATER
Then there is the other problem of cats being picky about their water. A trait that they also inherited from their ancestors. In the wild, running water is fresher and cleaner than stagnant water. Hence, those cats that drank from moving water sources had greater chances of survival than those that drank from the contaminated still water. For better or for worse they have passed on this instinctive preference for moving water to their descendants illustrating why todays cats need a water fountain.HEALTH PROBLEMS ARISE WHEN CATS ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH WATER
When a cats body lacks water, his urine will become more concentrated and this predisposes to a variety of diseases relating to the urinary system. There will be increased risk of formation of urinary crystals, urethral plugs and urinary stones which can block the normal flow of urine out of the body. If urination is imped, urine may backflow from the bladder to the kidneys causing kidney damage. If there is a kidney damage, waste products in the body won’t properly filter from the blood. These toxic substances can damage many organs and can lead to death.
A WATER FOUNTAIN ENTICES YOUR CAT TO DRINK MORE
Consider a water fountain an investment towards your cat’s health and well-being. A fountain’s foremost advantage is that the running water encourages your cat to drink in a number of ways. Having evolved from predators, domestic cats have good hearing and peripheral vision in detecting movement. The sound and motion of flowing water is attractive to cats especially the more curious and playful ones. The movement of water also creates a better visual cue for cats to see where the water surface level is. This helps them to be able to drink without having to get their nose and whiskers wet. Since a fountain recirculates water, the movement infuses oxygen to water & removes odours. It also keeps water cool and is better tasting so your cat drinks their water even in times when you are not around to keep changing the water in the dish.
A fountain will encourage your cat to drink more