Just like humans, our cats’ bodies are dependent upon fresh water. Water helps flush toxins, regulate temperature and circulate nutrients throughout the body. Because of this, it’s important that we pay attention to what type of water we’re putting in our cat’s water bowl.
Would You Drink From Your Cat’s Water Bowl?
In short, if you wouldn’t drink from your cat’s water bowl, neither should your cat. A dirty bowl or stale water can result in bacteria build-up, parasites and viruses that aren’t healthy for your kitty. Bacteria-filled water can cause serious illness in our cats like urinary infections and GI issues.
Many sources of water that we consider ‘fresh’ are actually not good for us or our cats. According to Dr. Mercola, bottled, distilled, alkaline and tap water should be consumed with caution. Both tap water and most bottled water contain arsenic, aluminum and antibiotics. Drinking this water over an extended period of time will only hurt our kitties.
Bottled water comes in plastic bottles, which is a cesspool for bacteria. Bacteria loves plastic, so you should also make sure your cat’s water bowl isn’t made of plastic. Filtered or spring water in a stainless steal or ceramic bowl is best.
Cleaning and refilling our kittys’ bowls with fresh, pure water daily will help insure they don’t ingest contaminates while hydrating themselves. Cats have a low thirst drive and are usually uninterested in plain water to begin with – dirty water even less. If our cats don’t have clean water, we risk contributing to serious dehydration. This is especially true for cats that are fed an all dry diet.
Cats in the wild will get the majority of the moisture their bodies need from prey – which is 70-80% water. If you’re feeding your kitty a moisture rich, species appropriate diet, they likely won’t consume as much water from the bowl. This is okay, but it is still important that you refill and refresh your cat’s water bowl every day. Even if they don’t drink much, we want every bit of water they consume to contribute to health and not illness.
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