Why does the kitten not drink water? Causes

Finally, the dream of a pet was fulfilled, and a little fuzzy settled in the house. Playful affectionate creature became the center of attention and an object of extra care. Caring for an animal, especially a baby, is a pleasant but responsible thing. A pet should be accustomed to the toilet, feed, clean, change water. At this point some owners have a question: why does the kitten not drink water?

Cats and water

And do cats need water? Certainly. Like any living creature, water needs a cat for full-fledged metabolic processes, digesting food. Dehydration threatens serious health problems. The condition when the animal becomes sluggish, with dull hair, loses weight, can be caused precisely by a lack of life-giving moisture. With prolonged fluid restriction, too much blood can even lead to death. So the excitement of vigilant masters is not unfounded. Another thing is that the cat needs less water than some other animals, for example, a dog. It is this physiological feature that explains the sharper ammonia smell of cat urine. The cat does not drink water or drinks very rarely when eating liquid food. There are other reasons that can contribute to the refusal of drinking.

Kittens with mom

Newborn kittens only feed on mother's milk. For this reason, the question "why the kitten does not drink water" is completely irrelevant. He has enough liquid, obtained during the main meal. The need for additional drinking may occur later, when the baby begins to receive "adult" lure. And in this case, if the lure is milk, kefir, eggs or a wet gruel, additional water is not needed for kittens. Mom will teach them to drink water. Cats are usually very responsible moms, and such procedures as washing, toilet and drink, the children are taught by the parent. Make sure that enough water and a high-grade feed is received by the mother, then the kids will get all the essentials.

Skills and needs

Why does the kitten drink little water? If his playfulness and mood do not suffer from this, then his norm is exactly the one that he consumes. Perhaps the baby was separated from his mother, and he just did not have time to understand how to drink water. He will learn. Just do not poke his face in a bowl of water - you can get the opposite effect. It will be better if you place the bowls in his favorite places of games: he is out of curiosity, he himself will appear there. You can add some milk to the water. Some owners are interested in the pet with a special fountain-drinker. For some reason, a gurgling trickle of water always attracts cats, regardless of age. Maybe they like the sound of the falling water?

How to determine the approximate rate of fluid? Proceed from the calculation of 30-40 ml per kilogram of body weight. Weigh the baby and find out if he has enough fluids or not.

Feed quality

When calculating the norm of daily fluid intake, do not forget to consider the composition of the main cat food. Now you will understand why. A small kitten does not drink water, but consumes a lot of milk? This is his drink. As already mentioned, the need for simple water in cats is small. In nature, wild steppe cats are often content with moisture from meat, grass and other juicy foods. A domestic cat, especially a small cat, does not need additional fluid if it eats natural food. You see that pieces of meat or fish are dry - you can add a little water or broth directly to them. Cat food also has a sufficient amount of liquid. This is one of the reasons why the kitten does not drink water.

It is quite another matter to feed only dry food. Although a special dry food for kittens and contains all the necessary vitamins and trace elements, the liquid in it is not enough for the full development of the pet. Lack of water in the animal's body, especially in the growth stage, can lead to an increased concentration of urine, which, in turn, is a prerequisite for the formation of stones in the urinary tract. Near the bowl with food, a container of clean water should always be.

Composition of water

Why does a kitten not drink water if he eats only dry food and seldom feeds on milk? Maybe it's in the water itself. Cats are creatures with a very developed nose. Water with an admixture of extraneous odors may simply not like them or even scare them away. Water from a water tap often has a smell of chlorine and iron. In addition to the fact that cats may not like her, she is also harmful to their health.

Boiled water, which is often carried away by especially vigilant owners, does not do any good. This is at best. Destruction of the necessary bacteria and microelements, the change in the structure of the water itself, causes the boiled liquid to deteriorate very quickly. It not only changes the smell, but also becomes the breeding ground for pathogens.

The most optimal option for drinking a domestic cat is a usual dining room with bottled water, without gas and mineral salts.

Dishes

Cats belong to animals, in which accuracy and cleanliness are particularly developed. This especially applies to thoroughbred specimens. The kitten will not drink from dirty dishes if the bowl is in a dirty place with an unpleasant odor. Although on the street with a puddle, he can drink with pleasure.

Of particular importance is the shape of the bowl. A single council, which should be dishes for drinking cats, can not be. It's hard to say, for example, why a Scottish kitten does not drink water from a convenient, in your opinion, expensive bowl, but with pleasure lacquer from a high vase. Then every aristocrat has his troubles. Select the cat as a drinker for such dishes, from which it is convenient to drink. It is not always a specially purchased bowl. A typical human saucer or a bank can become a water bottle. They drink the cats specifically: they twist the liquid like a spoon with a twisted tongue. Therefore, the dishes are chosen under their own language - so it was more convenient.

I walk and drink by myself

For the reason "I drink where I want", the kitten can drink not cooked water in the bowl, but the one that is contained in the bank for settling, get drunk from the bathroom or from the aquarium. He suffices it, and you will puzzle over the question: "Why does the kitten not drink water?"

If you live in a private house, and your pet has the opportunity to walk around the territory, then he can find a source of liquid replenishment there. Trace in such a case that access to the liquid containing harmful substances, was closed.

Diseases

Special attention should be paid to the situation when a kitten, regularly and habitually consuming water in the required quantity, suddenly stopped drinking. If, however, he still looks painful, the playfulness disappears - go immediately to the vet.

Dehydration affects the elasticity of the skin of a cat. Take the kitten for the crease on the nape and turn it 180 ^degrees . Under normal conditions, the soft skin instantly becomes in place. If the fold is tight and unfolds slowly - it is necessary to sound an alarm. Sometimes a veterinarian even prescribes a forced infusion of water.

Excessive drinking can become a dangerous sign. This is a sign of stomach problems or fever, sometimes it can be accompanied by vomiting or diarrhea.

In any case, a consultation with a veterinarian will not interfere. Cats are whimsical creatures. All habits and needs are individual and unpredictable. A specialist can give specific recommendations to your animal based on its age, its belonging to the breed, the living conditions and nutrition.