Those who have a cat and a dog will have noticed that the former drinks much less than the latter. You should know that the domestic cat comes from species accustomed to arid climates (its ancestors are the wild cats of Africa and the Middle East). Therefore By nature is accustomed to saving water. The saving modes put in place are primarily its low sweating and excretion of a more concentrated urine ( compared to the dog, humans and many other animals. )
FOR OUR KITTY, WHAT DOES LITTLE DRINKING ENTAIL?
This natural condition of the cat causes its kidneys to work hard to conserve water.
Consider that the average specific gravity of urine in the cat is > 1035 gr/L versus averages of 1025 in the dog and about 1020 in humans. This involves more work for the kidneys in this species than in others and making it an easy target for diseases of these organs.
Another thing to keep in mind is that nature predicted a shorter average lifespan than our kitties, with owner care and veterinary care, can reach. The average life span of a cat today is 14 to 18 years, but a wild cat has much shorter average lives. So it is normal for high-efficiency organs such as the cat’s kidneys, having to work harder than nature had intended, to arrive worn out in the senescence stage.
It is estimated that 1/3 of cats over 12 years old suffer from kidney problems. Chronic renal failure is one of the most common causes of visitation in elderly cats.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO DECREASE THE RISKS OF RENAL FAILURE IN CATS?
It must be said that the cat, more than other animals, has remarkable abilities to compensate for diseases in general, and in this specific case the kidneys are no exception. This means that before it shows us signs of illness, its body tries to remedy and hides such symptoms from us. Therefore, in order not to be late, it is important in the cat to try to have vet checkups at least annually, and this becomes more important after 8-9 years of age.
One of the main symptoms of kidney disease is increased thirst and urination for example.
The biggest prevention we can do at home is based on getting our cat to take the right amounts of water. Let’s try to give some advice on this
- Choose a diet that has a proportion of moist foods in it. Wet food makes the cat take in water, in addition to drinking water, which becomes very useful for the kidneys. As we know, however, kibble is helpful in maintaining good oral hygiene, so the advice is To give both wet and dry to our cat.. The mixed diet will have the benefits of both foods.
- To stimulate kitty to drink, put large bowls of water (perhaps a nice glass bowl) or special drinking fountains. Continuous circle fountains are very useful in those cats who prefer to drink running water. Therefore, avoid the one small bowl next to the food.
- Supplementing with omega 3 in cats after a certain age. These important heart and kidney protectors are found concentrated in fish oils that are either incorporated into some commercial foods or can be given as supplements by the owner
Put these tips into practice and give your kitty periodic checkups–he will be grateful.
Dr. Simone Falci
Veterinary Physician Nutritionist
Bibliography:
-Biological variation of urinary protein: Creatinine ratio and urine specific gravity in cats. (Femke Mortier et Al. ; Vet intern Med. 2023)
-Pet Physiology (G. Agguggini et Al; UTET publisher).
-Renal Diseases of the Dog and Cat (Andrea Zatelli, Edra publisher)
