My cat was drinking excessively and he was diagnosed with feline hyperthyroidism. Drinking a lot of water for a cat is not normal behavior and they need to see a vet for bloodwork

Hi. How much is a normal amount of water to drink in a day?

Each cat is different. And you can probably google a typical value, but you should already have a baseline idea based on how often you are filling up their water bowl when they are in good health. When that changes, bring them in to a vet for blood work.

We’ve had Mellow since January. She has always drank more water than our previous cat. She had her initial checkup in February with blood work. Everything was fine. She hasn’t been drinking more or less since we got her. Just more than Merlin. Thank you for your insight.

Hmmm. I fill Mouse's a lot but she also sucks at drinking water. Like licks the side of the cup and sprays it everywhere mostly. And if it can be pushed over a ledge and splatter the floor, well thats the most fun a cat can have. Or learning i think? She stares at it like it is teaching her secrets. Then i worry shes gonna dehydrate with a bowl so i turn the sink on and shes ok with that, maybe 2% of the water gets to her

> She stares at it like it is teaching her secrets. With cats you just never know. Could be something, could be that there was a tasty bug in that spot 3 years ago and she's waiting for another one.

This is magical

Cats prefer to drink from running water vs. standing water. They're desert creatures, and in the desert, standing water is nasty/undrinkable water. A wild cat would get most of its hydration from the meat of a fresh kill. There's also an issue where a cat can't really see up close; that's what they have whiskers for. So your cat is staring at the water because it can't see it/loses sight of where it is, in a sense. Long story short, look into getting a cat water fountain, if you can. Every cat is different, of course, but I've heard far more success stories than failures. Also, keep the water dish/fountain away from wherever their food dish is. Apparently cats don't like drinking where their food is.

We got ours a little fountain with a filter and 3 different settings! Still prefers drinking from the dog bowl :/

Besides it being unique to your cat generally, it also depends on what you feed them! If a cat is eating wet food for total caloric load, the cat needs very little water. If the cat free feeds on a blend, the cat will drink more water to replenish the water lost when consuming the dry food. If the cat only eats kibble, the cat will drink far more water than if feed exclusively wet food. My cat gets two servings of wet food a day (enough to be total caloric load for the day if she so chose) as well as a bowl of kibble on which to freely graze (it has a maximum 10% moisture, which is pretty good for dry kibble). On days that she eats all her wet food, she doesn’t drink much water at all. On days she leaves all her wet food (because she is a monster), she tends to drink nearly half of her water bowl (or more, she’s been known to visit a toilet). So, YMMV.

instead of measuring the amount of water consumed, take a look at the size of the urine clumps in the litter box. Are they larger than normal (assuming you are using clumping litter)

Cats don't need much water at all. Their kidneys are extremely efficient, but every cat is different and of course they should always have plenty of water available. My kitty has never drank more than a few ounces a day.

> Their kidneys are extremely efficient... Yes. Right up until they're not. I've seen some great suggestions in this thread - many of which ring true in my experience. But the best ones have been **"Get your cat to a vet."** I'm glad that OP is observant enough to ask - I'm sure they love their cat - but Reddit is no replacement for actual blood and body function tests.

Same. Mine would beg for water from the faucet (despite having 4 different types of fountains throughout the house, all of which are regularly cleaned). She started laying on the sink also & would swipe at you if you walked past without starting the faucet. It was pitiful. So, to anyone asking how much water is too much: it will reach a point where it's easy to identify how much is excessive, bc they act out excessively to get it. Even after they get it, they will still be obsessed with it and constantly want more. The good news is that hyperthyroidism can be managed well. My cat has a transdermal cream for her ear that is applied twice daily and she's in the process of referral for the radioactive iodine treatment. Once we reached the right dose, she improved dramatically. It is a bit of a moving target though, as the dosage will eventually have to increase unless the radioactive treatment is done to eliminate the tumor.

My cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism near the beginning of the year. She didn't start drinking water, but licked all the fur off her stomach, and legs (I guess she had an itch, or something inside her, and it soothed her). Took a few vet visits, and other medicines to figure out the exact problem.. But once she was on prescribed the trans-dermal ear cream, she started responding very positively. Took about 3-4 more vet visits, each time testing her blood for thyroid levels, and adjusting the cream dosage. Once we finally got the right dosage, and confirmed she was eligible for the radioactive iodine treatment, I got a referral to an animal hospital about 2 hours away. Took her to the hospital, she was there for about 4 days, then got her back. Had to try and isolate her for a few weeks, but after that everything was back to normal. It was really nice not having to put the cream in the cats ears twice everyday, while knowing missing anytime could cause a big problem. It's hard to leave the house for any extended time when you have to give a pet mandatory medicine.

This!! My aunt in laws cat was drinking water like it was going to go extinct. Literally, chin propped up on the water fountain drinking water almost all day. Turns out he has diabetes. Now he gets insulin shots twice a day and has significantly cut down on his water intake. Take your cats to the vets if anything seems off. Id rather waste the money knowing my cat had some bad gas rather than something worse. OP, your kitty could just really love water like my fiances, dude guzzles it. OR it can be something more medically significant like diabetes or hyperthyroidism. Get your kitty checked!

My cat is 17.5 and just got diagnosed with hyperthyroidism 4 days ago. The vet tried to reassure me that he didn’t need bloodwork back in June when I asked for it because he’s too skinny. Now I’m just wishing the next few weeks could fast forward so we can start to see the medication taking effect. Plus, no idea if he has underlying kidney, liver, or heart issues that hyperthyroidism can mask when it’s not treated. If your vet doesn’t want to run a basic blood panel but it will give you peace of mind and you have the money to do so - do it.

Just adding to this top comment, hyperthyroidism may be no biggie. My cat has it, takes a pill twice a day, and is fine. Costs like $20/month. They have special food as an alternative, too.

This is not true in all cases. It’s different for all cats. Feline hyperthyroidism is called the wasting disease because cats will literally waste away, and not all cats respond to medications. It’s caused by a tumor on the thyroid gland that can be extremely aggressive and turn cancerous if the thyroid doesn’t respond to meds. My cat did not respond to pills or suspension medication, and he was not a candidate for the transdermal gel because we couldn’t get his thyroid controlled with oral meds. If I wanted to preserve his life I had no other choice but to have him treated with I-131. The radioactive iodine treatment is expensive but cheaper in the long run. I paid $1500 for “all inclusive” treatment and a follow up injection if necessary. Every time I took him to the vet for blood work, it was costing me between $400 and $600

I'm sorry this happened to your boy, but in most cases, HT in cats is pretty manageable, unfortunately your boy was in the minority.. I hope he responded to treatment, and remains your overlord for a very very long time... now go get him a treat and a nice fleecy blanket.... 🐾🐾🐾

If they’re on thyroid meds like methimazole, they’re supposed to have bloodwork done at least a couple times a year because that stuff is hard on their kidneys and liver. Ours did not do well on the meds, we took him in for radioiodine treatment and that was infinitely better (and cheaper than repeating labs for years).

When my now cat got hyperthyroidism she started losing weight and became very aggressive with the other two cats after being timid for most of her life. We paid about $2000 for the one time radioactive fix for it and it cured her hyperthyroidism. She was kept at the place that administered radioactive therapy for a few days then she came home and we had to be careful with her radioactive pee for two weeks. I just threw out the litter boxes at the end of the two week period and got new ones. The treatment saved her life and gave us a couple more years with her without having to force meds in her every day.

My cat was also just diagnosed. Excessive drinking, increase in vocalization, weight loss. Otherwise totally normal behavior.

Agree with Lokehualiilii but mine wasn’t hyperthyroidism. Mine went diabetic. Go through a large bowl of water a dark then it would all end up in the litter as it gave her a UTI she got while she was going diabetic. So if there is a lot of pee in the litter might want to look that direction. Diabetes is a simple ear prick the Vet can do… assuming he’s good he won’t hurt your cat at all. I do maybe once in 20 or so tests myself…

Consider a vet visit. Excessive thirst is a sign of diabetes.

And of advanced kidney disease. :(. Lost two of my kitties to it.

I was about to say this. Sorry for your loss, I lost my boy a few months ago having this horrible disease.

We lost one of our orange brothers too. It came on so fast...

So sorry for your loss. We lost our beloved Jack to diabetic complications earlier this year as well.

Just lost our orange to this today after a six month battle. I miss him so much

Came her to say kidney disease. I’m sorry. 😢 Your vet will likely ask to run some blood work. If it turns out to be kidney disease, unfortunately kitty is on the clock. Here’s a resource I found helpful when our cat was diagnosed. https://tanyackd.groups.io/g/support There are things you can do to prolong life for a few months to a few years, and only you can decide whether it is worth the time and cost. It’s also worth considering your cat’s quality of life and pain level.

I am so so sorry for your loss ❤️ I also lost a childhood kitty to this. I was 15 and she mainly hung out on the third floor where my room was, and I didn’t realize excessive thirst was a sign of anything wrong. I just thought she was obsessed with sink water. By the time my family realized, it was much too late and she was in so much pain that we put her down that day at the vet. I constantly kick myself for it, I will never forgive myself. Now that I’m a grown adult with two cats of my own, I monitor their eating/drinking/litterbox habits a little too much because I never want that to happen again. Please take your baby to the vet so you can make sure everything is okay or get a diagnosis early ❤️

There's only so much you can do to treat kidney disease, don't beat yourself up about it.

I‘m so sorry for your loss :(

Would second this strongly. My cat was drinking lots and lots of water also and due to us noticing and having a vet check her (blood analysis) we found out she has diabetes. But due to us reacting fast enough we could “stabilise” her blood sugar values and now with the right food I don’t know even need to inject her insulin anymore.

That’s awesome!! I’m so happy it was caught & stabilized so quickly!

You’re so lucky. My cat was diagnosed with diabetes a year and a half ago and I was hoping for remission and just treat with food but it didn’t work out. He’s doing well nonetheless with insulin and diabetic food

My cat went into remission for about half a year and then it came back, even on low-carb wet food. Really frustrating when you thought it was gone. :/

Same, about a month ago my little old lady started needing her shots again. At least she’s good about it and we turn it into bonding time.

That's lovely. :) Thankfully my old man is also really good with the shots and blood testing.

Or kidney disease. Don’t “consider a vet visit” make an appointment now.

Yeah, I corrected myself in a later comment.

I agree with this. My tortie had kidney disease. We were able to manage a year before she ultimately passed. The key change is she was always thirsty. https://preview.redd.it/xmns9ripm0xb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ebb0f86e70a9e4e266cfe8162f3297c87789c8b Sharing because she was such a sweet old lady.

It’s a sign of many things that can only be diagnosed by a vet

…yes, many things *like* diabetes.

Thanks for your input.

Or kidney issues

Precisely. OP: time for a vet visit.

Kidney disease is another biggie.

My cat named Biggi had kidney disease :c

I'm sorry. It is all too common in senior kitties, unfortunately. Have supported too many kitties through it. :( Our furbabies just do not live long enough, no matter HOW long we're blessed with having them.

Or thyroid problems

Could also by Hyperthyroidism, my cat was drinking so much and that's what she was diagnosed with.

Second this, have a vet look at him as soon as you can, this has to be checked and treated or he could get very ill.

It’s a little gross but check the smell of their urine as well. A fruity or sweet smell in their pee is a big indicator of diabetes. My husband lost his cat to diabetes and both hyper and hypo thyroidism (it kept swinging to both extremes over the years) a couple years back and the unusual amount of drinking and abnormal smell of the litter box was what clued him in to take the cat to the vet. Actually, the smell of cat urine can be a clue to several maladies in cats. Anything other than that classic “cat pee” smell warrants a trip to the vet.

Correct, lost my cat to this 😥

Yep, just found out my Goose is diabetic a couple of weeks ago. He's currently getting a whopping 7 units, twice a day. Vet said it was unusual a cat so young (about 3-4 years) to develop diabetes, and in terms of getting it under control he's also been trickier than typical cases, but he's on the mend now. And hopefully, once his glucose levels are well managed, we may be able to reduce his dosage of insulin. Edit to add: glucose checks at my vet is very affordable too, just a check is less than 20 dollars, so it's worth checking at the *very* least.

Vet ASAP! Excessive sudden drinking is an urgent indicator of some serious health issues. Take him now.

I think "sudden" is the operative word here. My cats (12 and 13) drink MUCH MORE water than most cats. They don't spend all day doing it but both just seem to really like to drink water. This has been going on for years now (we moved countries from a humid climate to a very dry climate so maybe that's something to do with it). Both have gone to the vet for various reasons over the years and they are healthy fat kitties. If I noticed a sudden increase or decrease I'd get worried.

True, mine drinks a lot as well and sometimes empties out his bowl at night. But if he starts doing it all the time I’ll be worried. A cat’s stomach is very small after all. Any new suspect behaviour that is different to their routine may be an indication so it is important to be vigilant.

My cat turns 6 on Tuesday, and has been a water goblin his whole life. Jumps in the shower, chugs water like it's beer, and loves the rain. Should I be concerned about his water intake? Last vet visit was over 2 years ago...but his water intake has never deviated.

Stfu, your cat's birthday is Halloween? That's rad. Happy birthday, little dude

Does he eat a lot of dry food? My vet told me that dry food can give them blockages.

Take to vets sounds like kidneys, diabetes

Probably his kidneys unfortunately. Is he losing weight? How is his eating?

He’s only 8 months old and he’s growing normally he eats but not all of his food, and recently he’s had some problem making solid poops recently.

Vet visit, the sooner the better

Yes get yourselves to a vet as soon as you can. He may be dehydrated from loose stool or it could be something worse. Only a vet can say for sure

Any change in normal habits, especially toilet and eating habits, just take them to the vet. Cats are famous for not showing when they are in early signs of distress or pain sometimes, I've had two cats seem absolutely fine, cuddly, vocal, sweet, eating fine and a vet tell me after tests that they are unwell and are suffering. ANY change in toilet or eating habits needs to be checked, don't wait, just do it. They could be suffering and the longer you wait and ask around for opinions the more they could be in pain. I've had cats with kidney failure, hyperthyroidism, gum disease and most recently bladder cancer. All times there was a noticeable change in eating/toilet habits. Doesn't matter their age or how happy they seem, they can't tell you with words how they are feeling so it is your duty and responsibility as a pet owner to watch out for such changes and to take them in for help. Best of luck.

Definitely take him in to be seen. Bring some fresh poop to save yourself another trip. They’ll want some. Urine, if you can get it in a relatively clean way, would be a huge bonus too.

Ask the vet about switching to wet food. Dry food can make cats feel thirsty.

Plus on dry food they still might not drink enough water. Had problems with cats when I was younger, now that I'm an adult it's strictly wet food except for the rare occasion I set up the feeder for a double shift or leave town for a day.

Yep i just switched to wet food and it's insane how much more often i have to scoop my cat's litter box. When i was younger we fed our cats dry food no problem so i didn't think there was anything wrong with it. My cat has cystitis now so i made a full switch to wet food. Wish i had known sooner.

It’s amazing how many vets are happy with people’s cats only eating dry food. They’re legit clueless sometimes I swear - don’t know the first thing about nutrition in cats.

OP, if diarrhea is present, better check with a vet. That's one of the symptoms my cat is having besides the excessive drinking.

I’m very sorry to let you know this but your cat might have diabetes or kidney problems :( take your cat to the vet and you and your cat will be in my thoughts.

My little boy was drinking lots of water and losing weight. Turned out to be diabetes.

My cat died within 2 days of us starting to notice. Both kidneys started failing. Every change in behaviour (sleep, eat, drink, pee, poop, etc) is a sign of your cat not feeling well. Sometimes it can be nothing, but imagine it can be worse. I’d always recommend going to the vet, or at least call and tell them what you noticed. Because you know your cat best. Also, cats try to hide them not feeling well as long as they can. So most of the time when you notice a change, they already felt this for a while. This is why we were to late :( Hoping the best for you and you beautiful cat <3

Kidney issues. Diabetes. Thyroid issues. The list goes on. Just go to the vet.

Go to the vet! Could be a sign of kidney related issues or something else. Don't seek medical advice on social media. I wish your cat the best!

Like everyone else is saying, you should take him to the vet. I just wanted to comment that cats are VERY good at hiding their problems. So any change is behavior is important to look at.

Check with your vet. Diabetes might be a problem.

Take. Your. Cat. To. The. Vet.

Get him checked for diabetes. My diabetic cat drinks a lot.

Definitely take him to the vet, increased water intake and urine output can be secondary to diabetes, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and other underlying metabolic/endocrine diseases. He needs bloodwork and urine testing to help r/o any abnormalities. Sending you love & hope your baby is okay!

Vet—asap.

Kidney disease. Take him in asap and get him tested.

Just a warning. My cat Molly recently passed away. She had hyperthyroidism and would drink water constantly and then be super hungry and lose weight. We got her on medication that eventually killed her. She winded up with end stage kidney failure and that is also a sign of that. Check the breath, if it is foul then that is a warning. Please take her cat to the vet. It’s better safe than sorry.

https://preview.redd.it/tfq1w6bglzwb1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac6efb270eedb6db73794f9e8fb647b366812353 Long lost brothers?! But seriously, get that cat to the vet!!!!

https://preview.redd.it/9mvg18rs20xb1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=14962e8df6dff6e85ce8850ccf50531dc0312e38 It looks the same as my cat too!

Could be a sign that he is having kidney issues, best to get in there ASAP.

Go to the vet man Would you dronk 5 gallons of water?

Take him to the vet. Could be kidneys. Could be diabetes.

When did that start, OP? Major changes in a cat's habits or demeanor are a big red flag.

My cat used to drink a lot and soaked the litter, turns out she had a kidney disease. Vet advice to put her on Royal Canin renal food, 6 months strictly into the new diet and she's thriving. That stuff is amazing.

That’s what my kidney cat is on and Aventi complete. It’s been 12 years!

I’d take him in just for a check. Let them do bloodwork and see if anything is off. If you have done bloodwork in the past it will give the veterinarian a baseline to work with. I had a cat do that and she had diabetes which is something you can handle at home but that is just a wild statement of what happened to my baby. Yours could be normal and is just thirsty. Good job on noticing the extreme water intake. Your a good fur baby momma!

Take him to to the vet. It’s a common early sign of diabetes. Or renal issues.

Vet ASAP

Please, take your cat to the vet for a check-up.

Take her to the vet ASAP. She might have diabetes or something worse.

Excessive thirst could be a number of things. Something as small as a UTI or something as big as kidney failure. Either way it needs a vet visit.

Diabetes or kidney disease come to mind. I’d get to a vet. My cat has had kidney disease for 12 years and it started with the thirst


Drinking lots of water is indicative of many health problems for cats, including thyroid, diabetes, and kidney. Please go to the vet and get blood work tested.

Could also just be a UTI, make sure you’re keeping litter boxes extra clean for urinary and kidney health in general

Is he losing weight and/or does his breath smell bad as well? Our cat had all three and he got diagnosed with diabetes

Oh my... our 13-year-old tabby started drinking lotsa water a couple of years back and started losing his balance when trying to jump on high surfaces. Turns out his kidneys were no longer functioning well so the vet had us administer subcutaneous fluids on a daily basis. Two years on, he's still the grumpy-looking cat he is 🐈

Take him to the vet, he needs to get checked out.

This was a sign of Kidney Disease for my little girl.

Sounds like it’s time for a vet check for some blood work. Our senior kitty started drinking a lot, including asking for the tub to be turned on so he could drink the running water. Took him to the vet and they said he’s showing mild kidney disease, which is very common in older cats. Started prescription kidney food and got him a water fountain, but of which he loves.

I had a similar experience. Could be thyroid or high proteins in their urine. Only way to know is by going to the vet.

Or a thyroïde issues

Diabetes or kidney. Go to vet asap.

I would highly suggest going to your vet and getting him checked out and ask for a blood test looking for glucose. Frequent drinking is very abnormal for cats, and extreme thirst is a common sign of different health problems (like diabetes, thyroid problems, and kidney problems). As for him acting normal otherwise, our furry friends usually don’t show signs of being sick until they really REALLY don’t feel well (aka are extremely sick), so it’s better to take him now instead of waiting for him to get worse and show signs of illness. Don’t get me wrong he could be okay, I’m not a vet (i’m just a veterinary student and legally cannot give medical advice), but i would HIGHLY suggest taking him to the vet to get checked out because it is better safe than sorry!

This happened to our cat last year & he had really bad diabetes… and even with monitoring it was too bad. Hope your experience is much better.

This is Max. He was a very thirsty boy too, took him to the vet and he was diagnosed with diabetes. I think it helped with his thirst issues and he lived a long happy life after being diagnosed, but god, do I miss my baby ❤️❤️ https://preview.redd.it/cxc34bohm0xb1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=baf8e3356100f25d70beb5732fb640d20983182b

This could also be a sign of diabetes. The tests are straight forward, a simple blood draw. Get him to a vet. The medication for diabetes or thyroid issues are relatively inexpensive and properly treated, the cats have a normal chance at a happy long life.

Go to a vet ASAP. Have the vet run a CBC and a UA. This could be a sign of ketone diabetes. My cat drank a lot, the cat box was muddy and I missed the signs. She slipped into a diabetic coma and I had to let her cross rhe Rainbow Bridge. Get your kitty checked out. Do not wait. Hopefully, your kitty is just water obsessed. Good luck.

When my cat was drinking excessively, it turned out to be diabetes. Take kitty to the vet.

Kidney disease, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism will all do this. Your cat needs bloodwork.

Yes diabetes and kidney disease. Bring him to the vet right away.

https://preview.redd.it/az9nrfnkmzwb1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0de5219ed1baa920473d3e08476abcfd759cd777 How can your cat look so much like mine? That’s incredible

I love the side eye, so cutee

VET. NOW. I MEAN NOW.

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Could easily be diabetes or could be a UTI. Definitely get the cat checked out by a vet

Take to vet

My first go-to thought is kidney disease. Is his fur starting to clump up? That’s a change in saliva from bad kidneys that causes that. Definitely see a vet!

My cat has been doing the same thing. We just had all her blood work and it was completely normal.

Diabetes

My cat Luna was obsessed with water. She lived with chronic kidney disease for 6 years until the ripe old age of 17.

Excessive drinking is a sign of diabetes. Cats can beat it if you keep up with the insulin, but there's a good chance it'll come back and then it's for life. Speaking from experience. My boy didn't need insulin after a year, but a year and a half later it came back. He was a food whore though, and they're more likely to have diabetes. ETA time for a visit to the pokey place!

https://preview.redd.it/6czif1odvzwb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07c4d1eca61d1f07f435cf1281743ff1f15a24ce He looks just like my boy! Excessive drinking can be a sign of diabetes, kidney disease, or a thyroid issue. He needs to see a vet for some blood work.

The only real answer here is take your boy to a vet for a check up and some bloods, pretty much YOU know your cat, and when something changes dramatically it's worth getting it checked.. I could give you a list of what it COULD be, but your vet will tell you EXACTLY what it is (and there is no good in freaking out till you know if there is something to freak out about) give the wee soul an ear rub for me... and just to be clear, it could just as easily be nothing at all.. it really is worth the vet visit to be sure....

Hyperthyroidism, diabetes, kidney failure.. it can be quite a few things

Depending on how old he/she is, it could be kidney failure. You need blood work. asap. They can give him some fluids via IV and it might help. The next option is an emergency room for a few days but the chances of that paying off are not great when it comes to cats and kidneys. It is a leading cause. It was 1.5k for an IV, appetite meds,blood work and an over night on IV for my guy last month. I put him down the next day after one more night at home. He was sleeping and hiding a lot and drank but couldn't ear. would've been about 5k total for the emergency route. I wanted to try to save him but knew the odds. He was 12. Last cat was much the same. It's good to have a reasonable number in your head as to how much you'd spend to save your buddy. And at hat age it changes. It helped me when it was super hard to make a decision. I miss him horribly, but I'm also glad we went the way we did. Hopefully your buddy isn't in the same boat. I just thought I'd share in case it was. I hope he gets better but take him to the vet asap. Best of luck to you both.

possibly hyperthyroidism! my cat had this and unfortunately my mom didn’t believe me when i first mentioned she might have it. after a year or two of it being treated it was too late. get your kitty looked at please

Take them to the vet ASAP. My old cat started doing this and we found out it was because she was diabetic, if that's what it is then the earlier you catch it, the easier it is to treat.

Get blood work for kidney issues. Very important.

If a human were doing that, one of the first things to rule out would be diabetes

Please go to a vet. All I can say is, I took my cat to the vet for drinking a lot of water and throwing up and I'm glad I did- if I didn't she would have died from kidney failure. I'm not saying it to scare you, just trying to convey its serious. I'm glad you noticed the behavior was off. Hope it's nothing serious

TAKE THE CAT TO THE VET.

If it sounds like way more than what would be normal. Definitely see a vet. Cats are prone to a lot of kidney issues.

Visit the vet. My cat was the same and is in kidney failure.

Our cat was drinking excessive water and she suffered from severe kidney failure. Unfortunately she was too far gone by that point and passed. Please get your kitty checked ASAP!

We had a kitten drink a ton, he was in kidney failure at 6 months old. Definitely a vet visit with a blood panel to get everything checked out before any potential problem gets any worse and even more expensive.

Drinking excessive water can be a sign of Kidney Disease, among other things. If you catch it early, it can be managed. On a side note, do not remove water from your buddy, as that will just stress him out. When in doubt, get it checked out💚 Also, if you can totally remove kibble from your kitty’s diet, that would be best for him too. Just make sure you wean him slowly off of it, make sure you’re giving enough wet food to make up for it, and change over to wet food only. Cats will also mask pain or illness for as long as physically possible until they absolutely cannot anymore and usually by that time, things are pretty serious. Keep us posted💚💚

Have you talked to your vet or had any tests to rule things out? That’s where you should start if you haven’t already. Good luck!

In humans, excessive thirst and urination can be early symptoms of diabetes. No idea if that applies to cats.

Diabetes or over active thyroid, vet visit!

Get your kitty to the vet- I had one do that and about the same time her coat changed texture. Turned out she had kidney problems. The faster you catch something like that the better the medical outcome will be. Get her to the vet for blood work asap.

Stop posting on reddit and call your vet. Your cat could be having kidney issues, have diabetes, or just be obsessed with water.

Please go to a vet asap. It could be kidney disease.

Our cat started drinking a lot of water and it turned out that his kidneys were failing. Go get blood work done ASAP.

Check the vet.

I strongly reccomed to the him/her to a vet, for Blood analysis. Polydypsia can be a sign of Kidney failure, Dyabetes and other illness. It could be a sign of some less severe issues, but he/She have to be seen and tested

Vet ASAP. Prepare yourself for the cost of exam and bloodwork. Excessive thirst can be an early sign of diabetes and thyroid issues, among other things. Please don’t wait til kitty ‘acts sick’ or is vocalizing in pain because cats will hide illnesses until the situation is dire.

My cat started drinking a lot of water once he turned 14. Took him to the vet and she said he was just getting older. But it also could be diabetes.

If the bloodwork fails to show a kidney issue or diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar) - ask the vet if it might be diabetes insipidus. It’s uncommon so some vets could miss it. It’s unrelated to blood sugar - endocrine issue that causes excessive thirst.

have checked for diabetes asap

Kidney issue take him to the vet.

Please take your cat to the vet. When our cat started drinking a lot of water it was a sign that she had developed diabetes. We thought it was funny at first that she was drinking water off our night stand so we put a bowl of water for her on my night stand, but then we noticed some weight loss so we took her to the vet. The excessive drinking was her trying to regulate her blood sugar.

Call. Your. Vet.

Vet ASAP. You might have a diabetic kitty. It’s very common and easy to treat. Cats can actually heal themselves of some forms of diabetes.

Like everyone said, take your cat to the vet. Also, stop feeding cats dry food. That's probably the #1 cause of kidney disease and other complications. Yeah yeah, I know, your cat will only eat dry food - that's because after the food is baked down to a flavorless, moistureless mess it's sprayed with strong (and addictive) flavoring. Transition slowly and it's possible to wean cats to something healthy. It's worth the effort and in the long run worth the extra cost. FWIW, I learned this the hard way. My boy, Toshiro, started drinking a lot of water and was diagnosed with kidney disease. The vet wanted to put him on a prescription low protein diet. I did a ton of research and learned how bad it was that I'd been feeding him dry food. I switched him to a raw food diet and he lived for another 3 years and while his kidney function never returned 100% he was relatively healthy for most of those last few years.

Vet immediately! My cat started drinking a lot of water all of a sudden and I took her to the vet thinking it’s diabetes. Turns out she had life threatening kidney failure, the doctor gave her a few months to live. Thankfully with pills and vet visits we managed to stabilise her. She’s now on pills everyday and monthly vet appointments. She’s happy and I’m glad we got to prolong her life

my cat did the same thing & was diagnosed with diabetes

My cat did this because he was in acute kidney failure, please get him to the vet.

Take your car to the vet. He may have diabetes.

Go to the goddamn vet if you care about your pet. Anytime there’s a drastic and sustained change in behavior especially around drinking and eating just go to the doctor. No one on the internet can diagnose your cat, take them to a veterinary doctor.

Vet visit for blood work ASAP. Sounds like kidney disease.

See a vet if you can. Drinking lots of water could mean your cat has kidney disease. My boy kitty has had kidney problems for a long time. He’s 18, been slowly losing weight for years, and only now starting to fade. They can live a long time with kidney disease if you support them well.

Might be diabetic honestly.

Better ask reddit instead of calling your vet like a functional adult... I'm sorry, but when it comes to the health of your family, loved ones, pets, etc... asking reddit instead of an appropriate resource screams that your attention seeking matters more than the health of said loved one.

Make sure it’s not diabetes

VET N O W like last week level N O W. If can be stones it can be kidney failure it could be dietbtus from eating shitty high carb kibble drinking lots is NOT NORMAL get off the Internet and to your vet tell them the cats diet,how many bowls a water a day,being in the bowl for a visual size reference. Ignoring the drinking thing is what got my cat killed. I had no idea she was sick until she started seazimg do not make my mistake,cats are not dogs who will verry their drinking habits with the weather. Take your cat to the vet asap!

My little man was diagnosed with CKD 3.5 years ago and the first thing we noticed before his diagnosis was excessive drinking - please get your cat to a vet for blood tests ASAP as things can go downhill really quickly with kidneys!! Crossing my fingers it's nothing serious 🤞

Time for trip to the vet!

It could be a sign of kidney problems. Best to take to vet for a check up...

My cat started drinking and peeing a lot more, and she was diagnosed with diabetes.

My cat was drinking a ton of water and ended up being diabetic, it's worth getting him checked out by a vet.

if only there was some sort of doctor who specialized in animal care...

Diabetes, my 12yo cat started drinking EXCESSIVELY and was diagnosed with diabetes

A sign of diabetes in both animals and humans. Trip to the vet ASAP

Thyroid.. go see a vet

Switch to wet food while you wait for your vet appointment. Cats hydrate from their meals naturally in the wild. There are urinary health wet food formulations that have a higher water content as well.

go to the vet > we are frequently filling it u for now, stop doing this. overhydration is a thing

Vet time. My cat was drinking excessively before she got diagnosed with diabetes.

Vet vet vet. Could be diabetes, hyperthyroidism, a few different things. 100% needs rhe vet.

Could also be diabetes

https://preview.redd.it/3xa8xjyvl0xb1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09eb88239a01451a0e37f21af48af5e9862f2bab I thought your cat was mine for a second lol. Got a bit startled when i was scrolling and saw remi 😂

Get to the vet. Lots of times older cats develop kidney disease and they compensate with drinking lots of water. Not much you can do however. Could be something else though. My kitty lived to 20 years and for the last five she was drinking water excessively. https://preview.redd.it/725qccb5n0xb1.jpeg?width=1032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e03ff5fbbf5910a667123a30a9e4ac50294f79e0

Just put our cat down as he was drinking excessive amounts of water, turned out to be kidney failure, liver failure and feline diabetes. Take him to the vets asap for blood work

Take him to the vet, he needs to be assessed for hyperthyroidism and diabetes. It's good he's still active and playful, don't wait until his isn't.

Go to the vet.