How Long Can A Cat Go Without Water?

Isn’t it intriguing to even think that a creature out there, can survive without water? Well, not everyone is a born camel, but every animal is born with a limited capability to survive in the harshest of conditions. Many times, busy pet parents tend to leave their cats alone at home without water, this can cause minor to major issues depending upon the number of days. We are going to tell you how long can a cat go without water and the maximum number of days it can endure without causing any dangerous health hazard.

Having a cat comes with a lot of responsibility, you need to be properly educated and aware of how much food it needs to have, or the right amount of water. Is that enough? NO – it’s still not enough. We also need to know how long can a cat go without food and water and what you should do, in case something like that happens to your cat. Did I get you on edge? Well, read on to find out what we have in store for you.

So, the main question – how long can a cat survive without water? The answer will be a maximum of 3 to 4 days. Trust me you don’t want to go beyond that. The longer it stays without water – the more dehydrated it gets. The longer the dehydration period, the more serious the health hazard is. And you do not want that. There have been cases, such as cats that are accustomed to living in a dry area such as deserts, who can survive for even a week without water. First of all check for the reasons why your cat not eating or drinking for 3 days or more? Sometimes it happens due to discomfort caused by illness.

What are the risks if cats aren’t drinking water?

We all need water, and similarly, if our cats aren’t having enough of it, it will have major negative side effects on their health. but first, let me walk you through the effects and risks of it.

As soon as your cat stops drinking water, or is not having enough of it, it will immediately go into a state of dehydration. Too much loss of fluids can harm the body of the cat. It will get tired, even cause nausea and lack of activity.
Dehydration also causes constipation in cats, which in turn will cause vomiting. You might also notice increased heart rate and dry gum problems.
Your cat will also seem to be in a bad mood because of the lethargy caused by the lack of essential fluids in its system.
The cat will also pant frequently because of its body temperature rising due to lack of water.

What Should You Do When Kitten Not Drinking Water?

We are going to help you with your problem and in case you ever unconsciously left your cat unattended at home without any access to food and water. Just follow the steps about how to hydrate a cat that won’t drink water here.

There is a medicine called Pedialyte which is easily available in Drug stores. Always keep one handy. If you notice mild dehydration in your cats like lethargy or lack of activity, just give it a few drops of Pedialyte with a dropper every 10 to 15 minutes. Continue this for an hour until your cat feels better.
We need to make sure that we supply our fur baby with enough fluids to make up for the loss. Warm some water and mix it with its food. Now use a dropper or a round spoon to slowly feed it to your pet.
Keep repeating the above two steps alternatively. Make sure that you repeat the process until your cat feels strong and is back to being light-footed.
In case your cat has undergone severe dehydration. In such cases, the cat might vomit out the food that you have been feeding it with the dropper. Clean up the vomit and let your cat lick on some ice cubes. That will make the cat feel better.
You can also try installing a water fountain for cat. We all know cats are playful beings – and a water fountain will be the right choice to have it drink water regularly.
If your cat still does not respond to your treatment for dehydration, please consider visiting a vet.

How Much Water Do Cats Need?

The answer to this question completely depends upon the weight of your cat. A cat who is 10 pounds in weight will need at least 1 cup of water daily. So, make sure you have enough water lying around it when it is playing and panting too much because it is tired. The food that we give to our cat comprises mostly of wet components – out of which 80% of it is water. So, in case your cat is not finishing up its bowl of water, that’s okay because the cat is getting its water needs fulfilled by the wet food.

Conclusion

I hope we have answered all your questions. Always relax and do not rush to conclusions. Just make sure that you have enough Pedialyte at home because it is the quickest solution for your cat to avoid dehydration. The best solution will be to install a water fountain as it never runs out of fresh water. So even if you accidentally left your fur baby alone at home, it will always have access to fresh water.