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204 results for “cat hydration”
Why Doesn’t My Cat Throw Up Hairballs
Cats groom constantly, so they swallow hair - but not every cat throws it back up. Swallowed hair usually passes with food into the stomach and on through the intestines, leaving in the stool; only when the stomach flags it as a foreign body does the brain trigger a vomit. So a cat that rarely hacks up hairballs is often just moving the hair through normally. More frequent grooming can signal fear or stress. The real concern is hairball syndrome, where a matted clump blocks the stomach outlet and causes repeated violent vomiting and dehydration - see a vet if vomiting happens many times a day. Prevent it by regular brushing, trimming long coats, and hairball-control food with extra fiber.
Why Cats Get Diabetes
Diabetes is an endocrine disease where too little insulin or poor insulin response raises blood sugar, disturbing carbs, protein and fat and causing electrolyte imbalance. Cats have three types (I insulin-dependent, II non-insulin-dependent, III secondary); type II is common and, happily, preventable. The real drivers are diet and exercise, not just 'obesity' - high-carbohydrate commercial kibble turns to fat in a short gut that needs little carbohydrate. Signs: excessive drinking and eating with weight loss, 3-5x urine, walking difficulty, and late ataxia even paralysis. Complications bring lethargy, dull coat, vomiting, dehydration, sweet breath, coma. Prevent and treat with fixed high-protein, low-carb meals, regular activity, weight and check-up monitoring; many cats live well with medicine and good management.
How to Tell If Your Cat Is Dehydrated
An adult cat needs about 150 ml of water a day, but cats dislike drinking, so many drift into chronic dehydration and later urinary trouble. Two home checks: stool - if it comes out in hard, dry pellets the cat is already short on water (the body pulls moisture from waste); and urine clumps - an adult's clump should be about a third of a palm, once or twice a day, so a ping-pong-sized clump is a red flag. Remember, you judge by what goes out, not what goes in. Fix it with a fountain cats prefer and wet food or rehydrated freeze-dried meals.
How to Care for Your Cat in Summer
Cats have thick coats and dislike heat, so summer care centers on safe cooling to prevent heatstroke. Move the bed to a cool indoor spot, offer a cooling mat, trim only the paw fur (never shave—UV then damages skin), and keep air flowing with a fan or AC set no lower than comfortable, avoiding big temperature swings. Cats shed heat through their paw pads, so shorter paw hair helps. Hydration matters because fast summer metabolism raises dehydration risk—encourage drinking. Feed fresh food in small portions and clear leftovers fast, since wet food spoils quickly in the heat. These steps keep a cat comfortable through summer.
Cats Evolved in Deserts But Still Need Water
Wild cats get 70-80% of their water from prey, so a dry-kibble home cat that also refuses water faces real danger. A cat needs about 40-60 ml per kg of body weight daily (a 4 kg cat: 160-240 ml). Low intake concentrates urine and triggers a chain of trouble: bladder and urinary disease, kidney disease, cystitis, even life-threatening urethral blockage. Check dehydration by skin elasticity (slow rebound) or gums (sticky when dry). Boost intake with wet food, raw meat if skilled, a fountain for moving water, or a syringe; never give tap water - use cooled boiled or purified to avoid parasites.
Why Your Cat’s Diarrhea Persists Despite Probiotics
It is a common story: your cat has soft stool or diarrhea, you reach for a probiotic, and the problem does not go away. Probiotics can help the gut, but they are not a cure for every loose stool, and not every product on the shelf is what it claims to be. Understanding why they sometimes fail points you toward the real fix.
Summer Hazards for Cats
Summer is a rough season for cats. With poor sweating, they overheat fast - five minutes on hot asphalt, in a sealed space or on a sunny balcony can cause heatstroke: high temperature, fast pulse, panting, then dizziness, vomiting and coma. Move them to shade and cool with water or a fan, and rush to the vet if it does not ease. Warm weather also brings acute gastritis from spoiled food (limit water and feed easily digested fluids) and skin disease from fleas, mites and fungi - treat the cause and keep up prevention with cleaning and deworming.
What to Do When Your Cat Throws Up
Cat vomiting has many causes, so watch and reason before acting, and see a vet when needed. A single vomit of undigested food with normal energy is usually harmless. Bad or spoiled food can trigger it and may lead to gastroenteritis. Hairballs show as fur in the vomit and need a hairball remedy. True gastroenteritis brings repeated vomiting, soft stools, and severe thirst but no eating, risking dehydration and organ failure if ignored. Pancreatitis and serious viral infections also start with vomiting. For mild cases, probiotics and warm water may help; persistent vomiting needs a vet, where anti-emetic and anti-inflammatory shots work fast and forced feeding may be needed.
How to Choose a Staple Canned Food for Your Cat
Cats often prefer juicy canned food to dry kibble, and with so many products on the shelf, choice should go beyond taste to what actually benefits the body. A good staple can should lead with meat, list no grains or filler gums, and carry useful extras such as green-lipped mussel for joints or controlled additives. High meat content (around 90 percent or more) with balanced protein supports muscle, while a little added fiber can help cats with soft stools. Reading the label for meat percentage, gum and grain content, and supplement profile is the reliable way to pick a healthy everyday can.
Handy Cat Gear Owners Love
Some simple items make cat life smoother for both of you. A cat tent beats a heavy cage for space and cleaning, a basket or crate often beats a bought bed, a flowing-water fountain encourages drinking, and a spray bottle curbs kitten mischief without harm. Here are a few favorites worth knowing.