My cat has been drinking excessive amount of water

Question

she is desexed and roughly 14 years old and in the last 4 weeks has been drinking a lot more than ususal she has taken to waking us up meowing at between 2 and 4 in the morning and going to our bedroom ensuite and drinking out of the sink, we do have a bowl of water near her food at all times but she is always going to our sink can anyone suggest what may be causing this??

Answer 1

At her age diabetes comes to mind as the first thing. She needs a full blood and urine panel. This can be controlled by medication. If anything is wrong these tests will tell. Well worth it as she deserves the best care at 14 years of age. Good luck.

Answer 2

Could be a number of things including kidney problems. Don't seek advice here; go straight to the vet.

Answer 3

Hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, or diabetes are my top three guesses. Its time for you to get her to the vet in any case.

Answer 4

At her age, diabetes would be a prime suspect.  And don't worry, this is not a death sentence, and there are many approaches.  But this is all speculation, but a distinct change in any cat's behavior signals a need to consult a vet.  If she already had a senior blood profile in the past, then she will have a good baseline.  If not, time to have one done.  A senior blood panel is more expensive than a normal routine blood test, but having several during the older part of a cat's life is invaluable in detecting changes.

Answer 5

she must be thirsty! lol

Answer 6

our cat had this problem coupled with weight loss. is diabetic.

Answer 7

At the age of 14 it could be many things including diabetes, urinary problems and dementia.  You really need to take her to a vet for a proper diagnoses.  Most vets do a geriatric profile on cats over 10 and it's very helpful.

Good Luck!

Answer 8

vet.

like , now.

several serious, fatal ,problems start with excessive thirst.

Answer 9

Maybe the water in your sink is cooler and fresher for her.  My cousin's cat did the same thing and end up with diabetes and is on insulin shots twice a day now, plus thyroid.  She can be helped with medication so I suggest you take her to the vet ASAP.

Answer 10

Hi

Please click my name and read my profile. The most likely thing is diabetes and most likely you are feeding dry foods. Is there weight loss too?

Please stop the dry food and feed canned foods no gravy as long as your cat will eat it. It is especially important that your cat doesn't stop eating at this time. The symptoms by switching foods may subside a bit but that won't mean the diabetes is gone. The first thing you can do is get some ketodiastic reagent strips from the pharmacy to check the urine to see if sugar is spilling in. If so then off to the vet. You do not nee or want to buy their food, Please don't wait long as complications can arise like ketones. Diabetes is not a death sentence, no life span needs to be lost and your cat can live a long happy life if treated properly.  Also realize that many vets are not up to date on treatment and you have to be proactive with it. If you want, i will help you every step of the way

Answer 11

We had a 17 year old cat with kidney failure, and it started like that. You should get her to a vet soon, because without the proper antibiotics it can be fatal.  

Answer 12

Hi, excess water consumption could be renal failure (kidneys) I had a small dog succumb to it also.  Have a blood test done , it should determine if it is renal failure and also what stage it is in.  Then it will be a case of diet change for her and a lot of TLC.  Best wishes.  

Answer 13

I agree with others - she needs a physical, including geriatric blood work up.  I have a diabetic cat, and a hypertensive cat, and a hyperthyroid cat - they need their daily meds to keep them happy and healthy - I suspect yours does, too.