To encourage a pet to drink more water, start by experimenting with where you put the bowl, what it's made from, and how fresh the water is. For cats especially, a circulating fountain often works where a static bowl fails. Adding moisture through food -particularly wet food -is one of the most reliable ways to increase total fluid intake without depending on your pet to drink more on their own.
Key takeaways
- Small changes to bowl type, placement and water freshness can make a meaningful difference -especially for cats, who are particular drinkers.
- Wet food is one of the most effective ways to increase a pet's fluid intake, since it contains 70–85% water by weight.
- Frozen treats and food toppers are practical, low-effort ways to add hydration in summer without any fuss.
- Cats and dogs have genuinely different drinking habits -what works for one won't necessarily work for the other.
- If your pet has suddenly stopped drinking or shows signs of being unwell, speak to your vet rather than relying on home strategies alone.
Why do some pets refuse to drink enough water?
It's rarely simple laziness. There are usually specific reasons a pet isn't drinking, and identifying the right one makes it much easier to fix.
For cats, the most common factors are:
- The bowl is too close to their food or litter tray (cats instinctively avoid water near potential sources of contamination)
- The bowl material has a smell they dislike -plastic is a frequent offender
- The water is stale or warm
- They simply prefer moving water to still water, a trait linked to wild instinct
For dogs, reluctance to drink is less common but can be triggered by:
- A change in water source (tap water in a new area can taste or smell different)
- A bowl that's too deep, too narrow, or uncomfortable to drink from
- Hot, stale water that's been sitting out
- Unfamiliar surroundings -dogs that drink well at home sometimes need encouragement when travelling or staying elsewhere
In both species, a sudden change in drinking habits -drinking far more or far less than usual -is worth mentioning to your vet. For the purposes of this article, we're focusing on pets that are generally healthy but could simply do with drinking a bit more.
What are the best ways to get a cat to drink more water?
Cats are notoriously individual when it comes to water. What one cat loves, another ignores completely. The approach that tends to work best is trying a few things and seeing what your cat responds to.
Try a pet water fountain. This is the single most commonly successful intervention for cats. Moving water stays cooler, stays oxygenated, and appeals to a cat's instinct to drink from running sources. Many cats that ignore a bowl entirely will drink readily from a fountain. They're widely available, easy to clean, and worth the investment if you've been struggling.
Move the water bowl away from food. Cats prefer their water source to be separate from where they eat. It doesn't need to be in a different room -even a metre or two of distance can help. Placing a bowl in a quiet spot they already like to rest near often works well.
Switch the bowl material. Ceramic and stainless steel are usually better received than plastic. They don't hold odours in the same way and are easier to keep truly clean. Wide, shallow bowls are often preferred -cats dislike their whiskers touching the sides of a bowl while they drink.
Offer water in multiple locations. Rather than having one bowl, try two or three in different areas. Some cats have strong preferences about which spots in the house feel safe and comfortable, and a water point in the right place can make all the difference.
Add a small amount of water to wet food. If your cat eats wet food, mixing in a little extra water is an easy, low-resistance way to increase fluid intake. Start with just a teaspoon and increase gradually. Some cats don't notice; others will object -so go gently.
Try chilled water. In warmer months, some cats drink more readily when water is cool. A small ice cube in the bowl can help keep it that way, and plenty of cats find the ice itself an interesting novelty.
What are the best ways to get a dog to drink more water?
Dogs are generally more willing drinkers than cats, but there's still plenty you can do if yours needs encouragement -particularly in summer.
Keep water cool and fresh throughout the day. In warm weather, water in a bowl left outdoors or in a sunny room can become warm within an hour or two. Dogs are more likely to drink water that's cool and fresh. Swap it out regularly, rinse the bowl each time, and consider a larger, insulated bowl that holds temperature better.
Add a water station to the garden. If your dog spends time outside, a separate water point outdoors -away from where they toilet -means they don't have to come back inside to drink during play. Dogs that are active in the garden can lose water quickly and often won't interrupt themselves to go and look for it.
Make frozen treats. This one goes down well with most dogs and is a genuine crowd-pleaser in summer. Freeze a mixture of water and a small amount of a dog-safe ingredient -plain, unseasoned chicken or beef stock (check the label carefully: no onion, garlic or added salt), or a little natural yoghurt -in ice cube trays or a silicone mould. The dog gets hydration, something to chew on, and a bit of entertainment.
Incorporate wet food. Wet food contains substantially more moisture than dry kibble -typically 70–85% water versus 6–12% in dry food. For a dog that doesn't drink particularly enthusiastically, including some wet food in their meals is a practical way to increase their total fluid intake without any trial and error around the water bowl.
Use a travel bowl consistently. Dogs that drink well at home sometimes go without on walks because there's no familiar cue. A consistent travel bowl -always the same one, used at the same point in the walk -can become a reliable routine signal that it's time to drink.
Are there any hydration tricks that work for both cats and dogs?
A few approaches work across both species:
|
Approach |
Works for dogs? |
Works for cats? |
Notes |
|
Pet water fountain |
Yes |
Yes -especially effective |
Moving water appeals to both |
|
Wet food in diet |
Yes |
Yes |
Most reliable way to increase total fluid intake |
|
Multiple water stations |
Yes |
Yes |
Reduces the distance to a bowl at all times |
|
Frozen treats |
Yes |
Some cats -try small ice cubes |
More reliably popular with dogs |
|
Chilled water |
Yes |
Yes |
Particularly useful in summer |
|
Broth added to water |
Yes |
Some cats accept this |
Use only pet-safe, onion/garlic-free stock |
|
Bowl material upgrade |
Some dogs |
Yes -particularly important for cats |
Ceramic or stainless steel preferred |
No single method works for every animal. The most useful approach is to try two or three things at once, observe which ones your pet responds to, and build from there. There's no wrong answer as long as your pet is drinking more and seems comfortable.
How does wet food help pets drink more -without making them drink at all?
Wet food works because it delivers water directly as part of the meal, rather than asking a pet to seek it out separately.
A pet eating a 400g serving of wet food that contains 80% moisture is consuming around 320ml of water alongside their meal -without having to visit a water bowl at all. For cats in particular, where the instinct to drink is naturally weaker, this can meaningfully close the gap between what they need and what they'd voluntarily seek out.
Naturo's wet food recipes for both dogs and cats sit in that 70–85% moisture range typical of quality wet food, made with natural ingredients. Whether fed as a complete meal or alongside a dry food diet, including wet food is one of the most practical hydration strategies available -particularly in summer when the demand for fluids is higher.
