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Home > Cats > My Cat Is Drinking a Lot of Water & Meowing, What Should I Do?

My Cat Is Drinking a Lot of Water & Meowing, What Should I Do?

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Dr. Paola Cuevas

Veterinarian, MVZ

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It’s very alarming when you notice abnormal behavior in your cat, like excessive meowing and unusual thirst. If your cat is meowing a lot more than usual and drinking a ton of water, the two most likely culprits are kidney disease and hyperthyroidism. However, diabetes mellitus is also a possibility. For a more accurate diagnosis, visit a trusted veterinarian. They’ll be able to run bloodwork and figure out why your cat is drinking and meowing so much.

Let’s take a closer look at how those present so you can better pinpoint if your cat is affected. As a bonus, we’ll talk about some other reasons your cat might be excessively meowing as well. Stay tuned for the details.

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Potential Causes of Excessive Thirst

There are a range of possibilities that could be causing your cat to drink more. Let’s check them out below.

1. Hyperthyroidism

This condition is caused when your cat’s thyroid gland is overproducing hormones. Most commonly caused by benign tumors, hyperthyroidism results in weight loss, excessive thirst, and high blood pressure. Of course, very loud vocalizing is part of it too. In some cases, heart disease and eye diseases, like retinal detachment, are found in connection with hyperthyroidism.

This condition is diagnosed with a panel of bloodwork with your vet and treated through a variety of treatment options. Medications like methimazole and treatments like radioactive iodine are often used, but the most effective treatment will depend on your cat.nOlder cats are more susceptible to this condition, especially those over 8 years old.

Domestic cat drinking water
Image By: AleksandarMilutinovic, Shutterstock

2. Diabetes Mellitus

Cats are typically good about hiding illnesses like diabetes, so you have to watch how often they’re drinking and eating. Diabetes causes increased thirst and hunger. Hungry diabetic cats might seem like they’re still hungry after eating all their food, but it’s just the illness talking. As with humans, cats with diabetes will need a special diet and might need to be injected with insulin as recommended and prescribed by your vet.


3. Kidney Disease

Kidney disease in cats presents with strong thirst, weight loss, loss of appetite, loss of fur sheen, bad breath, and general fatigue. The cat might seem unwell and experience diarrhea or hide from their humans. Because of the increased thirst, an afflicted cat could meow a lot for more water. Sadly, this condition is a long-term and often fatal one.


4. Liver Disease

cat water fountain
Image By: Vershinin89, Shutterstock

5. Hot Weather

Sweltering summers can cause heat stroke, dehydration, and excessive thirst for your kitty. If you live in a place that experiences very hot weather, it would be wise to turn the A/C up or maybe invest in a fan. Like us, they need much more water to keep up with summer heat waves.


6. Diet Changes

You likely already know how sensitive cats are to even the smallest changes in their routine. If you were to change their food abruptly or switch from wet food to dry kibble, this could be a reason that your cat is drinking more than normal.

white Persian cat drinking from water bowl
Image By: Punyaphat Larpsomboon, Shutterstock

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Possible Causes of Excessive Meowing

There are a few common reasons why cats might excessively vocalize or meow more than normal. Illness is always a possibility, but plain old hunger or attention-seeking might be the answer too. Look at each potential reason below.

1. Illness

Cats know when something’s wrong in their body, even if they do a good job hiding it most of the time. Some cats are also more vocal than others, and they may try to communicate to you that they’re ill by meowing more often. To make sure, look for other signs of illness that are associated with hyperthyroidism, diabetes, or kidney disease.

a sick cat lying on the couch
Image By: Zhuravlev Andrey, Shutterstock

2. Hunger

Cats are creatures of routine, and they know when it’s time to eat. If they’re meowing a few minutes before lunch, it’s probably no big deal. Some cats are more vocal around dinnertime, but it isn’t necessarily a cause for concern.


3. Seeking Attention

Our feline friends have a reputation for being solitary creatures, which is true in the wild. With us, they get used to having regular attention. A cat that feels left out or lonely might meow a lot to get your attention, while other cats are simply more gregarious and vocalize that by meowing.

owner petting a hissing angry tabby cat
Image By: Anna Kraynova, Shutterstock

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Cats excessively meowing and drinking a lot of water may be a sign of serious conditions like hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, or diabetes. However, you should always check with a trusted, qualified vet to diagnose health conditions for certain.


Featured Image Credit: Yuliya Papkova, Shutterstock

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