Q. We feed our two adult, female cats wet food twice a day. Do cats still need a dish of water if they are on a wet food diet?

A. Veterinarians believe that cats simply do not drink enough water. Increasing the amount of water cats drink on a daily basis helps avoid many types of kidney and bladder problems. I encourage you to keep fresh water available for your cats at all times. Some cats like to drink running water, and often people will purchase a device specifically for cats that provides fresh running water at all times.

It is also important to monitor the amount that your cat drinks. Any change in your cats water intake may signify that something is wrong. If, for instance, you virtually never see your cat drinking, then you suddenly notice that it is at the water dish several times a day, that could indicate something is wrong. In that case, you need to get your cat to the veterinarian in hope of diagnosing the problem early while it is still treatable.