Is my cat drinking and weeing too much?

Overview
- Is your cat drinking or weeing more than usual?
- You may hear your vet use the words polyuria and polydipsia (PUPD for short).
- Polyuria = weeing too much
- Polydipsia = drinking too much
- The two symptoms often come together because the more your cat drinks, the more they wee, and the more they wee, the more they need to drink.
- There are many possible causes for drinking and peeing too much.
- If you think your cat is drinking too much, take them to your vet - never restrict your cat’s water to control the problem.
Is your cat drinking and peeing too much?
Most owners rarely see their cat drink, especially if they are fed a wet diet. This is because cats get most of their water from their food. If you suddenly start noticing your cat drinking, it may be a sign that something is wrong. Ask yourself, is your cat…
- Drinking more than usual?
- Thirsty all the time?
- Emptying their water bowl more quickly than usual?
- Drinking from taps, puddles or streams more regularly than usual?
- Drinking so much that they vomit?
- Visiting their litter tray more often or peeing in larger volumes?
- Weeing in the house?
…if so, contact your vet for an appointment. It can be helpful to take a urine sample along, and tell you vet exactly how much your cat is drinking in a 24 hour period. For help with both these tasks watch our videos below.
Causes
Some of the most common causes of increased drinking and peeing include:
- A urine infection
- Kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Hyperthyroidism
- High temperature (fever)
- Medications that cause increased thirst e.g. steroids.
There are many other possible causes.
Published: August 2019
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Written by vets and vet nurses. This advice is for UK pets only.
Illustrations by Samantha Elmhurst