Cats are famously bad drinkers. They evolved from desert hunters who got most of their moisture from prey — which means their thirst drive is weak, even when their body needs water.
The numbers
A healthy adult cat needs roughly 50 ml of water per kilogram of body weight per day. For a typical 4 kg cat, that's about 200 ml — a little under a cup. Cats on wet food get much of this from their meals; cats on dry kibble need to drink nearly all of it.
Why it matters
Chronic mild dehydration is linked to two of the most common feline health problems: urinary tract disease and kidney issues. Veterinarians consistently emphasize one thing — constant access to fresh water — because cats drink little and often, not in sessions.
How to get a cat to drink more
Keep water away from the litter box. Keep it fresh — cats detect staleness we can't. Use wide bowls that don't touch whiskers. And keep it available at the same place, always: cats are creatures of ritual, and an empty bowl at the usual spot doesn't just leave them thirsty — it quietly stresses them.
It's the reason we designed Haven™ around a sealed gravity reservoir: water stays fresh, the bowl stays full, and the ritual never breaks — even when you're away.