Do Cats Really Love Cold Water – Cat licking water

Can cold water be good for the cat or be a problem for the cat? When the days get warmer, it is important to think about the health of our cat. Can giving cold water to the cat have repercussions? Let’s find out together.

In summer, you know, the heat can have many repercussions on our health, and even our animals can suffer from high temperatures, so much so that they also have real problems if we do not pay attention to their needs. In spring and summer it is important that the animals are hydrated and drink enough water. Just like humans, cats are made up of two thirds of water, and therefore this substance is essential for their body and survival. But when we talk about water temperature, which one is the best for our cat?

What cats prefer

In general, cats prefer to drink cold or lukewarm water. Some cats also prefer hot water, and puppies should have slightly warmer water because they associate it with breast milk, but our puppy may also prefer cold water. Some cats also like to have ice cubes in the water, a bit like a real drink, while others prefer not to use the bowl and drink directly from the tap.

Obviously then, in addition to the character of the cat, a large part of it does the period of the year. In spring, the best choice is probably warm water. But in summer, especially when it is very hot, the cat will certainly prefer colder water, and in winter all the opposite. How can we understand the ideal temperature? With some evidence. In summer and spring we try to use water from the refrigerator, or even ice cubes, and see if our cat likes it.

Is ice safe?

Many cat owners give unlimited access to the bowl of water, and even put a few ice cubes in the water to cool it in the summer. Putting ice into our cat’s water can be safe, but we must pay close attention to its behavior. Some cats love to have ice in the water, especially during the sultry summer months. On the contrary, it encourages them to drink more and can make them have a little fun playing with the cubes in the bowl. And until the cat eats the ice, we can give it to him as a reward every now and then.

Since most cats have a very thick coat and produce very little sweat, this feline may have difficulty cooling naturally. Using ice to give your cat cold water can be a simple and inexpensive way to prevent hyperthermia or heat stroke. Just don’t make cubes too small, and don’t give them too often.

The cat is likely to simply lick the ice, but some cats also try to eat it, which could make them suffocate or lead to other problems to avoid. Let’s see what these risks are, and learn to understand based on the character of our cat if it is appropriate or not to give it ice.

The health risks of the cat

One of the main risks is tooth damage. If the cat tries to chew the ice it could cause damage to the teeth, but also to digestive problems or pain in the mouth. If our cat is so adventurous, then, let’s avoid the ice and choose another way to refresh the water.

We can then try with the water from the fridge, or if we want to avoid the small cubes we could freeze a balloon with water inside. Once an ice ball has formed – as long as it is the right size to fit into the bowl – we break the balloon and throw it away, thus leaving a large ice ball that the cat can only lick.

Other problems can arise in the stomach: cats have digestive systems at high temperatures, and their metabolism also works like this. Therefore, giving cold water to the cat too often can potentially cause stomach problems and slow metabolism. Finally, as happens to us when we eat ice cream too quickly, even cats that drink too cold water can experience severe pain in the head. This is very annoying for them (as for us) and should be absolutely avoided.

The benefits of using ice in the water

During the summer, using ice in the cat’s water can help cool it down. It will also help him drink more, because if our cat does not like water at room temperature it may not be adequately hydrated. In addition, it can also be a way to pass the time.

The ice cubes could in fact become a toy in the bowl of water, with our cat pushing them with its paws and being busy for a while. This can also help to refresh the legs of our cat, in contact with the ice. And the legs are one of the ways of expelling heat from the body. Obviously, for us this means a wet floor when the cubes melt.

The tastes of cats about water

Some cats don’t like tap water. This means that maybe they don’t even taste it, perhaps because it is full of chemicals (such as chlorine) whose flavor is not suitable for our kitty. In these cases, it is better to use bottled or filtered water to make ice cubes, so as to make even the most picky cat drink.

Fountains, on the other hand, are very fun for cats, because running water is easier for them to drink than that in a saucer. But obviously, here too, the character and personal tastes of each cat are very important. Let’s not forget that the cat is an animal with a very strong personality, and it is not easy to generalize.

Another trick we can use to encourage our cat to drink is give flavor to the ice cubes. This can be done very simply, by putting something in the water before freezing it to flavor it (for example tuna juice). The important thing is also to give them a bowl of water without flavor, so that they have the opportunity to choose and not boredom.

In a day, a cat should drink about 100-130 ml of water. A larger cat, on the other hand, must have about 200-250 ml of water per day. So let’s make sure that the cat drinks enough water for its organism and at the right temperature.