When you head to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, there’s a strong chance that you’re pouring that water from a water filter kept in your fridge or directly from a kitchen faucet with a filter attached to it. But do you also provide your cat with filtered water?
As you feed your cat in the morning, you might be in the habit of refreshing their water bowl with water from the tap. It’s important that cats stay hydrated, after all. But shouldn’t you also make sure that you provide them with water that’s as clean as possible?
It’s a sensible and common sense idea to take simple steps to filter out any contaminants that might be present in the tap water before you drink it, and there are some good reasons you should filter your cat’s water too. Here’s what you need to know about the benefits of filtering your feline friend’s water and how to get started.
What Are The Advantages Of Filtering Your Cat’s Water?
When you give your cat water directly from the tap, there’s more of a chance that it will contain contaminants and bacteria.
Some of the common contaminants that might be present in tap water include:
- Fluoride
- Bacteria
- Chlorine
- Metals
- Residue from pesticides
You obviously want to try to avoid your cat ingesting contaminants, and this is especially so if your kitty is suffering from a urinary tract issue or has a weakened immune system.
When you filter your cat’s water, you lower the chances that they will be taking contaminants into their body.
Cats can also be finicky about drinking water, sometimes to the point of dehydration. Providing your cat with filtered water may encourage them to drink more and stay hydrated.
How To Start Filtering Your Cat’s Water
There are a couple of ways you can provide your cat with filtered water. First of all, it’s easy and cost efficient to invest in a water filter that both you and your cat can use. Water filters are also cheaper in the long run than using bottled water and better for the environment.
If you use a water filter that you keep in your fridge and you suspect that your cat might not enjoy cold water as much as room temperature water, consider buying a smaller water filter that you can keep on the counter top and use exclusively for the cat.
Another option to providing your cat with filtered water is to try out a water fountain. Running water is said to be more tempting to cats, and many water fountains come complete with built in filters. You could also double up and use filtered water in the water fountain.
Whatever system you decide to use to serve your cat filtered water, don’t forget to replace the actual filter according to any manufacturer’s recommendations, as filters become less effective over time.
Ultimately, if you’re filtering your own water for health and safety reasons, you should really be filtering your cat’s water too.
Have you been filtering your cat’s water? What water filters or fountains do you use for your cat? Tell us all about it in the comments section below!
