My 17-year-old senior cat suddenly paws at water. What does it mean?

Question

Senior cat (17 years old) has suddenly started pawing at water repeatedly. She has never done this before. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 17 years and 5 months old

Christie Long, DVM · Accepted Answer

This is an unusual behavior, especially in a cat as old as yours. I have seen cats who "drink from their paws" from a young age, and I think it can be normal then. I'd be concerned that in a senior cat this could be her way of telling you she's trying to get more water - that's called "polydipsia", and it can be due to a number of conditions. Usually you'd see them also urinating a larger volume, and/or going more frequently. If this is the case your vet can run tests to determine whether her increased water consumption is causing her to urinate more, or vice versa. Possible causes include kidney disease, some kinds of cancer, a hormonal disease called hyperthyroidism, and liver disease. I would certainly recommend that you get Gizmo in for a checkup with your vet and some tests to see what might be going on.

My 17-year-old senior cat suddenly paws at water. What does it mean?

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