My new cat drinks and pees a lot. Is this normal behavior for her?

Question

Hello! I recently adopted a 7 year old cat from a shelter in Philadelphia. She has been in our apartment for about a week and I had a question about how often/how much my cat should be drinking water and urinating. I am asking because I am considering obtaining pet insurance for my cat and I was wondering if her behavior was normal or abnormal. Some information: our cat is a 7 year old domestic shorthair. She was found as a stray and moderately malnourished when we adopted her, my guess is that. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 8 years old | 7 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

Great question! I would measure how much June is drinking, and how much she is urinating. Cats typically drink 60ml/kg per day. June is about 3.2kg, so she should be drinking 191mls per day. I would measure out 500ml into her water bowl in the morning, and the next morning, measure the remaining amount. If it's more than 200-250ml, then she is drinking excessively. As for measuring urine output, that's a little harder, but you can leave a litter box out for her without litter. If she does use it, you can measure out her urine produced in a 24 hour period. Typically, she should urinate about 30ml/kg in that time period. That's 96ml for June. If it's more than that, then she is peeing excessively. At that point, I would have her seen by a vet for blood tests and a urinalysis to diagnose what is causing her symptoms, such as diabetes, kidney disease, or hyperthyroidism.

My new cat drinks and pees a lot. Is this normal behavior for her?

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