Before I say anything: I’m taking him to the vet in two weeks (it takes a while to get an appointment unfortunately–this is a humane society vet), so I’ll be getting a proper diagnosis if there is one. But I’d like some advice if possible, and hopefully you can talk me down from being scared.
My cat Therblig just turned 10, and, since he’s under the impression he’s still a little boy, is his usual pain-in-the-ass but lovable self. Eats plenty (wet food), runs around, piddles appropriate amounts, poop is regular, the whole bit.
However, over the past couple of weeks I’ve noticed him drinking from my cats’ mutual water dish. This is, I admit, what the water dish is for. But I don’t remember ever seeing him drink from it before.
So naturally because I’m a pessimistic hypochondriac with an anxiety disorder, I’m assuming this means he has renal cancer.
Before I work myself into a tizzy, I’ve tried to examine things that have changed around this time that might explain this behavior. I wondered if maybe any of these could explain things?
First, about three weeks ago, I bought a new water dish. The old one was round and metallic and, well, kinda old. The new one is plastic, rectangular, wide and shallow. More like a trough than a bowl. I have to say that I’ve seen all my cats (in addition to Therbie, there’s his mom Mina and his sister Sophie) drink from this version, whereas before, I never used to “catch” them drinking.
Second, there’s been a change in their diet. Let me preface by saying my cats will only eat ONE type of food, in one of two flavors: Purina Savory Shreds in either Chicken&Salmon or Turkey&Cheese. Seriously, they will eat nothing else–ever since I adopted them I’ve tried on and off to slowly wean them to better food, but they’ve pulled hunger strikes and I don’t have the wherewithal to watch them not eat.
Anyway, though they’ve been eating the Chicken/Salmon flavor for a while now, a mess-up at my regular Petco delivery service sent me the Turkey/Cheese flavor. This was almost simultaneous with the water consumption change. It caused two days of everybody throwing everything up (they don’t take well to change)–particularly Therblig, he’s a notoriously finicky eater–but then they adjusted and are eating as usual. I should mention that the Shredded food flavor is the wettest food they have–it’s basicaly floating in gravy. However, it has been a change and I do know the Turkey/Cheese flavor is higher in sodium (0.36 vs. .27 – okay, not a huge difference but still…)
So my question is, while I’m waiting to take him in for a check-up, could either of these explain the increase in water consumption? It’s not like he’s constantly at the water dish or anything. I just notice him there once or twice a day, he takes about eight laps of the water, and that’s about it.
And even if, God forbid, there is something wrong, does it have to be something really awful? Are there non-terminal reasons he could be drinking more? Rationally I know there must be but I just kinda need to be reassured. Not that this will stop me taking him to the vet, of course, I just… like I said, I am prone to anxiety and fatalism and I would like not to drive myself crazy for the next two weeks.
(BTW if you think this is an emergency situation please let me know.)
Thanks guys.
Of course this is premature since he may not even be diabetic, but it is kind of a personal crusade of mine-- my kitty’s blood sugar went back to normal after a couple of months on insulin and dietary changes, and I shudder to think what might have happened if I had kept giving him the same amount of insulin and wasn’t home testing. 