I know people will say take him to a vet but it's late at night

My cat st john is 11 years old these past few weeks all he been doing is drinking but he's drinking anywhere he can get it... We got a bowl full of water he drinks from there... theres a bucket outside he can be there 10 minutes drinking. Then at night he sleeps in the bathroom so he can get water from the bath
anyone know what's up ?

As cats get old their kidneys become less efficient and they get very thirsty. They'll drink more than normal. Take him to the vet soon (ie; tomorrow) so he can be checked out. The vet will advise you as to the underlying cause and what you can do to to make him more comfortable. Hope this helps.

thank you so much, just so worried about him

Hi,

my cat goes through phases of drinking a lot, or drinking next to nothing. After a few vets trips (where nothing was found to be wrong with her) we worked out it was entirely dependent on whether she liked the wet cat food she'd got or not. If she didnt like it she'd eat more biscuits- so drink more. She now gets only a few biscuits- like a small pile pf 20 biscuits a day.

As a thought, have you changed food recently? Or introduced dry food?

ETA: If you haven't changed food then I think a trip to the vet would be wise to rule out any health problems that could be causing it.

we havent changed anything in his food st john is a cat that hates changes in his food
tomorrow there be a trip to the vets a sorry st john on the bus

This was the first symptom my cat Frodo showed before he was diagnosed with diabetes, he was desperately thirsty and would drain a bowl of water several times a day. He also seemed quite listless and his coat went very dull and had a greasy feel to it. (He also lost quite a lot of weight but we failed to notice it )

My vet did a urine test first which showed his blood glucose was high, then he went in the following day for blood tests which confirmed the diagnosis. 2 years on and with twice daily insulin injections, he's doing great.

Get him along to the vet next week and please try not to worry too much. I convinced myself all sorts was wrong with Frodo before he was diagnosed and it was actually a relief to discover he was diabetic!

thank you so much for the post reading that has put my mind at ease I will take him to vet tomorrow

Mine started drinking a lot and draining his bowl every day and when we went to the vets it turned out to be thyroid problems. He's on tablets now and back to his normal self although he loves drinking from the puddles even though he always has tap water available in his bowl. Good luck with the vets.

Thyroid problems could be a very strong possibility. This happened with my cat 4 years ago when he was 14 years old. He suddenly stopped eating and went very thin. We took him vets and he said it could be kidney failure (they have more-or-less the same symptoms) he ran some checks and it was hyperthyroidism. Sherekhan was given tablets, and although he still drank a lot, it was perfectly normal, and he had his thyroid levels checked regularly. For four years he thrived, put on weight and lead a normal life. However, two weeks ago, I took him for his regular thyroid blood check and they came back with the result that he had cancer of the intestines and liver. I had to have him put to sleep and I was (and still am) devestated.

However, your cat is younger than mine was, and thyroid and kidney problems are very treatable, and does not necessarily mean death. Like my cat did, your cat could go on for years without problems, but a sudden excessive thirst could point to a number of things, all treatable illnesses like Thyroid problems, Kidney problems or diabetes. I'd get him checked out. If there is a problem, the sooner it is diagnosed, the quicker it can be treated. If there is nothing wrong, then at least you will know and your mind will be at rest.

Good luck.

Hi Quirky

See the "St John" thread

Sarah had to have the little chap put down

deleted thread

Oh no that's sad news.

thanks everyone x