A guide from WoofWellCatsEveryday Care

Feeding Your Cat Dry Food? Here's What to Know About Water

Dry food is a normal choice for lots of homes. It just means your cat's water bowl has a bigger job to do.

WoofWell Editorial 4 min read

A ginger cat eating dry food from a bowl on the kitchen floor

Dry food is easy. It's clean, it keeps, and your cat loves the crunch.

But here's something most cat owners never think about: every biscuit is almost completely dry.

So where is the rest of your cat's water supposed to come from?

The answer is the bowl in the corner. And that bowl may be doing a much bigger job than you think.

Dry food puts the pressure on the water bowl

Wet food is mostly water. Dry food is not. International Cat Care points out that cats on dry food need to drink more to make up the difference.

The catch? Cats aren't big drinkers. The Cornell Feline Health Center explains that cats have a low thirst drive, because their ancestors got water from their prey.

So you have a cat that needs to drink more, but doesn't feel much urge to. And a bowl of still water that is easy to ignore.

That's not a crisis. But it is a gap, and it's worth closing.

A bowl of dry cat food next to a bowl of wet cat food

Make the water worth drinking

You can't make a cat thirsty. You can make water more interesting.

International Cat Care suggests a few simple things: keep water away from the food bowl, keep it fresh, and try running water for cats who like it.

A fountain does all three at once. The water moves all day, a filter catches fur and crumbs, and you can place it away from the feeding spot.

The short version

Dry food has very little water in it.
Cats on dry food need to drink more.
Cats have a weak thirst drive, so still water is easy to skip.
Moving, filtered water gives your cat a reason to drink.

WoofWell vs. a water bowl

	Bowl	WoofWell
The water	Sits still all day	Moves all day
Fur and crumbs	Float or sink in it	Caught by a filter pad
Your cat's interest	Easy to walk past	A stream they notice
Holds	A few hundred ml	2.2 litres
Material	Often scratchy plastic	Stainless steel
Water level	Noticed when empty	Lit window shows it

A cat drinking from the WoofWell Pure Fountain, placed away from its food bowl

Quick answers before you decide

Will my cat actually use it? Most pets are curious about moving water straight away. Some take a few days. Put it somewhere quiet, keep the old bowl nearby for the first few days, and let your cat choose.

Is it noisy? No. The pump runs at about 30 dB. That's quieter than a whisper, so it won't keep anyone up at night.

Is it a pain to clean? Not at all. Rinse the steel bowl once a week and swap the filter pad every 3 to 4 weeks. There are no hidden corners for slime to hide in.

What does it plug into? It runs on a USB cable, so it works with any phone charger plug you already have.

Try it for yourself

Keep the food your cat loves. Just give its water an upgrade to match.

The WoofWell Pure Fountain is R1,199, and delivery is free. Add 4 filters for just R100 more (R1,299, about 3 months of fresh water). Got two pets, or two rooms they love? Buy two Fountain + 4 filters bundles and get R599 off.

Every order ships with Aramex within 5 to 8 business days, anywhere in South Africa. You also get 7 days to return it if it's not right for your home.

Get the WoofWell fountain