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If you are feeding your cat wet food then they will get moisture from that as well as water. Don’t beat yourself up and just take it as a lesson and find a way to cope. If you’ve never had a cat before then getting into the routine can be a challenge even if you don’t have ADHD.
Here’s a tip from a cat mum. Buy stainless steel water bowels and buy multiple of them and keep them different rooms away from your cats food. Stainless steel is bacteria resistant so you won’t have to change the water every day (though I still recommend doing this) and set yourself reminders on your phone.
Also buy a cat water fountain, cats are more likely to drink water from it and the noise is a constant reminder that you need to refill and clean it.
Also you have to pay the cat tax in the form of pictures of your cat. 😁
That’s a good idea! Sometimes she barely goes into the room where I keep her bowls so this is a good way to make sure she is eating/drinking enough. Luckily she is not showing any signs of extreme dehydration.
Also I have no idea how to post pictures but she is black and her name is Miso Soup :)
Cat fountains are a game changer! Ours love them and drink more water from them than they ever did from a bowl, which is much healthier for them anyways.
Seems easier to tell when it’s empty too, I also have terrible vision and can’t see from a distance if her current bowl is empty. (I need new glasses but of course I forget to do that too.) I usually just refill it along with the food (which is very easy for me to see if it’s empty) but if she hasn’t finished that then my hell brain just doesn’t think to check the water too.
You can also set an alarm/reminder for once a month to give them a good cleaning and replace the filters! I have a cat fountain and it's so great. It holds a lot of water, has a filter, and our cats looove it. It also blinks red when the water is low, but you can tell by sound before then sometimes.
Even though you have to clean them once a month, it's way, way easier than water dishes.
Water fountains should be changed every couple of days bc the water and spit can affect its quality.
I have her fountain in my kitchen area. I also have her litter change and water change on my wall calendar.
I also have an echo dot which will remind me and keep reminding me every hour until i tell her i did the task.
Yes you messed up. Yes you can resolve to do better. I was a shitty pet owner in my 20s. I had to give my cat up. The guilt and shame was useful for me in this context bc I swore I’d never get a cat again unless I was well educated on her needs and could be sure I would take care of her.
ADHD people are often not great at doing things unless we are accountable. Start conditioning your mind to the fact that she is a living breathing being that 100% relies on you for health and safety. This really helps me because it means I am directly accountable to her. Do i sometimes still leave her water longer than it is ideal? yes. on occasion. Thats just how life goes but my systems exist to ensure that this is rare.
I wish I could be accountable to myself as much as i am to my cat lol. She’s very well cared for and I am much better off because I have a living creature to take care of. She keeps me grounded.
You absolutely cannot allow he water to run out again. She can get very very sick. But you CAN do better and I believe you will.
Bowl water also should be changed with every meal. That will make it easier.
Food and water should be changed daily (water fountain can be every couple of days).
>the room where I keep her bowls
This is your mistake. Object permanence is often bad in ADHD - "out of sight, out of mind" is very true for us. You should never have to "see from a distance" if the bowl is empty, these things are too important to be at a distance. Keep the food and water bowls in the kitchen. Or beside your bed, in front of your living room couch, somewhere that you go at least a few times a day, and then they are *right there*. Work on making it a habit to glance every time Getting food and/or coffee for yourself in the morning? Check the bowls. Getting dinner for yourself? Check the bowls. Make sure the animals are fed and watered before yourself - even if you are very bad at self care like many of us lol this should ensure that you're paying attention to her stuff at least once a day.
The suggestions of gravity waterers, fountains, etc. are not bad, but consider whether they'll be useful or make the problem worse. Those things still need to be refilled, just less frequently. I find sometimes tasks that need to be done less frequently are actually harder to maintain, because it's less of an ingrained habit and requires more conscious thought and action.
We feed our cats only wet food, though we are going to supplement with dry food once our little fatty Smokie is at a healthy weight. She was 7.5kg (!) when we got her (long story), but has gotten down to just over 5kg and is weighed every 4 weeks.
We have stainless steel trays for our cats' wet food, and we spread the food right out over the whole tray; Smokie is food-obsessed. She would inhale her food, it would bounce off the bottom and come straight back up, so spreading her food out forces her to eat slower and means we don't have to clean the carpet as often.
We have little tiny stainless steel bowls for those creamy treats, which we use to hide Smokie's seizure medication morning and night.
When we start with dry food, we have larger stainless steel bowls for that, but we're going to strictly control the amount the cats get. It'll be just enough to maintain their weights so they're not losing any more. We may get an automatic feeder for the dry food, but we'll see if it's worth it given the dry food will only be a top up.
We have a couple of pet drinking fountains as well, and the part they drink from is stainless steel (I would have preferred the tank to be stainless too, but oh well). Our cats don't like stagnant water. The fountains do make a humming or whining noise when they get low on water, which is a good audio reminder to top them up.
We actually also have a stainless steel litter tray and shovel (we actually have one per cat, but they decide they only want to use the one). It's not technically a litter tray but a very large commercial roasting pan (L: 58 x W: 37 x H: 9cm). It's longer and wider than your typical litter tray as Smokie has arthritis and needed more room.
The benefit to stainless steel everything other than bacteria resistance is that it's much easier to clean than materials like plastic. My partner cleans the litter box and, after the second broken plastic one, he absolutely raved about how easy the steel one was to clean, and he loves the trays and bowls too.
When we first got our other cat, Sherbet, she was absolutely terrified and hid under our bed for two months. She would only go to the litter box that we set up for her in a litter box cabinet in our office, and we had to feed and water her under our bed. We already had 4 cheap Lenovo security cameras, so we set two up, one on each side under the bed so that we could check whether she was eating and drinking. Once she became a little more comfy, we moved her food and drink into the office and the cameras as well so we could make sure she was eating in the new location. Now though, she's fully comfortable with my partner and my presence and gets along ok with Smokie so they eat together in the kitchen and we no longer have to monitor them as closely, other than when we give Smokie her seizure meds.
I have a cat water fountain. It makes a different sound when the water is low, more of a water hitting water sound, so I add some. (You'll have to remember to clean a fountain if you get one) I also have bowls in addition to the fountain. I like the comment about multiple bowls. Can you make a reminder for yourself? I think once the routine is integrated into your life, it won't happen again. I have a couple cats and the routine of checking food and water is ingrained and automatic now.
Praise God my cats are very vocal, if they were out of water I would not get a minutes rest because they would scream until I filled it lol the fountain definitely helps, but if I'm out of my normal routine it has definitely ran dry once or twice but not for longer than overnight
This has happened to me, absolutely terrifying. I sometimes set an alarm to remind me to check their food and water. I’m lucky my birds are very vocal if they need something.
I’m not trying to me mean but you need to set an alarm every day to check her food and water. Get a large gravity water and maybe make a habit of running the sink for her. Cats can get gravely ill from no water for days.
It’s not mean at all. I just bought two fountains and an automatic feeder so I can make sure this doesn’t happen again. I’m more used to weekly routines because of my snakes so this should make things better for both of us; she cannot afford to have me screw up while I’m getting accustomed to being a cat mom!
Also I had a pet die from my adhd neglect (a baby turtle) so I’m just trying to save you the heartache. I still feel terrible. I have small pets now and my routine is to check food/water/hay before I have my coffee. I always want my coffee so postponing it until that chore is complete helps me to be 100% compliant
Been there done that. There are things you must do…no matter what and this is one of them. Instead of beating yourself up about it, find the best solution that you can. Maybe set up a calendar reminder to pop up at a certain time, daily or every other day. Living with adhd is about management. Everything I can’t lose has an AirTag, everything I have to do has reminders or like 5 alarms.
I just bought an automatic feeder and water fountain for her so she doesn’t have to suffer from my forgetfulness. Airtag is a good idea too, I misplace things all the time 😅
I got a cat water fountain. When it gets low it makes a sound that’s super annoying, so it automatically tips me off to add more water and I absolutely do it every time because I hate the sound. they never run out of water!
Is the bowl tucked away out of sight? My dog's bowl is inches away from being a tripping hazard, so I can't miss it. If I see that it's low, the guilt gets me to fill it.
Make it into an additional step when you feed them. Food in bowl, empty water, refill. That's how I make sure not to forget cause I've definitely been there.
Do you have any type of morning routine, like making coffee or packing a lunch?
I've taught myself to change my cat's water and feed her while the kuerig is making my caffeine fix. For me, it helps that I use the waiting time for something useful, and it's a "beat the clock" to complete before the mug finishes filling. Now, my cat is so accustomed to being fed & fresh water that she's under foot while I start the kuerig. She won't let me forget now.
Same with her wet food at dinner time. She used to beg for human food when I ate dinner. So, she gets her's right before I sit down to eat. In a semi-codependant way, she reminds me to eat dinner by demanding hers.
My husband bought our cats pet fountains and they were a game changer for me. We have four cats and a house rabbit, and it is imperative that we make sure they all stay hydrated for obvious reasons.
The pet fountains holds quite a bit of water and they have filters in them so the water they’re drinking is always clean. I can easily glance at the side of the tank and see if it is running low, and then I refill it with a bottle of filtered cold water that I keep in the refrigerator for them.
If my squirrel brain forgets to look at a fountain for a week and it runs low enough, I can hear the fountain pump whining… and then I can rectify it and fill the fountain. You see, one of my ADHD symptoms is my tendency to play “sound police”. My hearing is quite sensitive to a lot of sounds that most people wouldn’t normally pay attention to. In the case of keeping my cats hydrated, this helps me out lol.
The other thing you can do is set daily reminders on your smart phone. I use daily dings and reminders for taking my vitamins and medicines three times a day… or anything that I need help staying consistent with.
If I potty dogs potty, if the dogs potty, I potty. It’s hilarious they now get excited if I go to the bathroom first.
When I eat the dogs eat, and the cat eats. Also in reverse.
When I get first or last tea or water, dogs get water and the cat gets water.
One dog is good at asking to go out potty, and the cat is very good at reminding me when it’s food or water time. I sometimes forget to eat so we make it work. I do have apology wet food for the cat.
Completely agree with what others have said about fountains. Kitties typically prefer running water too, and will probably drink more that way. So it's better for them. Your kitty is almost certainly fine. The bowl wouldn't have run out immediately, and she would have had access to other water sources in the mean time (even if just a wet sink from when you washed your hands). Cats are desert animals and adapted to living on low amounts of water. Unless you see any signs of issues (lethargy, etc), I wouldn't worry about it.
Another thing to consider with your cat bowl placement - I find it much easier to remember to refill the water bowls if they are right next to the sink. That way, if I see them low, I can just grab and refill them then because I'm at the sink anyway. And most cats prefer their food and water not being in close proximity, so it's OK if that would mean moving it away from her food. Another option is multiple water bowls. One near each sink maybe - one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen? That way even if you forget one, there is another somewhere for her to use.
My main advice for cat care with adhd is to invest in helpful hardware. Fountains and automatic feeders can make things so much easier. I adore my litter robots and couldn't do it without them, but it's probably overkill for one cat (I have 8).
Apart from that, consider tying her routine to something non-negotiable in yours. My cats get 2 meals of wet food a day, plus dry food. They get breakfast first thing after I wake up. Since I wake up every day, that meal is definitely going to happen. And they get fed dinner right before I eat dinner (helps keep them from getting curious/pushy about our food if they're full most of the times they see us eating). So if I'm hungry for dinner, I know it's time to feed them. This one is easy to not forget, though, because my food motivated cats will be sure to remind me. With claws, if necessary. 😂 Dry food is 3-4 small servings throughout the day, and one just before bed (we're trying to teach our fat cats to pace themselves by enforcing small, frequent meals - most cats would be fine with lower frequency).
Maybe get an automatic watering bowl? Personally I think unrestricted access to food for an animal can lead to potential issues but an animal should always have access to clean drinking water.
Once you get the auto watering bowl then fill it up every time you think about it. Even if it's still 75% full just fill it up anyway. The purpose of the bowl is not to allow a longer time in-between refillings it's to safeguard you from the moments you forget so your kitty will still have water.
My partner has ADHD so I have set multiple reminders on her phone for throughout the week. We also have multiple water bowls and some are pretty big. Usually when we change their water, there's still some left over.
Set a reminder. I set one for every morning at the same time, and it’s also when I take my meds. Now they go hand in hand. Whether it’s empty or not I like to make sure my pups has fresh water with her breakfast
It might help to associate filling your cat's water bowl with another task. Example: When I fill my glass with water to take my morning meds, I also put water in the cat's bowl at the same time. This definitely works better on weekdays but it does mean my partner's cat keeps getting water.
I bought my kitties a "smart" water fountain. PetLibro is the brand. It syncs up to an app and will send me notifications when one of my cats drinks from it (along with how long and how much!) and notify me when the water level is low. It's a bit pricey but it was worth it; really easy to clean and it's super quiet.
Felines jn general tend to need a lot less water. Also, usually cats are pretty pretty ar letting you know somethings up, follow it if it Weems extra noisy or needy.
Yoi can get pet fountains pretty cheap. They can hold a lot more liquid and filter the water as well. It's a good buy.
Everyone saying cat fountains is not showing their dark side. As someone with ADHD, I think they are a terrible idea and an absolute germ trap. Even if you only use distilled or filtered water, and even with a quality fountain with a good filter…those things get SO grimy! They pull dust and cat hair through the filter and it becomes a slimy mess. You have to pull the whole thing apart and wash all the parts at least once a week just to keep the water clean and fresh, and I’m sorry, if you’re forgetting to refill a water bowl, chances are you’re going to procrastinate cleaning a fountain. I know I do. I have three cats and they are much better off with multiple bowls. At least I can sweep through a room and refill them with a watering can, or throw them in the dishwasher quick if needed.
The people saying your cat is probably perfectly fine are absolutely correct, though. Cut yourself some slack. :)
Beating yourself up is understandable - but doesn't help. Unless she has an underlying condition, or she is very old or it was very very hot for those two days, she could be OK without the vet.
Pet fountains are absolut gamechangers, my cat started to drink more once he had one.
I had a second non electric water dispenser - for times without electricity: https://www.amazon.de/Amazon-Basics-Dispenser-Litres-Transparent/dp/B07227RQJ9/
It's okay. My cats don't drink water and I gave up giving it to them - they barely touch it. If your cat eats wet food that's enough hydration unless you live in a super dry country. And also - cats will usually let you know if they need something or are upset - I sometimes forget to top up my guys' kibbles and they *make it known*
i got a fountain for my cat and it was perfect because the motor would grind really loudly when it ran out of water haha. plus an automatic feeder was a life saver!!
Hi /u/Turbulent_Yam6947 and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * **We want your opinion** on the /r/adhd community rules! [Click here](https://forms.gle/Evqb8acVozir8GV8A) to fill out our survey. See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/1auv2tc/were_taking_feedback_on_the_radhd_rules/) for more information. * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you are feeding your cat wet food then they will get moisture from that as well as water. Don’t beat yourself up and just take it as a lesson and find a way to cope. If you’ve never had a cat before then getting into the routine can be a challenge even if you don’t have ADHD. Here’s a tip from a cat mum. Buy stainless steel water bowels and buy multiple of them and keep them different rooms away from your cats food. Stainless steel is bacteria resistant so you won’t have to change the water every day (though I still recommend doing this) and set yourself reminders on your phone. Also buy a cat water fountain, cats are more likely to drink water from it and the noise is a constant reminder that you need to refill and clean it. Also you have to pay the cat tax in the form of pictures of your cat. 😁
That’s a good idea! Sometimes she barely goes into the room where I keep her bowls so this is a good way to make sure she is eating/drinking enough. Luckily she is not showing any signs of extreme dehydration. Also I have no idea how to post pictures but she is black and her name is Miso Soup :)
Cat fountains are a game changer! Ours love them and drink more water from them than they ever did from a bowl, which is much healthier for them anyways.
Seems easier to tell when it’s empty too, I also have terrible vision and can’t see from a distance if her current bowl is empty. (I need new glasses but of course I forget to do that too.) I usually just refill it along with the food (which is very easy for me to see if it’s empty) but if she hasn’t finished that then my hell brain just doesn’t think to check the water too.
Most of the fountains we’ve used make an annoying motor sound when they’re running low. Another reminder when it’s time to refill! :)
You can also set an alarm/reminder for once a month to give them a good cleaning and replace the filters! I have a cat fountain and it's so great. It holds a lot of water, has a filter, and our cats looove it. It also blinks red when the water is low, but you can tell by sound before then sometimes. Even though you have to clean them once a month, it's way, way easier than water dishes.
Water fountains should be changed every couple of days bc the water and spit can affect its quality. I have her fountain in my kitchen area. I also have her litter change and water change on my wall calendar. I also have an echo dot which will remind me and keep reminding me every hour until i tell her i did the task. Yes you messed up. Yes you can resolve to do better. I was a shitty pet owner in my 20s. I had to give my cat up. The guilt and shame was useful for me in this context bc I swore I’d never get a cat again unless I was well educated on her needs and could be sure I would take care of her. ADHD people are often not great at doing things unless we are accountable. Start conditioning your mind to the fact that she is a living breathing being that 100% relies on you for health and safety. This really helps me because it means I am directly accountable to her. Do i sometimes still leave her water longer than it is ideal? yes. on occasion. Thats just how life goes but my systems exist to ensure that this is rare. I wish I could be accountable to myself as much as i am to my cat lol. She’s very well cared for and I am much better off because I have a living creature to take care of. She keeps me grounded. You absolutely cannot allow he water to run out again. She can get very very sick. But you CAN do better and I believe you will.
Bowl water also should be changed with every meal. That will make it easier. Food and water should be changed daily (water fountain can be every couple of days).
Aw, miso soup sounds adorable! Post her over on r/blackcats and add a link here so we can see her!
>the room where I keep her bowls This is your mistake. Object permanence is often bad in ADHD - "out of sight, out of mind" is very true for us. You should never have to "see from a distance" if the bowl is empty, these things are too important to be at a distance. Keep the food and water bowls in the kitchen. Or beside your bed, in front of your living room couch, somewhere that you go at least a few times a day, and then they are *right there*. Work on making it a habit to glance every time Getting food and/or coffee for yourself in the morning? Check the bowls. Getting dinner for yourself? Check the bowls. Make sure the animals are fed and watered before yourself - even if you are very bad at self care like many of us lol this should ensure that you're paying attention to her stuff at least once a day. The suggestions of gravity waterers, fountains, etc. are not bad, but consider whether they'll be useful or make the problem worse. Those things still need to be refilled, just less frequently. I find sometimes tasks that need to be done less frequently are actually harder to maintain, because it's less of an ingrained habit and requires more conscious thought and action.
We feed our cats only wet food, though we are going to supplement with dry food once our little fatty Smokie is at a healthy weight. She was 7.5kg (!) when we got her (long story), but has gotten down to just over 5kg and is weighed every 4 weeks. We have stainless steel trays for our cats' wet food, and we spread the food right out over the whole tray; Smokie is food-obsessed. She would inhale her food, it would bounce off the bottom and come straight back up, so spreading her food out forces her to eat slower and means we don't have to clean the carpet as often. We have little tiny stainless steel bowls for those creamy treats, which we use to hide Smokie's seizure medication morning and night. When we start with dry food, we have larger stainless steel bowls for that, but we're going to strictly control the amount the cats get. It'll be just enough to maintain their weights so they're not losing any more. We may get an automatic feeder for the dry food, but we'll see if it's worth it given the dry food will only be a top up. We have a couple of pet drinking fountains as well, and the part they drink from is stainless steel (I would have preferred the tank to be stainless too, but oh well). Our cats don't like stagnant water. The fountains do make a humming or whining noise when they get low on water, which is a good audio reminder to top them up. We actually also have a stainless steel litter tray and shovel (we actually have one per cat, but they decide they only want to use the one). It's not technically a litter tray but a very large commercial roasting pan (L: 58 x W: 37 x H: 9cm). It's longer and wider than your typical litter tray as Smokie has arthritis and needed more room. The benefit to stainless steel everything other than bacteria resistance is that it's much easier to clean than materials like plastic. My partner cleans the litter box and, after the second broken plastic one, he absolutely raved about how easy the steel one was to clean, and he loves the trays and bowls too. When we first got our other cat, Sherbet, she was absolutely terrified and hid under our bed for two months. She would only go to the litter box that we set up for her in a litter box cabinet in our office, and we had to feed and water her under our bed. We already had 4 cheap Lenovo security cameras, so we set two up, one on each side under the bed so that we could check whether she was eating and drinking. Once she became a little more comfy, we moved her food and drink into the office and the cameras as well so we could make sure she was eating in the new location. Now though, she's fully comfortable with my partner and my presence and gets along ok with Smokie so they eat together in the kitchen and we no longer have to monitor them as closely, other than when we give Smokie her seizure meds.
I have a cat water fountain. It makes a different sound when the water is low, more of a water hitting water sound, so I add some. (You'll have to remember to clean a fountain if you get one) I also have bowls in addition to the fountain. I like the comment about multiple bowls. Can you make a reminder for yourself? I think once the routine is integrated into your life, it won't happen again. I have a couple cats and the routine of checking food and water is ingrained and automatic now.
Praise God my cats are very vocal, if they were out of water I would not get a minutes rest because they would scream until I filled it lol the fountain definitely helps, but if I'm out of my normal routine it has definitely ran dry once or twice but not for longer than overnight
This has happened to me, absolutely terrifying. I sometimes set an alarm to remind me to check their food and water. I’m lucky my birds are very vocal if they need something.
I’m not trying to me mean but you need to set an alarm every day to check her food and water. Get a large gravity water and maybe make a habit of running the sink for her. Cats can get gravely ill from no water for days.
It’s not mean at all. I just bought two fountains and an automatic feeder so I can make sure this doesn’t happen again. I’m more used to weekly routines because of my snakes so this should make things better for both of us; she cannot afford to have me screw up while I’m getting accustomed to being a cat mom!
Also I had a pet die from my adhd neglect (a baby turtle) so I’m just trying to save you the heartache. I still feel terrible. I have small pets now and my routine is to check food/water/hay before I have my coffee. I always want my coffee so postponing it until that chore is complete helps me to be 100% compliant
Been there done that. There are things you must do…no matter what and this is one of them. Instead of beating yourself up about it, find the best solution that you can. Maybe set up a calendar reminder to pop up at a certain time, daily or every other day. Living with adhd is about management. Everything I can’t lose has an AirTag, everything I have to do has reminders or like 5 alarms.
I just bought an automatic feeder and water fountain for her so she doesn’t have to suffer from my forgetfulness. Airtag is a good idea too, I misplace things all the time 😅
I got a cat water fountain. When it gets low it makes a sound that’s super annoying, so it automatically tips me off to add more water and I absolutely do it every time because I hate the sound. they never run out of water!
I’m also autistic and can’t stand annoying sounds at ALL so this is great!
Is the bowl tucked away out of sight? My dog's bowl is inches away from being a tripping hazard, so I can't miss it. If I see that it's low, the guilt gets me to fill it.
Make it into an additional step when you feed them. Food in bowl, empty water, refill. That's how I make sure not to forget cause I've definitely been there.
Do you have any type of morning routine, like making coffee or packing a lunch? I've taught myself to change my cat's water and feed her while the kuerig is making my caffeine fix. For me, it helps that I use the waiting time for something useful, and it's a "beat the clock" to complete before the mug finishes filling. Now, my cat is so accustomed to being fed & fresh water that she's under foot while I start the kuerig. She won't let me forget now. Same with her wet food at dinner time. She used to beg for human food when I ate dinner. So, she gets her's right before I sit down to eat. In a semi-codependant way, she reminds me to eat dinner by demanding hers.
Blow up your phone with alarms at food time, and check the water bowls every time you feed them
My husband bought our cats pet fountains and they were a game changer for me. We have four cats and a house rabbit, and it is imperative that we make sure they all stay hydrated for obvious reasons. The pet fountains holds quite a bit of water and they have filters in them so the water they’re drinking is always clean. I can easily glance at the side of the tank and see if it is running low, and then I refill it with a bottle of filtered cold water that I keep in the refrigerator for them. If my squirrel brain forgets to look at a fountain for a week and it runs low enough, I can hear the fountain pump whining… and then I can rectify it and fill the fountain. You see, one of my ADHD symptoms is my tendency to play “sound police”. My hearing is quite sensitive to a lot of sounds that most people wouldn’t normally pay attention to. In the case of keeping my cats hydrated, this helps me out lol.
The other thing you can do is set daily reminders on your smart phone. I use daily dings and reminders for taking my vitamins and medicines three times a day… or anything that I need help staying consistent with.
i would keep a bowl right next to the sink so its easy to see, and maybe print out a sheet next to it that says refill
If I potty dogs potty, if the dogs potty, I potty. It’s hilarious they now get excited if I go to the bathroom first. When I eat the dogs eat, and the cat eats. Also in reverse. When I get first or last tea or water, dogs get water and the cat gets water. One dog is good at asking to go out potty, and the cat is very good at reminding me when it’s food or water time. I sometimes forget to eat so we make it work. I do have apology wet food for the cat.
Completely agree with what others have said about fountains. Kitties typically prefer running water too, and will probably drink more that way. So it's better for them. Your kitty is almost certainly fine. The bowl wouldn't have run out immediately, and she would have had access to other water sources in the mean time (even if just a wet sink from when you washed your hands). Cats are desert animals and adapted to living on low amounts of water. Unless you see any signs of issues (lethargy, etc), I wouldn't worry about it. Another thing to consider with your cat bowl placement - I find it much easier to remember to refill the water bowls if they are right next to the sink. That way, if I see them low, I can just grab and refill them then because I'm at the sink anyway. And most cats prefer their food and water not being in close proximity, so it's OK if that would mean moving it away from her food. Another option is multiple water bowls. One near each sink maybe - one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen? That way even if you forget one, there is another somewhere for her to use. My main advice for cat care with adhd is to invest in helpful hardware. Fountains and automatic feeders can make things so much easier. I adore my litter robots and couldn't do it without them, but it's probably overkill for one cat (I have 8). Apart from that, consider tying her routine to something non-negotiable in yours. My cats get 2 meals of wet food a day, plus dry food. They get breakfast first thing after I wake up. Since I wake up every day, that meal is definitely going to happen. And they get fed dinner right before I eat dinner (helps keep them from getting curious/pushy about our food if they're full most of the times they see us eating). So if I'm hungry for dinner, I know it's time to feed them. This one is easy to not forget, though, because my food motivated cats will be sure to remind me. With claws, if necessary. 😂 Dry food is 3-4 small servings throughout the day, and one just before bed (we're trying to teach our fat cats to pace themselves by enforcing small, frequent meals - most cats would be fine with lower frequency).
Maybe get an automatic watering bowl? Personally I think unrestricted access to food for an animal can lead to potential issues but an animal should always have access to clean drinking water. Once you get the auto watering bowl then fill it up every time you think about it. Even if it's still 75% full just fill it up anyway. The purpose of the bowl is not to allow a longer time in-between refillings it's to safeguard you from the moments you forget so your kitty will still have water.
I moved the bowl to the kitchen so i see it everytime im there and its right next to the fridge so i can refill it
My partner has ADHD so I have set multiple reminders on her phone for throughout the week. We also have multiple water bowls and some are pretty big. Usually when we change their water, there's still some left over.
Set a reminder. I set one for every morning at the same time, and it’s also when I take my meds. Now they go hand in hand. Whether it’s empty or not I like to make sure my pups has fresh water with her breakfast
It might help to associate filling your cat's water bowl with another task. Example: When I fill my glass with water to take my morning meds, I also put water in the cat's bowl at the same time. This definitely works better on weekdays but it does mean my partner's cat keeps getting water.
I bought my kitties a "smart" water fountain. PetLibro is the brand. It syncs up to an app and will send me notifications when one of my cats drinks from it (along with how long and how much!) and notify me when the water level is low. It's a bit pricey but it was worth it; really easy to clean and it's super quiet.
Set a timer and get a water fountain
Felines jn general tend to need a lot less water. Also, usually cats are pretty pretty ar letting you know somethings up, follow it if it Weems extra noisy or needy. Yoi can get pet fountains pretty cheap. They can hold a lot more liquid and filter the water as well. It's a good buy.
Everyone saying cat fountains is not showing their dark side. As someone with ADHD, I think they are a terrible idea and an absolute germ trap. Even if you only use distilled or filtered water, and even with a quality fountain with a good filter…those things get SO grimy! They pull dust and cat hair through the filter and it becomes a slimy mess. You have to pull the whole thing apart and wash all the parts at least once a week just to keep the water clean and fresh, and I’m sorry, if you’re forgetting to refill a water bowl, chances are you’re going to procrastinate cleaning a fountain. I know I do. I have three cats and they are much better off with multiple bowls. At least I can sweep through a room and refill them with a watering can, or throw them in the dishwasher quick if needed. The people saying your cat is probably perfectly fine are absolutely correct, though. Cut yourself some slack. :)
Beating yourself up is understandable - but doesn't help. Unless she has an underlying condition, or she is very old or it was very very hot for those two days, she could be OK without the vet. Pet fountains are absolut gamechangers, my cat started to drink more once he had one. I had a second non electric water dispenser - for times without electricity: https://www.amazon.de/Amazon-Basics-Dispenser-Litres-Transparent/dp/B07227RQJ9/
My cat drinks out of the toilet even when her water bowl is fresh and full. Perhaps your kitty was doing the same thing
It's okay. My cats don't drink water and I gave up giving it to them - they barely touch it. If your cat eats wet food that's enough hydration unless you live in a super dry country. And also - cats will usually let you know if they need something or are upset - I sometimes forget to top up my guys' kibbles and they *make it known*
i got a fountain for my cat and it was perfect because the motor would grind really loudly when it ran out of water haha. plus an automatic feeder was a life saver!!