19 Best Bottled Water Brands for Cats
Roughly 97% of all Americans have bought bottled water at some point in their life. While it’s safe for human consumption, can it be said the same for cats? Can cats drink bottled water?
Cats can safely drink bottled water. Bottling water involves filtration which removes any contaminants and chemicals making the water safe to drink. When giving your cat bottled water, opt for those in glass bottles or cartons.
Is Bottled Water Safe for Cats?
Bottled water in plastic bottles is not safe for cats. Plastic bottles leach chemicals into the water over time making it unsafe for cats. When exposed to the sun, the plastics also release a dangerous chemical called dioxin that causes cancer in pets and humans.
Some plastic water bottles also contain BPA (Bisphenol A), a dangerous chemical to cats. Studies 1have proven that BPA negatively affects cats’ brains and leads to visual impairments.
If you have to give your cat some bottled water, go for those stored in glass or carton containers. Apart from being environmentally friendly, these packages also don’t have any risk of leaching chemicals into the water.
How Do I Know If My Plastic Water Bottle Has Bpa?
To know if your plastic bottle has BPA, you need to check its identification number. Usually, it’s located at the bottom of the bottle. Category 1 to 6 are BPA-free. If the bottle is labeled with the number 7, then it has BPA.
If you need to read more on BPA, you can check out this article on BPA bottled water.
What Are Some BPA-Free Options for Cats: What Bottled Water Is Best for Cats?
The best BPA-free bottled water for cats (and you) are:
- Essentia
- Fiji
- Dasani
- Propel
- Core
- Just Water
- Nestle Pure Life
- Liquid Death
- ICE Mountain
- VOSS
- Evian
- Mountain Valley
- Poland Spring
- Acqua Panna
- Waiakea
- Perrier
- LIFE WTR
- Saratoga
- Antipodes
Is Bottled Spring Water Good for Cats?
Bottled fresh water from a spring is good for cats to drink. Springwater has natural minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, and other trace minerals, all beneficial to cats. Spring water is also slightly alkaline which boosts immunity to cats.
The alkalinity in spring water offers cats:
- Acid balancing in the body
- Boosting their immunity and protection against diseases
- Reducing inflammation
1. Sparkling Mineral Water
Cats can drink sparkling mineral water, but only as a treat. The carbonated drink can easily cause bloating in cats if slurped up too quickly or when drunk for a long time. The bubbles from the sparkling mineral water may tempt your cat into drinking more out of curiosity.
Not all sparkling waters are created equal. There are some that are quite safe and may not cause much damage other than a bloated tummy. You’ll ideally want to avoid giving your cat any sparkling water that has added sodium, artificial flavoring, and colorants.
Now, the fun in drinking sparkling water is the fizz. But it’s also one of the reasons you shouldn’t give your cat some! There’s much that goes into deciding which sparkling water is safe for your kitto. I couldn’t fit all that information in this post. If you’d like to know more on this topic, check out this post on 17 best and worst sparkling water brands for cats.
2. Flavoured Bottled Water
Cats can drink fruit-infused flavored water. However, do not give your cat commercially flavored bottled water. Many of these drinks are loaded with sugar which is useless to cats since they can’t taste the sweetness. The sugar also poses a health risk when taken in large quantities.
You’ll also want to avoid giving your cat water flavored with lemon, orange, or any citrus fruits. These are toxic and affect a cat’s nervous system.
Why Give Your Cat Bottled Water
1. Bottled Water Has a Better Flavor Than Tap Water
Bottled water tastes better than tap water and cats know it too. Some bottled water has some minerals which tend to alter the water’s taste.
Glass bottles are non-porous and will not leach chemicals into the water, preserving the water’s original taste.
Sometimes, tap water travels from far away in metallic pipes that may change its taste. Local councils may also add some fluoride to tap water, altering how it tastes.
2. Quality Is Guaranteed With Bottled Water
The FDA2 regulates bottled water and classifies it as a food product. The regulatory body sets quality and safety requirements for manufacturers including:
- Process, bottle, hold, and transport under sanitary conditions.
- Protecting water sources from contaminants such as chemicals, bacteria (eg Ecoli and salmonella), and other contaminants.
- Using quality control processes to ensure water is safe from bacteria and chemicals.
- Sampling and testing both the source water and final product for any contaminants.
All these regulations ensure you and your cat are drinking safe clean water.
3. Bottled Water Is Portable
One of the main advantages of bottled water is that it’s readily available wherever you are so you and your cat don’t have to be dehydrated.
4. Offers Different Varieties to Choose From
Bottled water comes in many different forms, from spring water to mineral water to sparkling water. All these are safe for cats but avoid giving them distilled water.
The distillation process normally strips all minerals from the water making it less beneficial to a cat’s body.
How much water should Cats Drink In a day?
Cats should take a total of 60 ml of water for every kg they weigh. This means an average housecat weighing 10 pounds (4.5 kg) should drink 270 ml.
To hit the water target, your cat doesn’t need to only drink water. They can get their hydration from a wet diet.
If your catto is a finicky water drinker, I have some great tricks to help you out. First, you’ll need to change their water location.
Placing their water bowl next to their food bowl is a big no. Most cats are messy eaters, including mine. Flying food particles may land in the water bowl making it dirty and unpleasant for your cat.
While we are still on location, I hope your cat’s water bowl isn’t next to the litter box. Because, let’s be honest. Even I would cringe my nose at a watering spot right next to a smelling washroom.
To avoid making this post longer than it should be, I’ve created a separate post giving you some awesome tips on how to encourage your cat to drink more. You can check it out on 16 Tricks to Encourage Cats To Drink More Water.
Which other water types are best for cats?
Water is important to cats. While we have a lot of options to choose from, cats may not benefit on them and thrive on things we wouldn’t take.
Take ocean water for example. While humans can’t survive on salty water, cats can! Studies have even proven that they can thrive while at it.
I know tap water gets a bad rep, but it’s one of the safest water sources for cats. Most tap water has chlorine to kill out the bacteria or any contaminant that may be in the water.
Which brings me to filtered water. Filtered water is perfectly okay for cats. Filtration goes the extra mile to remove any impurities that may still be in the water.
To find out more water types that are safe for your cat, you can check out this 17 best and worst water for cats.
FAQ
Can Cats Drink Evian Water?
Cats can drink Evian water. The spring water has naturally occurring electrolytes and minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, chlorides, and sulfates. Evian also has no added additives and enhancements making it perfectly safe for your cat.
Can Cats Drink Dasani Water?
Cats can drink Dasani water. This bottled water is enhanced with minerals beneficial to your cat’s health. Dasani water bottles are also BPA-free, meaning they don’t leach chemicals, making the water safe. The water is also purified using reverse osmosis to remove any chemical contaminants.
Can Cats Drink Filtered Water?
Cats can safely drink filtered water. The filtration process removes any contaminants and bacteria that might be in the water making it safe for consumption. To find out more on this topic, check out my blog post on cats drinking filtered water.
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