"Ashley" wrote >

It's funny, when you stop buying something you forget all about it and don't
even notice if it's still available. Maybe I'll buy a carton occasionally -
thanks. And hello, fellow Kiwi :-)

You can't really get a cat to drink, or do much of anything else unless it's
the cat's choice. Remember: This is not a dog. This is the reason some
people prefer dogs to cats. They have a sick need to control a living thing,
and dogs, being intensely stupid, are just the thing for such people. Cats,
on the other hand, are for people who want to live with a creature that's
more of an equal, and in many cases, a superior being.

What you *can* do is buy a bunch of NON-PLASTIC bowls just for the cat, so
if you're running out the door to work, notice the water bowl's a bit dusty,
and don't have time to wash it, you'll always have a clean one ready to fill
up. I say "non plastic" because it's just a foible of mine, and you can buy
ceramics like Corelle for about the price of plastic.

I can't speak to the issue of water needs as related to dry food. My cat
always drank a lot. One thing to watch, though: As male cats age, they can
develop urinary tract problems. If I recall, they get stones, just like
people. My 2nd cat died from complications of that condition. In the last
year of his life, the vet had me switch to low-ash cat food. He said that
since we can't make cats drink, the best we can do is address the reasons
why they SHOULD drink more, and that means better food. Read the labels on
the dry foods in particular. It's been many years since I had a male cat, so
I'm not up on the ingredients. Maybe all the major brands of dry food are
low in ash now. Or not. Ask the vet, and maybe some people here can shed
some light on the issue.