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Stop Freezing Water
Your gift means food, shelter and veterinary care for cats in need.
Keep the tap on
It's the middle of winter, you're in a cold climate, and the cats' water bowl keeps icing over. Cats don't drink much but they still need a fresh, daily supply of water, especially if you're mostly feeding dry food because the wet freezes too quickly. What's a caretaker to do? Plenty, as it turns out! There are a lot of products and DIY options that can stop freezing or significantly slow it down. Check out the list below and choose what works best for you. If you also need good winter shelter, see our Winter Shelter page, too.
Heated water bowl
If there's a nearby outlet, like on your porch or in your garage, an electrically heated water bowl will prevent freezing from ever happening. The water will be warmer than the surrounding air, so buy a larger bowl to compensate for evaporation. Also keep the bowl out of the wind and sun. Look for safety features like a shielded cord and automatic turn-off when the water reaches the correct temperature. One product that fits the bill is the 1.5 gallon (192 oz.) K&H Pet Products Thermal-Bowl (photo).
Hot Hands
Hot Hands hand warmers can provide a temporary heat source under your water bowl. Take two bowls the same size. Activate two Hot Hands, place them in one bowl, and then stack the other bowl on top and fill with water. They heat up in 15 to 30 minutes and work for hours. You can also find hand warmers that have rechargeable lithium batteries, or ones that can be reused after placing them in boiling water. Good for keeping wet food warm, too!
Snuggle Safe Microwave Heat Pad
This hard plastic disc contains a gel core which retains heat after you warm it up in your microwave. In indoor conditions, the product stays warm for up to 10 hours. That timeline will be much shorter in chilly outdoor conditions, but you can slow down freezing by placing one under the water bowl. If you buy two, you can swap a fresh hot one for the one you left out on your prior trip. The Snuggle Safe disc (with its fleecy cover) can also be placed inside a winter shelter for added warmth. Available on Amazon.
Styrofoam station
Make a winter water station out of a 24-can Styrofoam picnic cooler or a similar size Styrofoam box (approximately17"L x 12W" x 12"H). On one of the narrow sides, cut an opening of about 6" x 6", leaving a lip of a few inches at the bottom to prevent flooding. Place the water bowl inside and attach the lid. The cooler's insulation will slow the water from freezing. Weigh the station down or wedge it into a tight space. Avoid using a cooler or box that's too big and might tempt a cat to use it as a shelter.
Vaccine shipping container
Turn a small Styrofoam shipping box into a well insulated water bowl. Line the interior of the box with an open food-grade plastic bag, then cut a circular hole in the lid large enough for a cat to drink out of (approximately 2.5 inches in diameter). Attach the lid and fill the box with water to just below the lid. The right size boxes are available from Foy's Pet Supplies (photo) or ask your local vet to save one for you - vaccines are often shipped in them.
The right kind of bowl
The type of bowl you use can make a big difference in delaying freezing. Thick, well-insulated walls are better than thin ones. Deep is better than shallow, wide is better than narrow, and a dark color is better than a light one (dark colors retain more heat from the sun). So a thick, deep, wide and dark bowl like Pet Crock (photo) works best. Avoid metal bowls which can cause a cat's tongue or nose to get stuck if temperatures are at freezing or below.
Tire & bucket
An old trick known to horse owners. Get an old tire off its rim, stuff the inside with straw and wedge a large food grade bucket in the tire's opening. Fill any space between the tire and bucket with more straw. The tire and straw insulate the bucket and prevent or slow freezing. Avoid using a metal or non-food grade bucket. You can also put rocks inside the tire instead of straw, then put the tire with the bucket squeezed in its middle in a sunny spot. The tire warms up in the sun and the rocks absorb the heat, warming the bucket.
Wet food
Do your cats come running over as soon as you show up to feed? Take advantage by dishing out some wet food right away with a little extra water mixed in. Between the moisture in the canned food and the water you add, this can go a long way towards keeping them hydrated.