how to check for dehydration at home

I've been reading up on hydration because Milo is still on dry food and I want to make sure he's okay. I know the classic "skin tent" test where you gently pinch the skin over the shoulder, but I'm not sure how to judge if it springs back quickly enough. Are there other signs I should look for at home, like the color of the gums or the feel of the eyes?

Hi Terri! Smudge is very independent so I have to watch him closely too. The skin tent is the most reliable quick check, but you can also look at the gums. If they are dry or sticky rather than moist and shiny, that's a sign. Also, check the eye sockets; if they look slightly sunken, that's another indicator. I found this thread helpful when I was first learning: signs to look for

Oh my gosh, this makes me so anxious! Coco is a Persian and she's always a little tricky with fluids. I think I might be overthinking it, but does the color of the gums really matter that much? I feel like I'm always checking her. Peanut the Maine Coon is a big boy so it's hard to tell if his skin is springy or just loose because of his size!

Beekeeping is busy this week so I'm just skimming, but I'll say that for Copper, who is diabetic, hydration is critical. I check her gums every morning. If they look pale or take a long time to return to normal color after I press them, that's a red flag. For the skin test, remember that older cats have looser skin, so don't panic if it doesn't snap back instantly. It just needs to return within a second or two. You might also want to look at transitioning to wet food since that adds water to the diet.

I use a water fountain for Bean because he prefers moving water, but Noah is a cat who ignores the bowl. I've been reading about how cats are naturally reluctant to drink from the same bowl they eat from. Does anyone have experience with that? I feel like I'm missing something obvious. I saw a thread about cats not drinking water that seemed to have some good tricks, but I haven't tried them yet.

My tuxedo trio is a disaster, Mochi the kitten is all over the place and Ink is shy. I learned that checking the elasticity of the skin on the back of the neck is easier than the shoulder for some cats. Also, the capillary refill time (CRT) is a good test: press your thumbnail into the gum until it turns white, then count how long it takes to turn pink again. Should be under 2 seconds. If it's slower, that's a concern.

Thank you all, this is very helpful. I tried the CRT on Milo and it was a bit slow, maybe 3 seconds. I'm going to try to introduce some wet food to see if that helps his overall hydration. I posted an update in a follow-up thread about his skin issues and diet changes: update on milo's skin and diet.