Cat drinks a lot of water

Question
Over the course of the past couple of months, I've noticed
that my 12 year old cat (female short-hair calico) is
drinking excessive amounts of water. (Her bowl is dry when
I get up in the morning and sometimes I even have to fill it during
the day. The bowl holds about one and one-third cups water.) She
urinates excessively as well - with the amount gradually
increasing over the course of the past few weeks. She is exhibiting
no other signs - does not eat excessively, or less, for that matter;
does not seem to be in pain or uncomfortable, beyond what I
thought might be normal aging, like when she tries to jump up on
the couch, it takes her a few extra starts to finally make the
leap. Can you help? Thank you.

Answer
You need to take her to the vet for an examination and blood tests.  Excessive thirst in cats in not normal.  This could be a sign of kidney disease, diabetes or overactive thyroid.   When I noticed my cat emptying the water dish (she was eating normally and not losing weight), I got her blood tested and she was diabetic.  Because I caught it early, it was a lot easier to treat and she hadn't developed complications from the disease.

As far as the jumping, that could be arthritis or a sign of diabetic neuropathy.  You can give her a joint supplement for cats like Synovi Granules or try her on Cholodin.