Pi carefully hoards rainwater and water from solar stills in a locker where Richard Parker cannot see it, storing it in three sealed 50-litre plastic bags. He treats the bags as priceless, constantly worrying they will spill or split, so he wraps them in blankets to prevent rubbing against the lifeboat’s metal and moves them as little as possible.

When rainfall is heavy, Pi expands storage to every available container—cups, buckets, beakers, cans, and even plastic vomit bags tied shut. If rain continues, Pi uses his own body as a container by drinking directly from the rain-catcher tube until he can drink no more.

Pi manages Richard Parker’s hydration by mixing small amounts of seawater into the tiger’s fresh water, using more after rain and less during drought. Richard Parker briefly tries sipping seawater early on but soon stops, leaving Pi responsible for ensuring the tiger drinks what Pi provides.

Despite these strategies, Pi and Richard Parker barely get by, and Pi identifies fresh-water scarcity as the most constant source of anxiety and suffering. Food offers little relief because Richard Parker takes the largest share of whatever Pi catches.

Whenever Pi lands larger prey like turtles, dorado, or sharks, Richard Parker reacts immediately, forcing Pi to give food quickly and generously. The pressure to feed Richard Parker leaves Pi rushing to eat whatever remains, and Pi is shaken when he realizes his frantic, noisy wolfing-down has begun to mirror Richard Parker’s animal way of eating.