Cat water fountains... suggestions?

[Writer]

Amazon has all rated at around 4 stars. Does anyone use water fountains for their cats, and if so, what brand seems to be the highest quality?

[crispini]

1. I have the Petmate Fresh Flow

It works fine. However the old-lady cat still prefers to stick her paw down in the vase where I'm rooting plant cuttings and drink the brackish water there, so I don't know what's up with THAT. Just cats being cats I guess.

It's kind of a pain to clean, but I think they ALL are.

[astral]

2. I give my cat springwater and ---!

make sure it's in a big enough bowl, china or glass, not plastic, rinse the bowl every time you refill the water and change the water at LEAST every other day.

The trick is clean water, big enough bowl for it to still be clean after he's drank out of it once, and, well, clean water.

Cats probably prefer their water chilled, too, but I don't bother to refrigerate mine as I drink it room temperature myself.

[davsand]

3. I built my own out of a water garden pump and a Rubbermaid tub.

We have terribly hard water where I live and I refuse to give the cat bottled water (when WE don't drink it ourselves...) simply to keep a cat fountain running. I went thru two--one each of the top brands--in the space of one year and finally decided I'd made my own out of parts I could replace at will. Those water garden pumps are much heartier than anything I could find in a pet fountain, and I have used the same one now for over four years.

I DO think water fountains are healthier for your pet, and I do think they are enough of a health benefit that they are worth it.



Laura

[OrwellwasRight]

4. I use PetMate and it works well.

Comes in sizes for single cat or multiple cats. Just keep it clean (true for all brands) because if the filter gets clogged with cat hair, the water flow is diminished.

[kiva]

5. I've tried and killed two fountains -

cats like them, but if you forget and let them run out of water, the motor dies. With my memory, it's just easier to have several bowls around the house, that way I see them and keep at least one or two full.

[Sy Kopath]

6. Pet Mate Fresh Flow

That being said, my cats were deathly afraid of the thing when we first got it. Once they weren't afraid of it anymore, they love the bubbles.

[Qanisqineq]

13. ditto on the Petmate

but I'm on my third one in 4 years and it only works for 24 hours at a time. Then I have to dry the motor out and start again. The motors keep dying -- I think because one of my cats likes to wash his feet in the water. There is no filter before the water gets sucked into the motor so it gets plugged up with hair pretty easily.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. I have a Cat-It dome style fountain.

The Gang of Fur seems to like it.

[rug]

8. Flush after use.

[NightWatcher]

9. the dirtier the water the better

ours like to drink from potted plants and puddles in the backyard.

they will pass up the fresh water in the kitchen and drink out of potted plants in the yard.

[Writer]

10. Mine has a terrible sink habit.

He constantly begs for us to turn on the sink for him. I think he likes bubbly, running water.

[NightWatcher]

11. we have feral cats...one even prefers to drink from the toilet

[noamnety]

15. same here

ours will cry so pitifully when her water dish is empty, and not give up. We fill it and she immediately trots past it to drink from the toilet.

That's if the christmas tree isn't up. Apparently NOTHING is tastier than water from the christmas tree stand.

[unpossibles]

16. mine is a shameless shower junkie

he will ambush you on the way to the bathroom, or sometimes just camp out in there.

[nuxvomica]

12. The Hagen Catit fountains are the best

I used to have a really good fountain that was made with an aquarium pump. It lasted for 10 years but when the motor finally gave out I couldn't find replacement. I tried Petmates and Drinkwells and they either burned out or were difficult to keep clean. Finally I got a small Catit fountain and it's great. Stays clean, runs well, easy to refill and the cats love it.

[GoCubsGo]

14. Drinkwell

I have the original. It's been going for six years, no problems. You can get good deals on the filters at Drs. Foster and Smith: www.drsfostersmith.com/

[meow2u3]

17. The best fountain is your kitchen sink

but only if you live in a rental unit where water is included in the rent. Otherwise, your water bill will go through the roof, not to mention all that waste of perfectly good tap water.

[applegrove]

18. Someone got one for my cats years ago. My cat was terrified of it.

[stray cat]

19. Drinkwell platinum

cats love it and don't have to refill it often - great if you are away for a few days

[kath]

20. We have the Drinkwell, and it's worked fine for at least 3 1/2 years (maybe more - my memory is bad)

If you get the extra reservoir, you can leave kitty alone for quite a few days and not worry about the pump running dry.

Older cat likes to drink from the stream (like a faucet) and younger one drinks from down below.

FWIW, we use tap water, and our water is quite hard here.

Great fountain -- I think it's really beneficial for our kitties to be drinking more water than they used to.

[annonymous]

21. My 3 cats have a Drinkwell

So far, it has lasted about 3 years. You do have to make sure you fill it at least once a day and change the filter every 6 months. My cats love it. When we had a plain water dish, the male cat would knock it over trying to drink from it. The Drinkwell has eliminated the water dish spillage problem. It took a little time before my cats would use it but they adjusted after a few days.

[Deep13]

22. Concrete water fountains are more durable.

:hide:

[LiberalEsto]

23. Plastic is bad for pets to drink from

I only give my critters water from ceramic bowls.