Submitted by mokie_sassafras t3_1014pmf in BuyItForLife
I have 1 small cat. He's 14, and I know older cats are at risk of kidney disease, so I'm looking for a drinking fountain.
I know it won't be BIFL because of the motor, but I'd like something good quality that lasts. And hopefully not plastic. What are your recommendations?
I'll second this. I've had mine for almost 10 years. I've only replaced my pump once, and that was because I did a dumb thing, not because the pump failed. The filters can get expensive, but there are non-brand name filters on Amazon that work fine.
The filter can be any sort of sponge on mine- I just cut one to fit!
TBH this will be driven by your cat's preferences so you might need to try a few models before you're successful. Our cat likes to drink from the bathroom sink faucet, so we thought a ceramic water fountain would replicate her sink-drinking preference. Nope, she thought the $100 ceramic fountain was the devil incarnate. Later we tried the plastic daisy one that costs $30 at big box pet stores, and she loves it. I would've preferred the ceramic over plastic, but in the end the best fountain is the one she drinks from
This is the one we use, it's funny what cats will decide is strange and scary and what they love, isn't it? I agree that the one they will drink from is the one that's best.
You can buy a small water pump online or in the aquatic section of a big box store and put it in whichever bowl your cat is used to or prefers, so long as the water level is high enough to clear the pump. Most of the pumps have adjustable "speeds" so you can make a big fountain or one that just moves the surface of the water.
That being said, I currently have a ceramic one that I'm enjoying and both my cats seem to like. I used an old pump in it since the pump included wasn't adjustable. Downside of it is that when the water level gets low, it doesn't pump into the upper tray, which can risk leaving your cat without water. But that's a theoretical.
https://pioneerpet.com/product/stainless-steel-raindrop-60oz/
I have had this for almost two years. I did replace the plastic container that holds the pump and filter after about 18 months, but they are available on the website. You can also buy replacement pumps if needed. I had another pet fountain for a few years, but this one is much easier to clean. I put mine in the dishwasher, but it could easily be handwashed since there aren't any weird crevices. I follow the manufacturer recommendations and replace the filters about every two weeks since my cat has Stage 3 kidney disease and drinks a ton.
THIS FOUNTAIN!! It’s the best I’ve found. It is easy to clean, silent, and holds lots of water. Unlike most fountains, if the power goes out, your cat can still get to the water. There are multiple places where cats can drink — one of my cats likes to drink from the moving water area and another prefers to drink from the main ‘bowl’ area. Highly highly recommended.
Pricey but we have this and love it. https://aquapurr.com/
We've had it for a couple of years now and no issue at all (other than our cat is dumb as a post and it took her a bit to learn lol). The owner was really wonderful to deal with as well. My favorite thing is it's fresh water without having to deal with filters and stuff. Would recommend!
Second the aquapurr. We have a cat that sticks his paw in the water to drink, and it was REALLY difficult to keep the fountain style clean. In answer to the comment below, the little straw is pretty thick plastic my cat who looves to chew plastic has never tried to eat it. I wondered if there was a glass option, or get more than one straw and switch them out for cleaning.
What is the straw bit that they drink from made out of? I feel like my cats would chew it.
It's a very tough plastic. We haven't had that problem, but I'm sure you could get a replacement if needed.
Thank you. I'm very thankful for you posting this fountain. Heavy on the startup, but in the long run saves money on filters and motors. It's definitely got me thinking...
I know you said no plastic, but the catit brand water fountain with the little daisy in the middle has been a favorite of my 4 cats for going on 5 years now. You can run all the parts but the pump through the dishwasher, and replacement pumps are under $10 on amazon, I have ordered one every 2 years or so. I tried a few different nicer looking ceramic or glass bowls with a pump but they really like the choice between the flat surface of the fountain and the little streams of water running off the flower petals, so that's what I went back to.
We have 2 Catit fountains. Our first one is going on 5 years and still has the original motor. We purchased a second one 2 years ago because our dog loves it as much as our 2 cats. For being made of plastic, they sure have been durable.
I've bought 2 cheap ones from Amazon (do not know the name brands, just picked the 2 cheapest options in the colors I wanted that used affordable filters). Paid about $20 each and they've been going for over 3 years. I completely take apart and scrubs them every 2 weeks and change the filters once a month. The filter part is the biggest cost. I made sure that the fountains both used a size/shape that I could buy in bulk for $20 a year instead of $8 a month.
We have one made by Catit. It works well but we can't use it as my cats just play in it and make a huge mess.
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My recommendation is add the water you want him to drink to his food.
peaceandpinecones t1_j2ls5sr wrote
Petsafe ceramic drinkwell- mine has been chugging along well for 3 years now. I replace the filter sponge every 6 months or so and everything is dishwasher safe except for the pump. The pump comes apart to clean the fins easily too.