Bubbling Water Bowl Question

Searched the archives and didn't find quite what I was seeking, so I apologize if this has been asked/answered.

Baby May's vet has suggested we get one of those recycling (bubbling) water dishes to see if she can drink more.  

We live in an area where our water is AWFUL for us, the cats, and any water using appliance (i.e.-coffee makers).  The limescale and mineral deposits in our water are HORRIFIC.  SO.....we use a Berkey Water Filter for the drinking water of both us and the cats.

This helps cut down on the mineralization a great deal.  BUT...Here's the QUESTION:

Does anyone here have any thoughts on using one of these "bubble" waterers with filtered water such as we must drink?  Is it just add water and let the thing bubble and circulate or is there something else I need to know.  The vet seemed to think it was "add water" and plug into the wall and walk away, but I know there are filters and the like in these also.

Any thoughts on its use with these types of conditions?

Thanks,

Baby May and Crew

yes, there are filters in them. sounds like a good idea. put filtered water in it and it will get further filtered. the water filters for people leave the fluoride in the water. 

Greetings!

Yes, most of the circulating water dishes for cats are fill and walk away.  Many also have carbon filters to help keep the water clean in between formal cleaning of the whole setup(pump, tray, reservoir, etc).

Using filtered water is a great idea as it keeps that high mineral content out of the kitty's system which can be hard on them.  Anything that helps cut down on content that can contribute to crystallization of the urine is a good thing.

Having circulating water does a couple of things that helps the cat.  First, the circulation keeps the water oxygenated which keeps it from tasting stale to the kitty.  Second, the circulation over/through a carbon filter helps keep the water fresh from the little bits of food and fur that will inevitably get in especially if the water is near the food dish.  We had to move the food to another area to minimize this.  Food getting in the water will spoil the water fairly quickly even with the carbon filter.  Additionally, the moving water tends to attract the kitty to the water dish due to the motion of the water and the gurgling sounds(very faint on most of the systems).   Although this is a bit of a double edged sword in the sense that some cats will want to play in the moving water.  This can be cute but messy.  We keep our circulator in the kitchen to make cleanup easier(tile floor vs carpet) as our DSH Calico likes to play.  Raja the Maine Coon is above this silliness so she is content to drink her fill and wander back to her various perches. 

I have used the PetMate brand for going on 12 years.  The little pump in the units are very durable.  The first one we had lasted 6 years and a replacement was about $20 from Petco.  The replacement is about 6 years old and is cruising along just fine. 

It is quite amazing how much more water the cats will usually drink when it is oxygenated and moving.

The only real detraction to these systems is the tendency for critter fur to get in the intake screen on the pump.  This will cause the pump so "suck air" and make noise.  Otherwise the pump is noiseless.

Cleaning is simple and only takes a few minutes in the sink.  We rinse the whole thing out weekly and give it a thorough washing once a month.  Every few months we bleach it to ensure the few nooks and crannies get sanitized. 

Most manufacturers make models that have various reservoir sizes.  If you have one cat, a small one is fine, but if you have more than one critter, it would be a good idea to get a larger model to keep from having to

You can use the filtered water you drink. A d, yes, the fountains I have, once assembled (about 5 mins) all you do is plug-in and add water.

You will have to add water (possibly daily) depending on how much your cats drink. And, you will have to wash the fountain every week or two (also depends on how frequently it is used.)

Instead of a water fountain, you may be interested in purchasing this systems where you can use your own bowl/container.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OPBD6QK/?tag=&tag=thecatsite

Baby May said:

 
Searched the archives and didn't find quite what I was seeking, so I apologize if this has been asked/answered.

Baby May's vet has suggested we get one of those recycling (bubbling) water dishes to see if she can drink more.  

We live in an area where our water is AWFUL for us, the cats, and any water using appliance (i.e.-coffee makers).  The limescale and mineral deposits in our water are HORRIFIC.  SO.....we use a Berkey Water Filter for the drinking water of both us and the cats.

This helps cut down on the mineralization a great deal.  BUT...Here's the QUESTION:

Does anyone here have any thoughts on using one of these "bubble" waterers with filtered water such as we must drink?  Is it just add water and let the thing bubble and circulate or is there something else I need to know.  The vet seemed to think it was "add water" and plug into the wall and walk away, but I know there are filters and the like in these also.

Any thoughts on its use with these types of conditions?

Thanks,

Baby May and Crew

Click to expand...

I use the Drinkwell Hydrate System for my cats . They really like it . It is very simple to use . I just use a glass pie plate for mine .  I wash it out every day and refill with fresh water .. 

Here is my setup :   

That is a great setup!  I also happen to have glass pie plates here doing noting.  Thanks for replying.  That may have just fixed my entire dilemma!   I love this site and the helpful folks who reply!  

I haven't bothered with a water fountain setup recently, but when I  last did I put filtered water in it.  The Drinkwell Platinum that I was using expressly said the charcoal filter was optional, so I stopped using it when I started using filtered water.  Charcoal filters don't remove any contaminants that wouldn't already be removed by more sophisticated filters anyway, so as long as you're good about cleaning the water bowl regularly you probably don't need one in any of the devices.  I use a Pur faucet mount and part of that is already a charcoal filter. 

Fountains do stimulate more drinking in a lot of cats, but not all, so I recommend buying from somewhere that has a good return policy--ask before buying if you can return the item, even if used. Most big chains will have a liberal return policy as they understand the unpredictability of buying for pets.(You can return open bags of food at many stores, for instance.) If you notice your kitty drinking water from running/dripping faucets chances are they will enjoy a fountain.

There are other ways to increase water intake like feeding wet food or adding more water to wet food. TCS has an entire article, Tips to Increase Your Cat's Water Intake, on this topic.

I have my first kitty and she wasn't drinking much so I decided to get her a fountain and I didn't want to spend much in case she didn't like it. I got the Petco brand water fountain and she loves it! I was actually worried about using non-filtered water because it causes more mineral build up and can shorten the life of the fountain so I see no problem with trying a fountain with your filtered water (PS. The fountain I bought was on Amazon and in stores for under 20$ )

Baby May said:

 
Searched the archives and didn't find quite what I was seeking, so I apologize if this has been asked/answered.

Baby May's vet has suggested we get one of those recycling (bubbling) water dishes to see if she can drink more.  

We live in an area where our water is AWFUL for us, the cats, and any water using appliance (i.e.-coffee makers).  The limescale and mineral deposits in our water are HORRIFIC.  SO.....we use a Berkey Water Filter for the drinking water of both us and the cats.

This helps cut down on the mineralization a great deal.  BUT...Here's the QUESTION:

Does anyone here have any thoughts on using one of these "bubble" waterers with filtered water such as we must drink?  Is it just add water and let the thing bubble and circulate or is there something else I need to know.  The vet seemed to think it was "add water" and plug into the wall and walk away, but I know there are filters and the like in these also.

Any thoughts on its use with these types of conditions?

Thanks,

Baby May and Crew

Click to expand...

I have 2 fountains for my 3 cats and dog.  I have the Pioneer Pet stainless Big Max that Lilith, Sophie and Bailey the dog use. I also have the Pioneer Pet black ceramic Raindrop fountain that Henry (and the dog use). I like the Pioneer Pet fountains a lot. They are very easy to clean and they both use the same filters. I have the filters on my subscribe and save from Amazon so I get a pack of three for less than $5 shipped. I do use filtered water in them as well.

Thanks for that info, particularly Amazon shipping.  I live very rurally, and there are no pet supply stores anywhere near me, so that's important, too.