water fountains?

Looks like our cat prefers moving water.

Has anyone tried water fountains?

THere are so many models out there, and being new to cats, we are clueless as to which is better/best.

If anyone uses them, could you recommend which ones are better and more reliable than others?

What to look for when buying one?

Anything else to know before we buy one?

Thank you!

I have 2 fountains. The main one is the Pioneer Pet stainless steel Big  Max. I bought it from Amazon


I love it. It's for 3 cats and a 40 pound dog. They all use it. It's quiet, easy to take apart and clean and holds a lot of water. I get the filters from Amazon as well


The second one I have is also a Pioneer Pet. It's the Raindrop in black ceramic. I got a great deal on it from Kohl's but I don't think they sell them anymore. Amazon does


This one is nice also but it's not great for a multi pet household- especially when one is a dog. They drink a lot of water. This one was on Henry's safe room. Every time I'd let the dog in to visit him, she'd go drain the fountain despite the fact that the big one was in the kitchen and full. 

I'd recommend staying away from plastic. From about.com:

Plastic Bowls

Although plastic bowls are generally sturdy, they have a couple of downsides. First, many cats have an allergy to plastic, and develop a skin condition on their chins, resembling acne. Second, plastic tends to nick and scratch, and those tiny fissures become a breeding ground for germs. My recommendation is to avoid plastic if at all possible.
The Safest Materials for Cat Food Dishes

Stainless steel is unbreakable, sturdy, dishwasher-safe, and harmless to cats. It (along with ceramic bowls) is recommended by most veterinarians. Another good choice is ceramic, provided it uses a lead-free glaze. (Most do, nowadays.)

If I were to get that second fountain today, I'd have gotten it in stainless. The ceramic is very heavy so unless you have a pet who tends to tip or dump dishes, I'd go with the stainless. The raindrop comes in stainless as well.

I started using them a couple years back when my cat's bladder became inflamed. The most commonly found one is Aqua Fountain and while it does absolutely do the job and is cheaper then most, I've had two break on me and because they're plastic they need more upkeep. I've heard the ceramic ones are pretty good and less likely to develop bacteria. Either way they do wonders and are totally worth the investment, just be sure to keep an eye on the filter and the inside of the bowl and clean it regularly. (Usually like once a week) 

There are many threads about water fountains here on TCS http://www.thecatsite.com/newsearch?search=water+fountain&type=35

I used a water fountain for awhile before I went back to a regular bowl. I had the regular Drinkwell and it was a PITA to clean all the little nooks If it's not cleaned regularily, black sludge starts to form inside. A dishwasher would make cleaning a breeze. The charcoal filter needes to be replaced regularily.

Most fountains have a pump that make the water bubble and flow. The noise of the pump is simllar to that of an aquarium air pump. It's noticable but not annoying. Kind of a low hum.

There are stainless steel and ceramic fountains if you don't want to use plastic. Plastic is thought to cause acne in some cats.

I just bought two of these and I LOVE them (so do my cats, of course). They're all hand made in the US, and they use a food safe glaze that's free of all toxins including lead. I've had probably every other fountain you can buy, including the drinkwells, and i hate them. I have 10 cats plus a dog, and I live in the desert so I have to refill/clean water fountains often and these have made my life a lot easier. They're a bit of an investment because they're not cheap, but so far I'm happy. 

http://thirstycatfountains.com/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CatFountains

I have both the ceramic and stainless steel versions of the Pioneer Raindrop fountain Kat0121 mentioned. They are both great, and I would recommend either of those. Around where I live, I have had no issues finding the filters locally, so that is convenient too.

My new favorite though is the Drinkwell 360 in stainless steel -- , which I got from a friend. He bought the fountain for his cat, but his cat was afraid of it so he gave it to me, LOL. My three favorite things about it:

• It's bigger than the raindrop fountains.  if that is something you need, huge advantage there!
• My cats really like how the water falls through the air, more like water coming from a faucet. It depends on the cat's preference, of course.
• You can buy a reusable filter for it -- . I haven't bought the reusable filter yet because I haven't used up all the regular filters he gave me, but I suspect that the reusable filter will be really great for me. Since I already buy activated carbon for my fish tank filters, it would be great to have one less thing on my shopping list, and you can find activated carbon anywhere.

I picked up a Glacier Point fountain not long ago, and the cats approve.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/313878/drinking-fountain#post_3962566

Thank you all so much for your replies - I already feel more confident shopping for them.

I will definitely look for the stainless steel (steering from plastic is getting more difficult by the day, honestly - plastic is everywhere).

missmimz said:

I just bought two of these and I LOVE them (so do my cats, of course). They're all hand made in the US, and they use a food safe glaze that's free of all toxins including lead. I've had probably every other fountain you can buy, including the drinkwells, and i hate them. I have 10 cats plus a dog, and I live in the desert so I have to refill/clean water fountains often and these have made my life a lot easier. They're a bit of an investment because they're not cheap, but so far I'm happy. 





http://thirstycatfountains.com/



https://www.etsy.com/shop/CatFountains

Click to expand...

Those are some nice fountains, aesthetically pleasing, food safe glaze, antimicrobial copper, and made in the USA. Thanks

 ​I made my own water fountain  .  I got the little blue pump from Drinkwell  for $10.00   . It has little suction cups on the bottom so I attached it to this glass baking dish I had in the cupboard  and Wa La  a drinking fountain !!

My cats love it ..

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