Water Fountain

linkay42

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Which is the best water fountain for a cat? Thanks Linda
 
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ghostuser

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Linda,

We use a "Drinkwell" brand for Samwise and Miss Kitty, and it has worked out quite well. We have not used another brand, however, so we really cannot compare brands for you.

Best,

Ann
 

mom of franz

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Hi Linda: My guy is not much of a water drinker (as opposed to beer, right..lol) and this really worried me. I have the Pet Flow, and while he is still not a BIG drinker, he defintly drinks more....right from the flowing fountain area, NEVER to my knowlege from the base. It's easy to clean, I clean it every two days, but maybe you can go longer. You can see the water level, and it is very quiet. I am very satisfied with it and so it seems is Franz...two paws up!
 

jlitt

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I know many people that use the Drinkwell and are happy with it. I didn't have good experiences with it personally.

I had two Drinkwells die within 6 months of purchase, despite careful cleaning.

I've had my current Petmate Freshflow for a couple of years, I think, with no problems at all.

If you buy the Drinkwell, I suggest getting the resorvoir as well. If the Drinkwell gets low on water, it makes a LOT of noise. It sounds more like a water fountain when working properly, which is nice.

The Freshflow is so quiet you'd never know it was there. And my cats always drink from the base, never where the water flows, so go figure.
 

dantesmom

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I've got the Target brand fountain ("Boots and Barclay") and it's great. I've had no problems with it since we got it in December.
 

jcat

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A cat that likes to drink water running out of a faucet would probably prefer the "Drinkwell", which works similarly. The Petmate Fresh Flow has a little ramp the water runs down. We've had the latter for over a year, and are quite satisfied with it, though I tape the plastic lid down to prevent JC from removing the wet filter and slopping around with it. I'm not familiar with any other brands.
 

donnageorge

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Mom of Franz: so true. What were we thinking? Time to re-read our Capitalism 101 textbook.


p.s. We see you live in NYC. Beautiful city. We can't wait to visit it again.
 

mom of franz

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Originally posted by donnageorge
Mom of Franz: so true. What were we thinking? Time to re-read our Capitalism 101 textbook.


p.s. We see you live in NYC. Beautiful city. We can't wait to visit it again.
LOL DonnaGeorge!
Hope you do come down soon...the weather here is finally getting SPRINGY..buds are popping out of the trees...I'll really know it's here, when I see some dafodils (they are called the BRAVEST flower of Spring!)
 

scowl

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I can think of some ways to improve Petmate's fountains. It would be nice if they could somehow suck water out of the bottom of the base instead of the side. The water tends to collect fur and other junk in the base until you clean it out. That stuff should get filtered out somehow. It would be nice if the water didn't flow everywhere in it since that means everything has to be cleaned eventually, especially the submerged pump (which gets very messy).

Another inconvenient thing is that it's hard to tell how much water it needs. If the reservior is empty you may need to put more water in the base, otherwise the reservoir will be half-emptied when you put it in. Then do you take it out and fill it up again?

My cat drinks a lot of water (about 8 oz. a day) and really likes the fountain. He'll stick his face in the flow and chug a lug for several seconds. No wonder the base gets full of fur.
 

donnageorge

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Scowl, you're right; the Freshflow design could be improved. We've had minor issues with stuff being collected at the base as well.

Who knows, maybe they'll come out with version 2.
 

rang_27

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Well I've got the pet mate for a couple years with no problems. My last cat loved it, which was good because I bought it for her after she was diagnosed with CRF & she needed to drink lots. I've never tried the only one, but keep in mind what you think your pet would prefer. I knew Smokey would have been scared of one of the ones that just shot the water out becuase she hated running water. The fresh flow has the ramp the water flows down. I think my boys would like the other kind more because they both love to drink out of a running faucet. Just something to keep in mind.
 

fluffy'smom

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Originally Posted by scowl

I can think of some ways to improve Petmate's fountains. It would be nice if they could somehow suck water out of the bottom of the base instead of the side. The water tends to collect fur and other junk in the base until you clean it out. That stuff should get filtered out somehow. It would be nice if the water didn't flow everywhere in it since that means everything has to be cleaned eventually, especially the submerged pump (which gets very messy).

Another inconvenient thing is that it's hard to tell how much water it needs. If the reservior is empty you may need to put more water in the base, otherwise the reservoir will be half-emptied when you put it in. Then do you take it out and fill it up again?

My cat drinks a lot of water (about 8 oz. a day) and really likes the fountain. He'll stick his face in the flow and chug a lug for several seconds. No wonder the base gets full of fur.
We have the Petmate Deluxe too. It does get dirty fast and goes through filters quickly,but the cats enjoy it.
 

momofmany

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I have both a Drinkwell and a Petsmate Freshflow. Some cats like one and some like the other. The ones that normally like drinking out of a faucet prefer the Drinkwell, as the water runs out of a spout rather than down a ramp.

The drinkwell is a little easier to pick up and clean out, but also makes a lot of noise when it runs low on water. Since my puppies like the Drinkwell also, I'm topping it off about 6 times a day and have to keep a water jug nearby to keep filling it.

The freshflow air pump intake does tend to get blocked up by hair, but it is quieter than the drinkwell.

I personally couldn't recommend one over the other - they both have merit and disadvantages.
 

scowl

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I thought the noise was an unintentional feature -- you can hear when you need to fill it.
 
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