We just got the Petmate cat fountain for our kitties. They seem a little nervous about it. Has anyone else had any problems with their kitties being afraid of the fountain? Is there an adjustment period?
Yes. I don't have it anymore (it just broke that's all) But here's my experience-
They wouldn't even drink from it at all at first. I waited a couple weeks but they wouldn't use it. Period. I'm not sure if your cats will adjust more easily than mine did, but if not here's what my strategy was-
What I did was filled a small water dish & put it about a foot away from the new fountain. Each day I moved it a little closer. And while they were drinking it, I made a point to fill up the new dish so it made a noise. Eventually the day after it was so close it touched the new one, I put it directly in front of the new one. Then the next day, since it was a small dish, I put it IN the new one. I left it there for about 4 days, then filled up the new dish with water also, so that the small dish in the new dish was filled and so was the new dish. I left it like that for a few days then took the small dish away completely. They were a little confused at first but they used it!!
It took Much about two days to get used to it. Now she will stare at it for a few minutes, play with the bubbles and then take a long satisfying drink from the stream. The other two didn't have any trouble when we got them.