Question about water fountains vs. fresh bowl

reddicequeen

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I am a newbie... since December when I got my two ragdoll cats. I have a water fountain which they love. However, I was a little concerned about the cleanliness of the fountain. You fill the reservoir but even putting in fresh water every couple days seems to leave a possibility of germs. There is a filter and i rinse it with every change. I take it apart and clean it with bleach and soap once a week. What does everyone else use for a watering hole? I am curious?
 

arlyn

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I have a 1 gallon stainless bowl that the dog and some of the cats share, I change it out once a day, or more depending on how ucky the dog makes it, or how much he's drank of it.

The rest of the cats simply drink from the kitchen faucet which we leave dripping.
 

dawnofsierra

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Sierra and Serenity enjoy their Drinkwell. I take it apart and clean it thoroughly weekly with hot soapy water just as my dishes and keep the filter replaced as needed in addition to keeping it filled with my Spring water from the fridge. They also have cups set out around the house especially for them filled with water.
 

anakat

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Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

Sierra and Serenity enjoy their Drinkwell. I take it apart and clean it thoroughly weekly with hot soapy water just as my dishes and keep the filter replaced as needed in addition to keeping it filled with my Spring water from the fridge. They also have cups set out around the house especially for them filled with water.
I do all that, my cats are indoor/outdoor cats, and where is their favourite drink place, the bird bath which gets changed once in a blue moon.
 

cearbhaill

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I do the same as most- just clean the fountain really well every week.
Seeing as my cats would all prefer to drink standing water out of dishes left in the sink I think a weekly fountain scrub is just fine
 

abigail

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I might clean my drinkwell fountain once a month. i just top it off with water nightly. If my cat is willing to drink shower water, melted ice cubes on the kitchen floor or toilet water, i dont think the drinkwell needs to be all THAT fastidious.

But my mother felt that playing in dirt built a resistance to germs, so what do I know?
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by Abigail

I might clean my drinkwell fountain once a month. i just top it off with water nightly. If my cat is willing to drink shower water, melted ice cubes on the kitchen floor or toilet water, i dont think the drinkwell needs to be all THAT fastidious.

But my mother felt that playing in dirt built a resistance to germs, so what do I know?
i clean mine about once a month [freshflow]. the pump will get clogged with hair & start sucking audibly - that's when i clean it. considering that Java & Cable love to drink from the toilet, & Pixel used to - i don't worry too much about germs!
 

dawnofsierra

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Have you considered keeping the lid down to your toilet, Laureen? I've always kept mine down at all times for this reason. Also, now, Serenity has an odd fascination with the toilet brush, so the BR door is closed when I leave the house or when I'm sleeping such that she's not in my view.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

Have you considered keeping the lid down to your toilet, Laureen? I've always kept mine down at all times for this reason. Also, now, Serenity has an odd fascination with the toilet brush, so the BR door is closed when I leave the house or when I'm sleeping such that she's not in my view.
oh, yes - actually, the bathroom door is usually shut, because Java plays 'tightrope walker' on my towel bar & will knock the towels on the floor. i don't like keeping the lid down, because i get this black mold growing there. but if i'm in the bathroom, they'll sometimes sneak in & are in the toilet before i can stop them. i won't use a toilet freshener tablet because of this - at least they're ingesting only natural stuff, not chemicals!
 

stephanietx

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I clean my Drinkwell about every 2 weeks in hot soapy water. The only problem we have is hard water buildup, so I need to let it soak in some vinegar water. I have 2 water bowls and 1 large cup out for the girls to drink from throughout the house and these get emptied, rinsed, and refilled twice a day.

Stephanie
 

kittycorner

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ive tried the fountain and my cats wouldnt even look at it. mine seem to like the oversized dog bowl which my husband made me try out and they all love it
 

white cat lover

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Originally Posted by stephanietx

I clean my Drinkwell about every 2 weeks in hot soapy water. The only problem we have is hard water buildup, so I need to let it soak in some vinegar water. I have 2 water bowls and 1 large cup out for the girls to drink from throughout the house and these get emptied, rinsed, and refilled twice a day.

Stephanie
Vinegar water will clean off the hard water residue? I have been trying to scrub that off for over a month now! I was not overly fond of the Petmate Fresh Flow Fountain. I bought it, replaced the motor 3 times since then, & now it doesn't pump out much water. I swear that fountain hates me.
I just ordered a Drinkwell for Twitch & Lily. I am thinking the Fresh Flow will come downstairs for Ophie. Twitch has also discovered the faucet upstairs. She can now turn it on(my cat's a genious
).

In our house, when you enter the door, you are informed of the 'toilet lid down or you bathe the cats' rule. No one ever seems to forget more than once....
 
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