cats scared of cat-it water fountain

I just bought a dome water fountain and the picture in my house is far from the picture on the box of the cute cats loving the fountain!

My cats, who are hardly scared of anything, won't go near it. The guidance leaflet says that 'this is usual' and that I should remove all other sources of water so that they basically have no choice but use it.

I'm a bit concerned though as one of my cats is nursing kittens and I don't want to cause her stress or dehydrate her. I've therefore left a bowl of water out where the kittens stay.

Has anyone else had trouble getting their cats to use the fountain? Any advice?

Hubby is not happy....he said the dome fountain is yet more clutter in the house! I desperately want the cats to use it to prove him wrong!

Give it time. How long has it been up and running?

2 days. By the way - Am I supposed to leave the fountain on 24/7 ?

I leave both of mine running all the time.

Have you had your kitties sit and watch as you play and splash in the water?
I would take them into the room containing it, close the door, and play in the water for a bit.
Most cats are so naturally curious that they just have to investigate.

Midir loves it (but he loves to play in water), Etain is terrified of it (she runs away if you turn on the sink faucet).

Cearbhaill's idea sounds good ... also, just give them time to get used to it. If they still don't like it, it's probably personal preference, some cats like water and some don't.

can it hold water and not be on? I would let them get used to it when it isn't running and then turn it back on. mine didn't use it for a week. but to leave your cats with no other water other than water that terrrifies them seams too tough love for me. I left her another water bowl until she got used to the sound.

I have a fountain, but not a Cat-It Fountain. One cat loves it, the other prefers his normal bowl. But it took almost a month before Ophelia would drink from it when it was running. I like the idea of having it there with water without running it (the motor can be scary to a kitty until they get used to it), and I definitely agree that you shouldn't take away their other water. It's hard enough to make sure they are well hydrated.

Thanks for the advice! I took the cat fountain upstairs where the kittens 'live'. If the adult cats won't use it, my idea is to get the 4 kittens used to it. The kittens watch it in amazement! And at 5 weeks...two of the kittens have had a little sip from it!

The two adult cats don't like it. But as you say, I'll leave it on and see if they take to it after a while.

Perhaps once the cats have seen the kittens use it, they will use it too?!

Tibby and Molly would just watch their Cat-It dome, but when Willow arrived, he used it almost instantly! Now all three of my cats will occasionally drink from it!

I do still have numerous water bowls around the house for them though!

The adult cats now drink from it......when its off!

However, I do notice that they are drinking more from the fountain than from their bowls. Maybe the water tastes nicer? The filter and constant flow is supposed to keep the water fresh.

The kittens - they just look at in amazement when its on!

both of my cats love the cat it.
They also like to sit and watch it. I have seen the kitten carry stuff and float it in the bowl. *he's a bit odd anyway*
they had a different type at the breeders ...more of a chute. But they took to the cat it right away. I put reverse osmosis water in it. So they arent getting any chlorine. OUr water here reeks of chlorine so we dont drink it.