Water Fountains

I came home today and it looked like Anya had barely had anything to drink. I scooped the litter box and sure enough, poop....but no urine clumps. (Makes me wonder if maybe she peed somewhere else today...) I plopped her in front of her water bowl and she took a few laps and then looked bored. I decided to get an eye dropper and basically force some water down her.

She let me. Easily. She sat there and just let me drop and squirt water into her mouth over and over. She's not sick (still a little sneezy from the URI we brought her home with) and she's eating and playing like a normal kitten (trust me...I have a scratch on my nose from 5 am kitten crazies to prove it ) . She's just not interested in drinking.

So I'm thinking of getting her one of those cat fountains that I keep seeing people talk about on here. I can't decide between the Petmate and the Drinkwell. Any recommendations? I don't want anything that's going to be too hard to clean or maintain...

Thanks!

I am thinking about making this one in the like below...it sounds easy and practical to maintain. I have heard good things from the people who have made it. I have heard conflicting things about the other fountains...but i am still undecided as well.

http://www.tntpuff.com/cat_water_fountain.htm

Originally Posted by Crys12065

I am thinking about making this one in the like below...it sounds easy and practical to maintain. I have heard good things from the people who have made it. I have heard conflicting things about the other fountains...but i am still undecided as well.

http://www.tntpuff.com/cat_water_fountain.htm

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My only issue with it is won't the glass beads in the bottom get dirty and slimy easily? They do make it attractive, and I'm sure they help hold up the filter, but they seem like a lot of upkeep. Plus I'm curious if my "little monster" would be able to knock it a loop and break the glass bowl. She can get really wild at times.

I use the catit fountain. My kitties love it.
You can buy them at petsmart or most pet stores
http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...=1153540829462

Are the store-bought fountains easy to clean?

Huh...the Catit fountain looks like a real fountain rather than a waterfall like the others. That's neat, although the unit does look a little big. Does anyone else have any suggestions or ??

I use the drinkwell and my cat was afraid of it at first and now loves it. I am considering another for another floor. I even have come accustomed to the sound os it . as for cleaning, a quick swish and a change of the charcoal filter and its clean. I top it off every other day and its been running fine for 8 months now. Check ebay, they sell them all the time if you ar ento near a big pet store.

I'd recommend getting the Drinkwell if your cat likes to drink running water from a faucet, as it has a waterfall. Otherwise, the Petmate is fine. You can take the latter apart and run everything but the motor through the dishwasher (top rack). I've heard mixed reviews of the Catit. Some people say it's difficult to clean, others say it isn't.

I think I've decided on the Drinkwell. Petmate makes a similar model that LOOKS better, but after reading a lot of online reviews it seems that the pumps are poorly made and are prone to go out very quickly. Thanks everyone for all of your input!

I've used the Drinkwell and the Petmate. My cats and I prefer the Drinkwell. The motor can be removed from that and all parts EXCEPT the plastic revevoir are dishwasher safe. I emphasize that because I melted the plastic resevoir on my sirst one thinking it would be ok in the top rack. oops!

The water in the Petmate runs down a ramp rather than free falling and I don't think it is quite as enticing to the cats.

Originally Posted by tru

I've used the Drinkwell and the Petmate. My cats and I prefer the Drinkwell.....................................The water in the Petmate runs down a ramp rather than free falling and I don't think it is quite as enticing to the cats.

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I AGREE! I had both the Drinkwell and the petmate fresh flow and the fresh flow water just trickled down the plastic. I already had Missy get acne from a plastic dish and did not want my cats licking plastic.

The Walter Drake catalog has a neat fountain that has water bubbling UP from the center, but it only holds 20 ounce of water so you would have to fill it all the time. If I get any extra !!!!!!????? money I may buy it for a second fountain though, as Panther love to drink from the water trickling out of the hose conection.

My girlies enjoy their Drinkwell, and we find it quite simple to maintain by adding a bit of water each day and completely washing and changing the water out once a week.

I had 2 drinkwells and the motors went out on both. I didn't have them for a long time either. So I went to the Petmate and I have had both of them for about a year each and have had no problems with them. They are easier to clean and my cats like them. It takes me a few minutes to clean each one and I do it once a week. I change the filters once a month. I love my petmates.

actually i bought the catit because you can pretty much clean every part of it...it all comes apart so there are no hidden areas. It holds alot of water so you dont have to constantly add it...and you can see how much you have in it because the holder part is clear. But probably the best thing is...if your cat likes it....they are all different in their preferences. *g