Best cat fountain

[kitlit]

I would like to transition my cats to a pet fountain. The Pioneer Raindrop stainless steel seems to have very good reviews. Which one do you own/recommend? Which ones should I avoid? Thanks!

 

[margd]

I have the PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain and it's been okay.

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• margd
• Jan 1, 2017

Once you've performed the maintenance on it a few times, it's fairly quick and easy.   Ease of maintenance is a big issue with fountains - some very nice fountains can be difficult to take apart and put back together again.  My cats both love this but I wouldn't buy it again because it's made of plastic.  Plastic can harbor bacteria and lead to chin acne in cats.   I've had no problems with that, however - it's just a known problem with plastic bowls of any sort.  

I would definitely go with a stainless steel or ceramic one.  

I've done some research into the fountain you're considering - the Pioneer Raindrop Stainless Steel fountain-  and have seriously considered buying it.  My problem is that I don't like its appearance.   Of course, cats don't care what it looks like so that's a fairly minor concern.   There are some reports that the motors have an unusually short life so that is a worry.  Other than that, it looks to be a very decent fountain for the price.   It might be worth purchasing an extra motor at the same time - the price is low enough that it would still be cost-effective.

Hopefully,  someone who has actually used this fountain will chime in!  

 

[hellomisskitty]

I have this fountain:

https://www.pioneerpet.com/product/3019-peaceful-waters-by-pioneer-pet-durable-ceramic-white-60-oz/

It's super easy to clean, the motor has three settings, which allows you to customize the rate of bubbling to your cat's preference and it's very quiet, which is great because the sound of the motor and bubbling water does not deter my cat from drinking out of it. Plus, it's very pretty [emoji]128522[/emoji]

I've had this fountain for over two years and have not had an issue with the motor.

 

[Boris Diamond]

I have two Pioneer Raindrops in stainless.  I've had them for about two years.  I'm pretty happy with them.  I have had to replace one pump.  The cats like them.   As soon as I got it, the amount and size of the biscuits in the litter box increased greatly.  I got them after one of my cats had a urinary tract infection and I wanted to make sure he got plenty of water so it would not happen again. 

Whatever fountain you get, make sure you clean the pump thoroughly.  It is difficult to take apart, especially the first time.  Take the impeller out and clean the hole where the impeller goes.  It can get really dirty in there.  You will need a small brush to clean all the nooks and crannies.  Also soak the pump in white vinegar every two weeks. 

 

[sargon]

Pioneer pet makes nice fountains at a reasonable price. I have both the 60oz raindrop and the 128oz big max, both in stainless steel.

The raindrop 60oz isn't a bad fountain (it is a great fountain for the money, IMO), but I think that the big max is worth the few extra bucks for a couple of reasons.  First of all, it is made of a heavier gauge steel and is, IMO an easier shape to clean and reassemble.  Second It holds a LOT more, which means that it won't need to be refilled as often.  I find that the 60oz fountain needs to be refilled every day or 2, or else it makes spitting sounds, whereas the big max I only have to top off once besides the weekly cleaning, and that's with just 1 cat.

My cat also prefers the big max, and drinks from it far more often, but I have heard that other cats prefer the raindrop design, so that's something of a wash.

If price or space is a real premium, the raindrop is a good fountain, and you wont' regret it ( unless maybe you by a big max later and find it coming up a bi short vs it's bigger cousin)

In either case, the fountain filters can be re-used if you pick up aquarium floss and charcoal at the local pet store, if you want to drop the maintenance costs to virtually nothing.

PS even with the charcoal filters, I suggest that you use reverse osmosis water in your fountain, both to improve the flavor for your cat, and to reduce mineral buildup on the pump.  most grocery stores sell it pretty inexpensively, or you can get an under sink system to make your own for a little over a hundred bucks.

 

[hellomisskitty]

Whatever fountain you get, make sure you clean the pump thoroughly.  It is difficult to take apart, especially the first time.  Take the impeller out and clean the hole where the impeller goes.  It can get really dirty in there.  You will need a small brush to clean all the nooks and crannies.  Also soak the pump in white vinegar every two weeks. 

Agreed! Cleaning the motor regularly should keep it running for a long time without issues. The manual that comes with your fountain will have instructions on how to disassemble it for cleaning.

 

[kittens mom]

I have the Pioneer Raindrop. I choose it because of the stainless as it's easy to sterilize. Cleaning the motor/pump will probably make it last longer. I use bottled water because our well water is very hard. I suspect it also reduces wear and tear on the motor.

 

[kitlit]

Thanks to all for your feedback.

 

[kittens mom]

Once you've performed the maintenance on it a few times, it's fairly quick and easy.   Ease of maintenance is a big issue with fountains - some very nice fountains can be difficult to take apart and put back together again.  My cats both love this but I wouldn't buy it again because it's made of plastic.  Plastic can harbor bacteria and lead to chin acne in cats.   I've had no problems with that, however - it's just a known problem with plastic bowls of any sort.  

I would definitely go with a stainless steel or ceramic one.  

I've done some research into the fountain you're considering - the Pioneer Raindrop Stainless Steel fountain-  and have seriously considered buying it.  My problem is that I don't like its appearance.   Of course, cats don't care what it looks like so that's a fairly minor concern.   There are some reports that the motors have an unusually short life so that is a worry.  Other than that, it looks to be a very decent fountain for the price.   It might be worth purchasing an extra motor at the same time - the price is low enough that it would still be cost-effective.

Hopefully,  someone who has actually used this fountain will chime in!  

I sort of figured the cost of a replacement pump into operation mine along with the filters. In the end the benefits outweigh the possible need to replace the pump on occasion.

 

[SeventhHeaven]

I have the Pioneer Raindrop. I choose it because of the stainless as it's easy to sterilize. Cleaning the motor/pump will probably make it last longer. I use bottled water because our well water is very hard. I suspect it also reduces wear and tear on the motor.

Hi Excuse, question The raindrop stainless looks great the sides are rounded have your kitties ever successfully flipped it over when low on water? Playing rough near it...Is the base heavy? Very nice your babies are spoiled

 

[kittens mom]

Hi Excuse, question

The raindrop stainless looks great the sides are rounded have your kitties ever successfully flipped it over when low on water? Playing rough near it...Is the base heavy? Very nice your babies are spoiled

In order for it to work properly you have to keep the water topped off.  No they have never managed to dump this or knock the top part off either. Filled it's quite heavy and low to the ground. It is priced in the middle of the very cheap and very fancy. They have never managed to flip this and if they did the parts are not likely to be destroyed. And it would be far from the worst mess I've ever had to clean up.

 

[Boris Diamond]

I have a cat that liked to bat at this fountain.  He would sometimes cause it to move, but it did not move much.  He was never able to turn it over, even when it was low on water. 

Hi Excuse, question

The raindrop stainless looks great the sides are rounded have your kitties ever successfully flipped it over when low on water? Playing rough near it...Is the base heavy? Very nice your babies are spoiled

 

[sargon]

The design makes it difficult to move in the case of the raindrop, and essentially impossible in the case of the big max. My cat has never caused issues with either in that way, but she isn't an especially rough cat, generally speaking.