Cat Fountain Set-up

[dkb817]

(I am fully prepared to be told how ridiculous this is, but after cleaning up 2 liters of spilled liquid from my carpet, I’m at my wits end)

About two months back, we got Simon a cat fountain after he began repeatedly spilling the smell regular water dishes. He uses it great (from what I can tell), and initially had no problems.

The problem apparently started when he got a claw snagged in the silicone no-slip mat that it came with. He realized quickly that this was a “fun” game that would get my attention (though normally negative as I tried to keep him from spilling the water everywhere; My room is in the basement and wet carpet in a basement = mold, and I am HIGHLY allergic to mold). He completely ruined one silicone mat, and is well on his way to destroying another.

Today, he spilled the entirety of the 2 liter fountain reservoir by standing on the edge of the fountain and it tipping from his weight. This was a nightmare to clean up, but I think we’re in the clear. I moved the fountain to the back of the crate where it is kept, thinking that maybe it was just the location that bothered him - only for Simon to immediately go right back to messing with the fountain to try and knock it over.

I came up with the setup shown in the attached picture as a “I’m-at-the-end-of-my-rope” setup that would both allow him to get his water, but let me sleep/leave the room without fear of water ending up everywhere. I mean, I literally sat and cried while contemplating getting him on kitty Prozac or something to chill him out (kidding, I would never medicate unnecessarily) - this is getting ridiculous!

Do y’all think this is an acceptable setup? Am I being ridiculous?

Do any of y’all have tips on how to keep a cat from tipping their water fountain?

 

[LTS3]

Nothing wrong with placing a water bowl or fountain in a tray or shallow container to contain spills Some people even put the bowl in an unused tub or shower but not everyone has the luxury of having more than one bathroom.

 

[5starcathotel]

I gave up on "fountains" long ago, because of the difficulty in completely cleaning them. As a comprimise, I've been giving my cats human-sized "juice" glasses of water each day.

I'm honestly more than a bit confused by your picture....why are there 2+ gallons of water there?

In my humble opinion, the best way to keep cats hydrated is to feed them a quality canned food. Even my outdoor stray TNR'd cat, in 115F+ heat, doesn't drink more than 0.5 cups of water per day!

But if you are committed to the fountain, buy a commercial-quality baking sheet (or two), and place the fountain there. The sheet should contain any reasonable amount of spillage. And if it doesn't, don't refill so much!

 

[LTS3]

I think the two jugs of water are to add weight to the container to keep the cat from flipping the whole set up around.

 

[Hellenww]

Some cats just love playing with water. Nothing ridiculous about it if it keeps water off the carpet. Try having some play sessions to get him interested in other toys and work off some energy.

 

[She's a witch]

I think your setup will work. If it won’t and the cat still moves it around, you can buy ceramic fountain which are much heavier.
I feel your pain, I cleaned such mess myself. But since my cat loves spilling water so much, I usually leave a bowl with water in the sink for him to play with. He seems satisfied with it and leaves his regular water bowls alone (I gave up on fountains since he didn’t drink from them anyway, just play, we now use suction cup bowls).

 

[dkb817]

LTS3 - That's what I'm hoping. I'm fine with a few minor splashes - but watching 2 liters of water seep into my carpet.....I thought I'd have a heart attack

5starcathotel - The two gallons of water are really just to add weight (I'd have just used a couple of bricks if we had them) and make it a bit harder should Simon decided to try flipping it all over again. He gets a can of Fancy Feast (not the best, I'm aware) in the morning and another can at night with some miralax and L-lysine paste mixed in, and this seems to be working alright, but since he has a little bit of a history with bloody stools getting too hard for him to pass, I figure the added water can't hurt. I'm hoping he figures out that he can still drink it even though it's now set up this way, but time will tell.

Hellenww - That's his biggest thing. In stereotypical cat fashion, this man wants attention when he wants it, and daggnabbit it better be right then and there! We had a good play session yesterday, and towards the end of the night, we settled in bed for some cat tv (those cat bird/squirrel videos on YouTube work WONDERS; I swear he could sit and watch them for hours!) and he eventually fell asleep on my toes, LOL

 

[pearl99]

Nothing to add, I just have to tell what my Mooshoo learned with a certain kibble automatic feeder- she learned how to put her front feet on it and jiggle it to get more food to come out. So I did not have 2 liters of water but a fat cat, but anyway they are little stinkers.

 

[Dearjujubebe]

Your cat is interested in the fountain and loves to play the water.
It may be difficult to stop a cat from playing in the water. Maybe you can change to a ceramic fountain which is heavier so that it can hardly tip over the fountain.