Water Fountain Recommendations

[xlynnbbyx]

Hello everyone! I wanna start off saying it has been a good awhile since I posted anything here. I’m doing good so are Casper, Scooter & Nera(my dog). It has been almost 7 months since Scooter had a UTI in Sept 2023. He has not had any issues! It’s been 2 or 3 months since I worried about him after throwing up. His last incident was 3 weeks ago but it’s cause he got into something he shouldn’t have. But Purina Pro Plan urinary wet & Purina One urinary dry had done wonders for Casper & Scooter. I will admit the pet food scare at the beginning of the year sent me on a mental down spiral cause I worried so much. If I didn’t need urinary I would switch no issue. Plus so called certified nutritionist on TikTok like Feminists Kitty(who blocked me after I asked for credentials and found out she took a 4 month online course) didn’t help. But after doing my own research and the fact there hasn’t been a new “bad food making pets sick list” since February I have calmed down a lot! My 2 boys are doing and that is all that matters to me.

Anyway since I am rambling I am going to get to the reason for my post pet water fountains. I did replace their water bowl with a stainless gravity water bowl that had a jug. But when I cleaned it I ended up hurting myself and it can’t be taken apart. Good thing I didn’t get rid of their old one so they are back to using that until I can get a different one. I think I’m going with a water fountain now. I seem so many videos where cats seem to love it. That it gets them drinking more water as cats love moving water. My 2 boys are good at drinking water especially since I add it to their wet food too. But I know both love running water cause they will drink from the faucet when I have it running. So yeah I want to get them water fountain so looking for recommendations.

Does anyone know where I can get an affordable water fountain? If you have one do your pets love it? I would love a stainless steel one to avoid chin scene. Also I hope they are sturdy to where they can’t be tipped over cause Scooter has a habit of trying to lift the water bowl to make it bubble in the jug. I would prefer a wireless one but if I have to I will get one you plug in. I heard they are easier to clean and it filters water so they get clean fresh water. TikTok shop has affordable ones but I’m a little leery on getting one from TikTok.

Sorry this is long but any recommendations and experiences you guys have I am open to anything you tell me. It is also very appreciated as well! Thank you in advance.

 

[NY cat man]

We have a pair of the Drinkwell 360 fountains for our five cats. What we do is use them in rotation, changing out every two weeks for cleaning to prevent algae buildup. We have had ours for several years now, with no issues at all, and the cats love them. I'm not sure exactly where Michele got them, but it probably was Chewy.

 

[Emmypeps]

My kitties LOVE their fountain. I got it on Amazon for less than $20, they do have inexpensive stainless steel ones too.

 

[iPappy]

I have these.
https://www.chewy.com/pioneer-pet-stainless-steel-dog-cat/dp/946942
Pros:
-Stainless steel, easy to clean
-Quiet running
-The cats seem to like it.

Cons:
-It seems to stop running unless the water is topped off often, and by this I mean several times a day. So if I forget, the motor runs but no water bubbles up and out.

https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-drinkwell-platinum-plastic/dp/48101
(This is NOT the exact same model, but the closest I can find.)
Pros:
-It seems to be bionic, lol. I've had it for 15 years and it shows no signs of slowing down.
-It has more of a fountain feature with a water stream, vs. the above model that bubbles the water up and lets it slide down a tray.
-It doesn't need constantly topped off.

Cons:
-Plastic.
-It seems to trap hair in the filter more than the above, and needs cleaned more often. The trapped hair can interfere with the water stream as well and reduce it to a trickle if hair gets caught in it.

 

[IndyJones]

I would not get anything plastic or not dishwasher safe. Plastic ones can hide bacteria no matter how much you wash it and get slimy and nasty quite fast. I also advise against the flower type ones because in a power outtage your pet has no water. Make sure it has an opened resivior.

I have the pioneere pet raindrop fountain in ceramic. It also comes in stainless steel and plastic (not recommended).

The whole thing is dishwasher safe except the pump and wall wart.

The nice thing about this fountain is it is smooth and has no crevices so it is super easy to clean and maintain.

Amazon.ca

 

[xlynnbbyx]

I would not get anything plastic or not dishwasher safe. Plastic ones can hide bacteria no matter how much you wash it and get slimy and nasty quite fast. I also advise against the flower type ones because in a power outtage your pet has no water. Make sure it has an opened resivior.

I have the pioneere pet raindrop fountain in ceramic. It also comes in stainless steel and plastic (not recommended).

The whole thing is dishwasher safe except the pump and wall wart.

The nice thing about this fountain is it is smooth and has no crevices so it is super easy to clean and maintain.

Amazon.ca

Oh it doesn’t matter if it’s dishwasher safe or not cause I do not have a dishwasher. I hand wash everything. I had to find that version for the US site cause I saw $119 when I clicked the link. Sadly that one is still out of my budget. I’m looking for ones under $20 to fit my budget more. I don’t want one that traps hair easily cause I have very long hair and it tends to get in things if I don’t have it pinned up. Plus my dog she sometimes leaves hair behind as well to where both of my boys want to eat it why idk. So I definitely don’t want that.

 

[xlynnbbyx]

I have these.
https://www.chewy.com/pioneer-pet-stainless-steel-dog-cat/dp/946942
Pros:
-Stainless steel, easy to clean
-Quiet running
-The cats seem to like it.

Cons:
-It seems to stop running unless the water is topped off often, and by this I mean several times a day. So if I forget, the motor runs but no water bubbles up and out.

https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-drinkwell-platinum-plastic/dp/48101
(This is NOT the exact same model, but the closest I can find.)
Pros:
-It seems to be bionic, lol. I've had it for 15 years and it shows no signs of slowing down.
-It has more of a fountain feature with a water stream, vs. the above model that bubbles the water up and lets it slide down a tray.
-It doesn't need constantly topped off.

Cons:
-Plastic.
-It seems to trap hair in the filter more than the above, and needs cleaned more often. The trapped hair can interfere with the water stream as well and reduce it to a trickle if hair gets caught in it.

sadly the first one is out of my budget looking for ones under $20. I wish I wasn’t on a budget but life is a bitch sometimes. I definitely don’t want plastic cause of the chin acne on my 2 boys. Idk if dogs can get it too as I never seem it on Nera. But I wanna avoid it.

 

[xlynnbbyx]

My kitties LOVE their fountain. I got it on Amazon for less than $20, they do have inexpensive stainless steel ones too. View attachment 473589

I was actually considering one like that cause I seen several in stainless steel designs. But then I don’t know if my 2 boys would be weirded out by it. Plus Nera is going to drink from it too so idk if that would scare her. I did see one that looked like a sink as it had a faucet which both of my boys love cause they drink out of the faucet if I have it running. But I can’t seem to find it anymore.

 

[iPappy]

sadly the first one is out of my budget looking for ones under $20. I wish I wasn’t on a budget but life is a bitch sometimes. I definitely don’t want plastic cause of the chin acne on my 2 boys. Idk if dogs can get it too as I never seem it on Nera. But I wanna avoid it.

IIRC dogs can get chin acne, but not all dogs do so hopefully Nera never has to deal with it.
Can you check places like Facebook marketplace? Someone might sell a used fountain for cheap.
I'm saving and budgeting for something I really want, and it's taking forever. Budgeting is a pain, but, it's also a smart thing to do.

 

[Alldara]

I have just a regular Catit pixie fountain. We saved for it and bought it on sale at PetSmart.
It is plastic, but it hasn't aggravated my cat's chin acne. There are ones with metal as well, but you'd likely need to save up longer.

I hand wash with warm soap and water weekly.

I don't use the filters anymore. I found a lot of bio film building up and the cats not liking it. Instead, I put some folded up cheesecloth in the filter area. do this at your own risk though. It's not regulated use and I can't say if it's an issue or danger.

You'll need a regular drinking area for them out in case the power turns off, should you get a fountain. Also, as they might be nervous of the fountain. I've found some human drinking mugs suitable.

 

[NY cat man]

I would not get anything plastic or not dishwasher safe. Plastic ones can hide bacteria no matter how much you wash it and get slimy and nasty quite fast. I also advise against the flower type ones because in a power outtage your pet has no water. Make sure it has an opened resivior.

I have the pioneere pet raindrop fountain in ceramic. It also comes in stainless steel and plastic (not recommended).

The whole thing is dishwasher safe except the pump and wall wart.

The nice thing about this fountain is it is smooth and has no crevices so it is super easy to clean and maintain.

Amazon.ca

Michele runs ours through the dishwasher all the time. She just disassembles it, and only the pump doesn't go in with the rest. That, I take apart to get into all the nooks and crannies for a thorough cleaning. And no, we have had no issues with chin acne, either.
Also, by the way, we also have two other water dishes for them. Both are ceramic bowls set inside glass bowls to contain any slops, and those get cleaned with the fountain. Michele is a stickler for clean water for the cats.

 

[IndyJones]

Michele runs ours through the dishwasher all the time. She just disassembles it, and only the pump doesn't go in with the rest. That, I take apart to get into all the nooks and crannies for a thorough cleaning. And no, we have had no issues with chin acne, either.
Also, by the way, we also have two other water dishes for them. Both are ceramic bowls set inside glass bowls to contain any slops, and those get cleaned with the fountain. Michele is a stickler for clean water for the cats.

I did have a drinkwell but it got really nasty so I got rid of it. Was a pita to clean too. The top peice somehow got algae in it.

 

[xlynnbbyx]

IIRC dogs can get chin acne, but not all dogs do so hopefully Nera never has to deal with it.
Can you check places like Facebook marketplace? Someone might sell a used fountain for cheap.
I'm saving and budgeting for something I really want, and it's taking forever. Budgeting is a pain, but, it's also a smart thing to do.

Nera is black so it is hard to tell for sure. But as far as I can tell she has never had issues with chin acne. Scooter & Casper get it every now and then but it hasn’t been bad like it use to be. The only thing I worry about with Nera is if she will be scared of it or not. She can be skittish sometimes. But I know my 2 boys will love it.

 

[xlynnbbyx]

Thank you everyone for the input I have found 2 that I am interested in. I will put the links to the 2 I found below. I am a little nervous about a cat fountain especially if I have to get one that I need to keep plugged in. Also nervous on the idea on how often you need to replace the filters. Plus idk how often to clean them their gravity water bowl I have now it gets cleaned every week with hot water and dish soap. But I know it will be worth it I’m waiting to get extra money to get them one. Til then they will have to use what they are now.

Fountain 1 this resembles a sink which they love: Amazon.com

Fountain 2: Amazon.com


I am going for a restock at Petco tomorrow I will check there to see if Petco has them.

 

[iPappy]

Were you able to find either one of the fountains at petco?
I like both of them. I can see my cats liking them, too, and hopefully whichever one you choose works well!

 

[xlynnbbyx]

Were you able to find either one of the fountains at petco?
I like both of them. I can see my cats liking them, too, and hopefully whichever one you choose works well!

Sadly Petco only had the plastic fountain with the flower thing. They were out of ones that were stainless steel or ceramic although since I am clumsy ceramic would not be a good idea. Petco did have a cat tent to allow your pets to be outside but still protected. Since I can’t afford a Catio I may get the cat tent for Scooter so he can be outside but still protected of course I wouldn’t leave him outside unsupervised. But I can tell he wants outside lately I don’t let him free roam like I did with Skeeter. I did have a harness for Scooter but he can easily get out of it now. Things in my neighborhood changed plus with the strays around I don’t want them fighting scooter. Plus I think someone wants to poison cats as I think that is what happened to Casper’s mother who was a stray I always fed. So I think I will get Scooter the kitty tent while saving for a water fountain. I don’t think Casper has an interest in being outside anymore last time he wanted in real quick. But he may enjoy it too.

 

[iPappy]

Sadly Petco only had the plastic fountain with the flower thing. They were out of ones that were stainless steel or ceramic although since I am clumsy ceramic would not be a good idea. Petco did have a cat tent to allow your pets to be outside but still protected. Since I can’t afford a Catio I may get the cat tent for Scooter so he can be outside but still protected of course I wouldn’t leave him outside unsupervised. But I can tell he wants outside lately I don’t let him free roam like I did with Skeeter. I did have a harness for Scooter but he can easily get out of it now. Things in my neighborhood changed plus with the strays around I don’t want them fighting scooter. Plus I think someone wants to poison cats as I think that is what happened to Casper’s mother who was a stray I always fed. So I think I will get Scooter the kitty tent while saving for a water fountain. I don’t think Casper has an interest in being outside anymore last time he wanted in real quick. But he may enjoy it too.

The tent sounds like a great purchase. I would go for it, and it would be so great for him to be able to be outside! Just make sure it has plenty of shade and he's under supervision

 

[xlynnbbyx]

The tent sounds like a great purchase. I would go for it, and it would be so great for him to be able to be outside! Just make sure it has plenty of shade and he's under supervision

I have two large trees in my yard so he will definitely have shade. I won’t leave him unsupervised at all. Last time I had him outside on his harness few of the strays tried to fight him. Since he can easily escape his harness now I figured a tent would be good. He can sit outside but still be protected and safe. If I could afford it I’d get a catio I have seen on Amazon. But they are like $200 so a cat tent is the next best thing. He probably won’t like being inside it at first but it’s for his safety.

 

[iPappy]

Once he realizes it's his ticket to being outside, I'm sure he'll love it!