water fountain

caltritwiamb4

TCS Member
Thread starter
Alpha Cat
Joined
Aug 17, 2014
Messages
549
Purraise
57
Location
Tampa Bay Florida
Does anyone have any tricks to transition their cats to a water fountain? I bought a water fountain for my 3 cats and dog and I have only noticed my one cat drinking from it . She is my 1 cat who likes to drink from a dripping faucet which I gladly turn on for her as much as possible. 

When I first put the fountain down I left their water bowl out as well. After a few days I took the bowl away. However I had to put the bowl back along side the fountain. Because to me it's more important that they drink, if not from the fountain then from the bowl. Anyone else have a hard time getting their cats to drink from a fountain?
 
Last edited:

pinkdagger

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 24, 2014
Messages
2,158
Purraise
468
Location
oh Canada~
A fountain alone is often enticement enough, but it varies from cat to cat. Generally speaking, the sound of running water should be a beckon for all sorts of animals, but whether your cats want to hear the trickling, the flowing water, or the gurgling of water is what makes it a bit tricky. If they're eating a wet diet, they won't drink much anyway.

Before we switched over to all wet, Kismet would drink all the time from both still bowls and the fountain (we have a gurgling fountain and 3 water bowls), Mo would only take a few sips if he was starting to feel crummy from dehydration, and even now both cats will come running when they hear me topping up any of their water sources. Since they don't like getting their whiskers pressed on the sides of bowls, I fill them all to the brim so I fill them as full as I'm confident carrying them to the floor, and then get a cup of water and top them up. They run to watch me top up, but they almost never drink. We add water to their wet food too, so the fountain and bowls are just some supplementary options if they need it.

Just like you can lead a horse to water, but can't make it drink, so too with cats.
If I tap my finger in water bowls or the bird fountain, it entices the birds to drink and bathe, but birds love water way more than cats.
 

2cats4me

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
2,046
Purraise
211
I bought a Drinkwell Platinum Fountain for my cats .. I put the fountain on the floor right next to their favorite water bowl . 

At first I thought  neither of them were drinking from the fountain then one day I saw my male cat sitting in front of it and he drank  quite a lot .  Since I have seen him drink from it several times . I have not yet seen the female but she loves to play in water so I assume she uses it as well ..  I did not do anything special to get them to use it  , I just gave it time and let them get used to it . 

Note : I noticed that you said the fountain was for your 3 cats & dog .. If the cats are not  using the fountain it could be because of the dog using as well .   I know in my house of 3 dogs we have a huge stainless steel water bowl that I have wash and refill with fresh water several times a day because of the dog slobber . Cats also like more privacy than dogs . Maybe if you could put the fountain in a place specifically for the cats they may be more willing to use it .. 

My cats have their own room in which they can come and go as they please but the dogs have no access . I know this is not possible for everyone  though ..
 
Last edited:

lucentstreak

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 20, 2014
Messages
98
Purraise
11
 
Does anyone have any tricks to transition their cats to a water fountain? I bought a water fountain for my 3 cats and dog and I have only noticed my one cat drinking from it . She is my 1 cat who likes to drink from a dripping faucet which I gladly turn on for her as much as possible. 

When I first put the fountain down I left their water bowl out as well. After a few days I took the bowl away. However I had to put the bowl back along side the fountain. Because to me it's more important that they drink, if not from the fountain then from the bowl. Anyone else have a hard time getting their cats to drink from a fountain?
It takes time... Hugo was afraid of it at first but I spent a few days putting a treat or two near the fountain to lure him there and he just got the hang of it.
 
Top