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Cat fountains...

Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 9:14 pm
by fjm
Tilly likes drinking from a dripping tap, and it is reaching the point where putting in my lenses and cleaning my teeth means constantly removing her from the basin. I think she might like a fountain, but I am a bit reluctant. I find the sound of running water has an unfortunate effect on my bladder, for one thing, and the drone of electric motors is irritating. Then there is the thought of having yet another appliance to take apart and clean...

Does anyone have experience, good or bad, to share, or recommendations to make?

Re: Cat fountains...

Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 5:39 am
by papa cat
I have had 3.
!. Petsafe Drinkwell mini
https://www.amazon.co.uk/PetSafe-Drinkw ... g=mh0a9-21
Don't buy this one they leak ! I don't know why but it's well known for that problem.

2 Pet Friend Cat Fountain
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1
Not recommended it's quite noisy and it doesn't have a lower tray that the cat can drink from, so if there is a power cut the cat can't drink anything.

3 Pet Mate Cat Mate Drinking Water Fountain
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1
I recommend this one, it's quiet with almost no sound, the pump is quiet and the speed is adjustable The water runs down a 'ramp', so there is no 'splashy dribbly sound', and it has a lower tray that the cat can drink from.
The filters have a foam insert and charcoal grains inside and are supposed to be changed monthly but are a bit expensive for what they are. They are intended to filter out impurities and any accumulated crud. (My cat paws the water and stands in it so the water gets dirt off his feet !)

You could just wash them (and the unit) and rinse them thoroughly, to remove the washing up liquid, After a while they will lose their ability to filter out chlorine etc However if Tilly is already happy to drink tap water she obviously isn't bothered by the taste of chlorine in the water. Some cats won't drink chlorinated tap water.

Re: Cat fountains...

Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 7:40 am
by Mollycat
I bought that Cat Mate one first, it's a devil to keep clean. This kind of scum settles on the edges in hard to reach corners and I never figured out what the filter did and eventually chucked it - the filter that is. Cat liked it, I've taken it away just at the moment first to try a different one with a daisy design in the middle, more compact and I thought easier to clean but not happy with it and can't remember why, and Madam is currently perfectly happy with her own glass on the table and a cup next to her bed.

If I still have it (we cleared a load of stuff out last week and I can't be certain) I'll gladly put the daisy one in the post to you if you'd like to try it before you "splash" out on anything, to see if Tilly will accept it? I wouldn't recommend plastic though, only to check the cat accepts it, and then replace with something that can be cleaned properly.

Re: Cat fountains...

Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 7:58 am
by papa cat
Mollycat wrote: Fri Jan 01, 2021 7:40 am I bought that Cat Mate one first, it's a devil to keep clean. This kind of scum settles on the edges in hard to reach corners
Yes it's difficult with just a dishcloth but I use a bristle washing up brush to clean out the crevices and I find that works OK
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Re: Cat fountains...

Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 8:44 am
by Ruth B
We started with the Petmate one, but as it wasn't a free running stream of water none of the cats were overly impressed with it. It was however the quietest fountain we've had, both for the sound of the motor and for the sound of running water.

We then tried the Petsafe Drinkwell Mini Fountain which was much more popular with the cats. the main problem came that out Ragdoll would put his head under the stream of water and let it run off his head, we ended up having to put it on a large tray to prevent ending up with water over the floor. Even when Blue wasn't doing that, it did tend to end up with water going everywhere the bottom section just isn't big enough to catch the water.

We upgraded to the Petsafe Drinkwell Original and that worked quite well, although could get noisy, particularly when it needed cleaning, which with the hair from 3 cats floating around the house, is fairly frequently. Not only do you really need to take the actual fountain apart to clean it and change the filter, you will need to take the pump itself apart to clean it fully. Maintaining it well does make a difference in how it runs.

The filters are basically an activated charcoal layer that the pump draws the water through so act the same way something like a Brita Filter Jug does removing some of the chemicals from the water, as the water bowl is sat open anything from air fresheners to food odours can be absorbed so the filters help keep the water fresh.

Our biggest problem is that we have very hard water where we live and trying to keep scale off anything is a full time job, as there is also some iron in the water, we tend to end up with an orange deposit on anything if we aren't careful. My normal answer is to use some food grade citric acid to dissolve it, a teaspoon full mixed in a litre of water makes a nice weak acid solution which can be left to soak any scale off, and being food grade I know it is safe to use on anything we or the cats will eat or drink from.

I will also mention that you can get small submersible pumps that are recommended as replacement pumps for pet water fountains, I found one when I was looking for a small aquarium pump for a paludarium I was making for my Venus Fly Traps. It was in the Aquarium/Fish Keeping section on Amazon, which makes sense, but may not be the first place you would look for a cat fountain pump.

Re: Cat fountains...

Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 8:48 am
by fjm
Excellent advice - just what I need to know! We have very soft water here, so lime scale deposits are less of a problem. I think I need something that goes through the dishwasher - I made the mistake of buying a food processor that doesn't, and have regretted it. Damn thing seems to spend half it's time waiting to be washed, dried, or put away!

Many thanks for the offer, Mollycat - I will wait a bit I think. The house is so full of animal stuff already I am not yet sure where I could fit a fountain in!

Re: Cat fountains...

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2021 11:01 am
by Phantom T Cat
Hello, I can chip in here. I've had two fountains: a plastic Catit Fresh and Clear (possibly discontinued) and a ceramic Petsafe Avalon. The Catit was fiddly to assemble a devil to clean, and it would scum up very quickly. I also think plastic isn't great for cats and can cause acne, so personally I would avoid it in future.
The Avalon is very good: the sound of running water may encourage night time loo trips, but it's straightforward to assemble and easy enough to clean (I believe the ceramic parts are dishwasher safe). The filters can be rinsed and will last a couple of weeks if you change the water and clean the fountain regularly. The downsides are a hefty footprint and price tag (sixty quid).
Any device you buy will need regular cleaning, but once you are familiar with the process it's a ten minute job.

Re: Cat fountains...

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2021 12:38 pm
by fjm
Thanks, Phantom. I will add the Avalon to my list of possibles. I am beginning to suspect that Tilly likes the attention she gets when sitting in the wash hand basin as much as drinking from the dripping tap, though!