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As seen in the rise of automatic litter boxes, automatic feeders, pet trackingand now the cat water fountain, it’s made with technology so we can keep a close eye on our pets and make sure they’re taken care of without having to do a lot of manual labor.
A cat water fountain encourages cats to drink more water, which helps their overall health. I have noticed an increase in my cats water consumption since switching to a fountain. As a pet helicopter mom, I have become a believer in the fountain.
While automatic water fountains are better for your cats’ overall water consumption, they require a little more work and money. Instead of refilling a bowl, it takes a little elbow grease—but it’s worth it for your cat’s health. With the usual filling and cleaning, you will need to disassemble the fountain to clean all the parts, including using a brush for the bowl and pipes. You can also disassemble the motor to clean due to mineral buildup. It also has different types of filtration cartridges in specific forms for the brand’s fountain, which requires you to buy and change filters, usually monthly or more often.
Many of these fountains also have a connected app, which reminds you when to clean, change the filter, and refill the water. Many also track how many times your pet drinks throughout the day, week, and month to monitor your pet’s habits and track any changes. A cat drinking more or less water than usual can be a good sign that something is wrong with their health.
I (and my cats) have tested the various models (and some of the more technologically advanced) automatic water fountains for pets available today to see what the money is worth.
Check out our related guides like Best Automatic Feeders, Best Automatic Litter Box, Our Favorite Fancy Cat Furnitureand Our Favorite Cat Toys, Litter Boxes, and Other Cat Supplies. More of a dog person? We’ve got you covered; look at ours Best Accessories and Tech Essentials for Your Dog guide.
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Cats sometimes have trouble drinking enough water, which can lead to constipation fatal UTIs and blocking male cats in particular. This is one of the reasons why veterinarians are increasingly encouraging owners to give their cat at least a partially wet food diet, because it helps them consume more moisture, especially because cats don’t naturally consume as much water as dogs. Unlike dogs, cats are often particular about their likes and dislikes, and cats can find running water potentially harmful. (If the cat is in the wild, stagnant water has more potential for harmful bacteria). Cats are more attracted to moving water in nature, and these fountains help encourage them to drink more by mimicking their natural attraction.
Let’s be honest, many of these fountains look the same. I’m especially looking for the overall design—I’m a fiend of stainless steel because of the potential of porous plastic harboring it. harmful bacteria. I also favor a wide reservoir without high sides to help reduce the chance of beard fatigue. I prefer fountains with a small basin of water reservoir that can be used at all times, in case of low water level or power failure. I considered the ease of set up, refilling, and cleaning, as well as the overall design. And of course, there are some that my cats take to right away, and others that they don’t seem to like very much.
I use each of these for a week as my cats primary water source. As mentioned, I noted the ease of setting up, evaluating parts and filters, and generally comparing different types of water fountains—spigot, bubbling, or waterfall. Some flows are continuous and some are trickling (my cats don’t like intermittent). Cats may also be interested and want to play with the machine instead of drinking, so make sure to give them time and put another water source around until they are fully adjusted to the new gadget.
