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A cat water fountain can be very beneficial to your cat’s health, as it well known that cats prefer running water to stagnant pools.
This means that they are much more likely to drink more water and stay hydrated if they have access to a supply of fresh running water, than if they have to rely upon taking water from a small water bowl.
We have put together this handy table of the best cat water fountains currently available, with further details on the benefits of cat water fountains and more detailed reviews below.
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Top | Pet Mate Cat Mate Drinking Water Fountain | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
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Top | Catit Original Flower Fountain with Water Level Window, 3 Litre | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
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Top | DADYPET Cat Water Fountain with Activated Carbon Filter 2L | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
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Top | PetSafe Drinkwell Ceramic Avalon Pet Fountain, 2 Litre | PrimeEligible | Buy Now |
What are the Benefits of a Cat Water Fountain?
The main benefit of having a cat water fountain in your home is that it helps to ensure that your cat drinks enough water.
Have you ever noticed that your cat likes to catch water from a dripping tap or enjoys helping you to water the garden?
Cats prefer to drink running water
This is because cats much prefer to drink fresh, running water rather than from stagnant pools. Cats are not really designed to lap water from a bowl, and they would be as reluctant as their human owners to drink water from a bowl that has been sitting on the kitchen floor for a few days or longer.
Cats also need access to fresh water as modern dry cat food contains only around 10% water content as compared to 70% water content in fresh meat.
When you combine this information with the fact that cats don’t like to drink from stagnant water bowls, dehydration can soon become a problem for your cat which can lead to serious kidney and urinary tract diseases.
A cat water fountain with running, fresh water is much more appealing to your cat and should ensure that their water intake significantly increases, keeping your cat healthy and improving their well-being.
What to Look For in a Cat Water Fountain
Ceramic or Plastic Cat Water Fountain?
Cat Water Fountains have several key features, but one of the main decisions that you will be faced with will be to purchase a ceramic or a plastic fountain.
Ceramic fountains will have a higher initial cost, with the Miau Store cat water fountain and the Pet Safe Drinkwell fountain both costing around £50, compared to most plastic fountains which are available between £20 - £25.
However, there are several benefits to buying a ceramic water fountain and one of these is that it should work out much cheaper to operate a ceramic fountain in the long run.
The Miau Store fountain does not require any filters, so although the initial outlay is higher it will be much cheaper to run in the long term as filters for other fountains can be quite expensive and need to be replaced on a regular basis.
Another benefit of ceramic water fountains is that ceramic is easy to clean and it is also very hygienic. There is a good reason that most high quality plates and dinnerware for humans is made from ceramic (porcelain), glass or metal!
Having said this, modern plastic cat water fountains are made from high quality and some come with a guarantee of 3 years. This means they are very durable and will withstand rough treatment better than ceramic which could crack if dropped.
Water Pumps
A water pump is an important feature of a cat water fountain, as it pumps water around the fountain to provide a constant supply for your cat.
If you are going to keep the fountain running permanently, then it is important to make sure you buy a fountain with a quiet filter.
The sound of a trickling fountain can be very therapeutic, but you don’t want this to be drowned out by the sound of the filter!
Price and Cost of Filters
Good quality cat water fountains such as the Catit Flower Fountain and the DADYPET Cat Water Fountain are generally available for between £20 and £25, while ceramic fountains like the Miau Store Cat Water Fountain are more expensive at around £50.
However, the cost of filters should also be taken into account, and a pack of 12 filters for the Catit Water Fountain will set you back around £22, which will last for a year.
This means that if you purchase a ceramic fountain that doesn’t require the use of filters you will be saving money within a year!
Design
Cat Water Fountains are available in several different designs, so it is important to choose one which will fit in with the decor of your home.
The Catit Flower Fountain has a stylish and colourful design, while other fountains will include features such as waterfalls and several different drinking areas.
Your preferred cat water fountain should also be easy to clean, a suitable size for your house and most of all - your cat should enjoy drinking from it!
Cat Water Fountain Reviews
Miau Store Ceramic Water Fountain
- Ceramic fountain
- Several drinking areas
- No filter to maintain or change
This is our preferred cat water fountain as it is the fountain that we use for our own tortoiseshell cat at home.
It has all of the benefits of a ceramic water fountain as previously mentioned, and our cat absolutely loves drinking from it. She will often sit next to the fountain, asking us to turn it on!
The Miau Store Cat Water Fountain includes several different drinking areas, it is easy to clean and looks great as well.
As this fountain doesn’t use any filters, it is important to change the water regularly as otherwise dirt, hair or debris could collect in the fountain.
The initial cost is around £50, but this will be money well spent to make sure your cat is happy, healthy and hydrated.
Catit Flower Fountain
- The Catit flower fountain uses running water to encourage pets to drink more
- The catit flower fountain uses running water featuring three water flow settings to engage even the pickiest of drinkers with a gentle flow, bubbling top and calm stream flow
- Storing 3 litre of water so your cats have a fresh supply of water all day and also includes viewing window to handily check water level
- Filter included - continuously purifies and softens hard tap water to help prevent urinary tract disease which is common in cats, whilst also retaining stray hair and debis
- Costs less than 2p per day to run, extra quiet pump
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
This fountain has a fun flower design that looks great and provides a gentle flow of water for your cat to drink.
It stores 3 litres of water so there is a fresh supply for your cat all day, and there is also a handy window at the side so you can easily check the water levels. There are three different water flow settings so you can choose the most suitable for your cat.
This fountain requires filters to purify and soften the water, and the filters also make sure stray hair and debris stay out of the water. The filters need to be changed once a month, and although this is an extra cost it will only work out about £2 per month extra.
This is a great fountain that also has an extra quiet pump.
Pet Safe Drinkwell Ceramic Cat Water Fountain
- CUSTOMISABLE FOR YOUR PET - The PetSafe Drinkwell, Avalon Pet Fountain features an elevated drinking bowl making it the ideal choice for all cats and dogs.
- NATURAL HYDRATION – The fresh, free flowing water naturally encourages even the fussiest of pets to drink.
- HEALTH ENHANCING - The constant circulation of water ensures the drinking water is optimally oxygenated and hinders the spread of bacteria, making it fresher than a traditional drinking bowl, keeping your pet healthy
- FILTERED – Both the foam and replaceable Charcoal Filter prevent hair, food debris and contaminants getting into the Pet Fountain whilst also improving the taste of the drinking water for your pet
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
This is another ceramic water fountain and it features an elevated water bowl which makes the water nice and deep when your cat comes to drink.
The ceramic bowl means it is very hygienic for your pets, and this fountain uses filters which keeps the water fresh and makes sure that cat hair and debris are removed.
The pump is underwater and very quiet, although this means that the water level needs to be kept topped up if you are going to keep it on all the time.
This fountain is a similar price to the Miau Store Ceramic Fountain at around £50 but this is a reasonable price for a high quality fountain. The extra cost of the filters should also be taken into consideration.
DADYPET Cat Water Fountain
- Automatic Pet Water Dispenser, Fountain Style: The pet water fountain with a capacity of 2 liters allows your pet to drink more frequently. which is very important for your pets kidney function.
- Superior Quality: High quality BPA free plastic, odourless and durable, safe for your pets.
- Anti-overflow capacity: When the filter element is not cleaned for a long time, water will drain from the four corners of the tank if it is blocked, which prevents the overflow of water on the floor.
- High filtration capacity: Larger particles are separated from the outer tray and the charcoal filter continuously purifies and softens tap water, completely removing hair, sediment and debris.
- Quiet work and low consumption
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
This cat water fountain is made from high quality BPA free plastic so it is odourless, durable and safe for your cat.
The fountain has a capacity of 2 litres, and the charcoal filter purifies and softens tap water as well as removing all hair and debris.
An extra feature of this fountain is the anti-overflow capacity, so if the filters do get blocked then water won’t overflow onto the floor. The fountain also has an ultra-quiet pump with low-energy consumption.
We love the flower design of this fountain which will provide a constant supply of fresh, clean water for your cat. It is generally available between £20 and £25 although the extra cost of the charcoal filters should be considered.
Pet Mate Cat Mate Drinking Water Fountain
- Provides clean fresh filtered drinking water
- Multi-height drinking levels. Safe low voltage power supply
- Isolated pump for very quiet operation
- 2 Litre volume capacity
- 3 Year Guarantee
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
This best-selling water fountain has a slightly different design with multiple drinking levels and a pool at the front of the fountain that your cat will love to drink from.
It has a 2 litre volume capacity, and a very quiet pump that keeps the water clear and fresh. It requires a carbon filter cartridge that is recommended to be changed once a month.
The fountain is very easy to use as you simply keep the water topped up daily with cold, fresh tap water. It is easy to maintain as the bowls are dishwasher friendly and the cartridges slot easily into position.
Summary
With such a great range of cat water fountains available at such reasonable cost, there is no excuse not to provide your cat with a regular supply of fresh drinking water.
Your cat will love you even more for it and it is fun watching them drink from the pools!
If you enjoyed this article then check out some of our other reviews including recommendations for the best automatic cat feeder (as well as specialist feeders for wet food), best cat scratching posts and the best food if your cat has diabetes.