Why am I writing about a cat water fountain?
Well, a cat water fountain is very handy for a cat owner as we know how difficult it can be to ensure our cats drink enough water to keep them healthy. Many cats, mine included, ignore a bowl of clean, fresh water because they’d much rather drink from a glass on the coffee table or next to the bed, and then knock it onto the floor as a thank you. A vase of flowers is even better, and the bathroom tap whilst I try to brush my teeth. Other than that, they don’t want to know.
And that’s a problem because we all know how important it is for our pet to have access to fresh water at all times and that water should form part of their healthy sufficient diet. This is particularly important in the summer months and hot weather. As with humans, cats need water to promote healthy skin and hair growth. If their skin isn’t healthy, it’s likely their coat will suffer too. And so we try to keep them as safe and well looked after as possible. But, do they listen to us? Oh no, of course not. Humans know ‘nuffink’…
So, being fed up with regularly finding one of our cats in the sink waiting to be ‘watered’, I decided to follow my friend’s advice and try a cat water fountain (her cats, Gus and Lola LOVE theirs). And, I’m writing this review to share how fab it is with my fellow cat lovers. And I decided to try the Catit Flower Fountain.
Disclaimer: I may get paid commission for purchases made after clicking a link in this post
What does the Catit Flower Fountain do?
The Catit Original Flower Fountain creates a flow of running water which encourages the cat to drink. It definitely works for two – In the midst of their furry noggins, they think they’re drinking from a tap, or a garden water feature, which is far more cool and sophisticated than the ordinary water bowl they choose to ignore…
You can see how much water it contains
Look through the viewing window at the front of the unit to check the water level and top up when needed. It contains up to 3 litres of water which lasts a good couple of days at least, probably more, but I like to keep it full.
Offers more than one style of water flow
There’s a choice of water flow. They can choose from a steady, a bubbling top or a calm stream flow. I’ve set ours as the steady flow, which they seem to like but will probably change their mind tomorrow and then on a daily basis.
Filters the water to keep it fresh and clean
The filter (provided) continuously purifies and softens hard tap water (hard water can apparently cause an increased risk of being more susceptible to urinary track disease). It also catches hair and dirt.
How do you set it up?
The Catit flower fountain arrived from Amazon ready assembled. I took the bits apart to give it a wash (recommended) and put it back together again – easy peasy! There are only a few parts so it’s very straightforward – the pump fits in the bottom of the main bowl, the filter sits in the top, followed by the fountain holder and then a flower which the water runs from. Top the container up with water, connect it to the electric, switch on and it’s ready to go. Very simple design.
Any ongoing cat water fountain maintenance?
Two rules… Rule number one, as with any cat water fountain you must keep it topped up and not allow it to run dry.
And rule number two is to look after the triple-action filter. You can buy replacement filters from Amazon (in packs of 2, 5 or 12). They’re not overly expensive. What I didn’t know (because I hadn’t read up on it properly, my bad…) is that the fountain should be kept on 24/7, because the filter needs to be kept wet. If it’s not kept wet, the carbon particles become clumpy and stop working so well. That happened to ours and that’s because I turned it off at nights (our cats are not in the same room as their fountain over night as that’s where the dog sleeps and they annoy him and keep him awake for fun…) so, at nights, they have to make do with the ordinary water bowl. What I now do is, when I turn it off at night, I remove the filter and submerge it in a shallow bowl of water. Then I rinse through in the morning before re-assembling and switching on. Works a treat.
Any downsides to the Catit Flower Fountain?
Other than needing to either keep it on 24/7, or doing what I’ve suggested with the filter, I haven’t found any downside and neither have our cats. It’s good value for money and the cats drink water, so everyone is happy. It’s not overly expensive – there are cheaper versions, but the reviews were not as good, and I love a personal recommendation so this was the one for us. Position it safely, just in case you have a cat that likes to knock things over just for fun (isn’t that all cats?) – it’s heavy though when full of water, so highly unlikely the fountain will shift. But hey, never under-estimate a cat, right? If mine have the sudden urge to knock it over onto the head of our dog as it wanders past, they’d give it a pretty good go so I’ve positioned it so they can’t be tempted to try.
Summary
My cats didn’t drink enough water, and now they do. So for me, it’s worth every penny. The Catit Flower Fountain is easy to assemble and keep clean, it looks cute, and it’s not overly expensive. My cats love it. And, if my cats are happy, I’m happy. I always know they have fresh, running water available 24/7, even when I’m not there.
Hope I’ve convinced you to get one if it’s something you’ve been considering and, if you do, then I’d really appreciate you using the links in this post. It won’t affect your purchase at all but the small commission I’ll receive helps me to keep blogging and reviewing items that I really do hope will be useful for other cat owners and / or groomers.
Let me know your experiences of a cat water fountain, or anything else you’ve tried as a way to encourage your cat to drink!