Best Cat Water Fountain : 5 Drinking Stations That Put Bowls To Shame

What Do Cat Water Fountains Do?

Unlike still tap water in a bowl, water in a fountain is constantly aerated and filtered. This means that it’s fresher, more appealing, and can encourage your cat to drink more.

Cat water fountains come in a few different materials. They’re usually either plastic, stainless steel, or ceramic. Plastic builds are typically cheaper, but offer inferior hygiene.

Water fountains come in a variety of designs – some focused on form, others on function, while the best take both into consideration.

Why Use a Cat Water Fountain?

For many modern-day cats, there’s a dangerous conundrum at play when it comes to hydration.

Our cats’ ancestors lived in dry environments and didn’t get the opportunity to drink regularly. Instead, they got most of their hydration from their prey. While cats of the past balanced their low thirst drive with a moisture-rich diet of live prey, many of today’s cats live off of dry food. While their interest in water hasn’t changed, their diet has. Compare dry kibble’s 6-10% water content to the 70% water content found in your cat’s natural prey.

This dynamic of disinterest in water and a low-moisture diet can be a recipe for dehydration.

That’s where cat water fountains come in handy.

Cat water fountains are an appealing alternative to a bowl of standing water. Again, we can look at it from a historical or evolutionary perspective. In nature, running water tends to be fresher than that sitting in a stagnant pool, so it would be more appealing to a wild cat.

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Cats haven’t changed that much over the last ten thousand years – they still often prefer to drink freshly-aerated running water.

A water fountain can encourage your cat to drink more water, reducing their risk of dehydration and associated health issues, including kidney failure and lower urinary tract disease.

In addition to the benefit of encouraging your cat to drink more, the constant motion of the water reduces bacterial build-up. Along with the built-in filtration systems found in high-quality cat water fountains, this means that you’ll spend less time replacing your cat’s water supply and cleaning the bowl. Cat water fountains come in a large variety of designs and can make a beautiful addition to the aesthetic of your home.

Signs That Your Cat Will Love a Water Fountain

  • Your cat seldom drinks from their bowl, but loves to play with and drink the water dripping from the faucet.
  • Your cat drinks from the toilet. While toilet water might seem dirtier from a certain standpoint, it’s also more freshly aerated than the water that’s been sitting in your cat’s dish.
  • Your cat only drinks water right after the bowl’s been refilled – this kind of finicky behavior indicates that they’re ready for an upgrade.

What Makes a Great Cat Drinking Fountain?

Let’s identify the top characteristics of an excellent water fountain for cats.

  • Features a built-in filtration system to ensure that the water is fresh, odor-free, and tastes great
  • Contains a prefilter to keep hair and debris out of the pump
  • High water capacity to minimize the need to replenish your cat’s water supply
  • Produces minimal noise
  • Contains the water well – we’re looking for fountains that don’t regularly splash water onto the floor
  • Heavy enough to prohibit your cat from pushing it around and causing the water to spill
  • Easy to clean
  • Appeals to cats!

The Best Cat Water Fountains of 2023

Fountain Price Quality Rating
PetSafe Drinkwell 360 Multi Pet FountainPetSafe Drinkwell 360 Multi Pet Fountain
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$$$ A+ 5 stars
Pioneer Pet Raindrop Stainless Steel Pet Drinking FountainPioneer Pet Raindrop Stainless Steel Pet Drinking Fountain
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$$ A 5 stars
PetSafe Drinkwell Ceramic Avalon Fountain for PetsPetSafe Drinkwell Ceramic Avalon Fountain for Pets
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$$$ A+ 5 stars
Catit Flower FountainCatit Flower Fountain
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$$ A- 5 stars
PetSafe Drinkwell PlatinumPetSafe Drinkwell Platinum
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$$ A- 5 stars
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PetSafe Drinkwell 360 Multi Pet Fountain Review

Key Feature: Ideal for a multi-cat home, adjustable flow

This fountain earns its place on this list with its adjustability, stream appeal, and size. This one is a good choice for multiple cat homes and cats who love to drink from the faucet.

Pros

  • 128oz water capacity – perfect for multiple cat households
  • Activated carbon filter eliminates odors and bad tastes
  • Foam filter catches hair and debris before they reach the pump
  • Adjustable flow control cap allows you to decide on the flow rate
  • 1 – 5 free falling changeable streams
  • 360° design allows multiple cats to drink at once
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Stainless steel is safe and hygienic for cats

Cons

  • May be too large for a single-cat home
  • Because of the free-falling water and tall center, the fountain may be too loud for some tastes

Pioneer Pet Raindrop Stainless Steel Pet Drinking Fountain Review

Key Feature: Innovative styling, low noise

For cats who prefer a gentle, bubbling flow to a splashy stream, this water fountain offers a gently moving stream of water that smoothly flows from the top level into the lower dish.

Pros

  • Activated carbon filter eliminates odors and bad tastes
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Stainless steel is safe and hygienic for cats
  • Beautiful design
  • Low noise

Cons

  • No adjustable flow control
  • If your cat prefers a free-falling stream, this fountain won’t be appealing
  • On the smaller end at 60oz water capacity
  • Lacks a foam filter to keep hair and debris out of the pump

PetSafe Drinkwell Ceramic Avalon Fountain for Pets Review

Key Feature: Appealing two-level design

This drinking fountain offers an upper and lower dish, giving your cat two different drinking areas. Water bubbles from the upper dish and falls in two streams into the lower dish.

Pros

  • Available in white and red colors
  • Activated carbon filter eliminates odors and bad tastes
  • Foam filter catches hair and debris before they reach the pump
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Made from hygienic ceramic
  • Your cat can drink from either of the two dishes or the two free-falling streams

Cons

On the smaller end with a 70oz water capacity
No adjustable flow control

Catit Flower Fountain Review

Key Feature: Cute and quirky styling, perfect for cats who like to drink from the faucet

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Catit’s distinctive design with a colorful flower accessory as the focal point is innovatively designed to encourage finicky cats to drink. With three flow settings, this fountain can create free-falling streams, a gently bubbling top, or calm streams.

Pros

  • 100oz water capacity
  • Dual action softening filter is designed to capture unwanted minerals plus hairs or debris that could clog the pump
  • Adjustable flow control cap allows you to decide on the flow rate
  • Ergonomically designed for healthy drinking posture
  • Whisker-friendly top surface
  • Unique and cute appearance

Cons

  • Not recommended for dishwashing by the manufacturer
  • BPA-free plastic fountain is less hygienic than its stainless steel or ceramic counterparts

Watch the Catit Flower Fountain in action.

PetSafe Drinkwell Platinum Review

Key Feature: A best-selling classic

While it is made from plastic rather than hygienic stainless steel or ceramic, this pet fountain earns its place on the list with its popularity, adjustable flow control, and free-falling water appeal.

Pros

  • Receiving ramp manages the sound of the falling water
  • Activated charcoal filter keeps water fresh, clean, and free of bad tastes and odors
  • Prefilter ensures that hair and debris don’t make their way into the pump
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Adjustable flow control

Cons

  • As the top of the reservoir is rounded, you may need to hold it upright while filling
  • BPA-free plastic fountain is less hygienic than its stainless steel and ceramic counterparts
  • It can be tricky to clean the inside of the fountain

Choosing the Perfect Cat Water Fountain

Since hydration is such a crucial part of keeping your cat healthy, it’s imperative that your cat drinks enough water. When your cat is disinterested in standing water, a fountain can offer an enticing alternative that encourages them to stay hydrated. These fountains come in a variety of different styles, but ultimately they’re simple products relying on certain key details: effective filtration, hygienic materials, and an appealing, functional design that makes your cat want to drink.

Did this article and list of the best cat water fountains help you? Wouldn’t an automatic cat feeder go nicely alongside? Let us know in the comments below!

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