Cat people - Help! Pet water fountain? **UPDATE**

[Lady Florida.]

Our newish (since October) cat, approx. 1-1/2 years old, pushes the water dish all around until there is water all over the floor. Sometimes she dumps it over. I've read all kinds of reasons why, including that she can't tell the depth, doesn't want her whiskers touching the sides of the bowl, and is just being a stinker. Well, that last one is usually described as playful activity but she is a stinker anyway. :) 

We've tried a heavier bowl (she still manages to spill it), putting the bowl inside a pan (she won't drink it) and supervising her water drinking. We can't watch her drink all the time. She likes to drink out of the faucet but we don't want to encourage her to get in the counter, which of course she has to do to get at the faucet. I've been looking at pet water fountains. Since she likes to drink running water I was hoping this would solve the problem. 

Have you used one? Does your cat like it? Any suggestions for specific brands/models? There are quite a few on the market. 

[mamaraby]

I used to have plastic bowls for my cats, but the water level in bowls hardly ever seemed to change. That’s when I realized that they were drinking out of the dog’s bowl upstairs. The dog’s a Golden Retreiver, the bowl is stainless steel and his size. Maybe try a large dog-sized, stainless steel food/water bowl?

The animals get fresh water twice a day plus any refills when it’s empty. When the bowl is refilled, picture the animals lining up with the cats at the front of the line and the big dog at the back looking sad, but too scared of the cats to push his way forward. I have considered getting one of those fountains for the cats because they seem to prefer the freshest water, but let’s face it, they’ll still probably prefer the dog’s bowl.

[Dicentra]

We have a cat that does the same thing and I KNOW he's doing it to play because he then tears around like crazy in the spilled water and plays/splashes in it.  We put the water bowl in the tub.  Yeah - we have to take it out every time someone showers or bathes but he can play to his heart's content (and he'll play in puddles outside, too) and I don't have to constantly be cleaning spilled water off the floor.  A thought. :)

[Lady Florida.]

9 minutes ago, mamaraby said:

I used to have plastic bowls for my cats, but the water level in bowls hardly ever seemed to change. That’s when I realized that they were drinking out of the dog’s bowl upstairs. The dog’s a Golden Retreiver, the bowl is stainless steel and his size. Maybe try a large dog-sized, stainless steel food/water bowl?

The animals get fresh water twice a day plus any refills when it’s empty. When the bowl is refilled, picture the animals lining up with the cats at the front of the line and the big dog at the back looking sad, but too scared of the cats to push his way forward. I have considered getting one of those fountains for the cats because they seem to prefer the freshest water, but let’s face it, they’ll still probably prefer the dog’s bowl.

When we had a dog he shared water with the cats (we didn't have this one then). There was always a similar scene with the dog at the back of the line. 

[Lady Florida.]

I've shared pictures of her before but don't think I shared this video. It's a facebook link that you should be able to see even if you aren't on facebook. That's a plastic dish but we also tried stainless steel and a heavy ceramic dish. She is unstoppable! 

https://www.facebook.com/kathy.m.chumley/videos/10159707109270447/?l=1238272203889645846

[blondeviolin]

We have this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0146QXOB0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pmrZAbPTBF28V

our first two cats were happy with the refilling water holder (where you fill the tank and flip it over to fill the bowl), but our third was a faucet drinker. This fountain works well and all of the kitties drink from it. The filter needs to be cleaned regularly. And the plastic bits do as well. We just run it through dishwasher for the bowl and parts. It holds a fair amount and is pretty quiet when the reservoir is full. 

[Dmmetler]

We have a Pet Safe one because we have a senior cat with kidney disease, and he needs to drink a lot. He prefers to stick his head on a water glass, though-to the point that when I get a drink for me, I also get one for the cat :).

Our cats have never flipped it, so I do think it would work for your purposes. 

[Ali in OR]

We tried a fountain bowl for our constipated kitty who needed to drink more but he didn't like it and wouldn't use it. I don't think he liked the sound of the motor.

[SquirrellyMama]

We have one cat who likes to stick her feet in the water dish, and another cat who moves the bowl around. It always gets dumped over in the night! We've used 2 different fountains I love them. 

I bought this fountain at a garage sale, and we used it until it recently broke. I was so excited when the new fountain came today, because I've been cleaning up dumped over water dish the last 3 nights.

We'll still have some water on the floor because both of our girlie cats think these are the greatest splash parks EVER! But, I won't have a dumped over water dish. 

Kelly

 

 

[Ellie]

5 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

Our newish (since October) cat, approx. 1-1/2 years old, pushes the water dish all around until there is water all over the floor. Sometimes she dumps it over. I've read all kinds of reasons why, including that she can't tell the depth, doesn't want her whiskers touching the sides of the bowl, and is just being a stinker. Well, that last one is usually described as playful activity but she is a stinker anyway. :) 

We've tried a heavier bowl (she still manages to spill it), putting the bowl inside a pan (she won't drink it) and supervising her water drinking. We can't watch her drink all the time. She likes to drink out of the faucet but we don't want to encourage her to get in the counter, which of course she has to do to get at the faucet. I've been looking at pet water fountains. Since she likes to drink running water I was hoping this would solve the problem. 

Have you used one? Does your cat like it? Any suggestions for specific brands/models? There are quite a few on the market. 

I have owned many cats over the last 44 years, but none have ever pushed their water bowls around...until Lupin and Minerva. They came to us last September, when they were approximately four months old. All was well until around January, and they started pushing their water bowl around. My solution was a pet water fountain. I think they might have tried to move it, but it's just too heavy. We've had it for about six weeks now; so far, so good.

I have to be sure to add water to the bowl (it holds about a quart). Also, the water gets slimy with kitty slobber after awhile :-) so now, every Wednesday I use the water in the bowl to water my one and only house plant, and put all fresh water in the kitty bowl, being sure to clean it well (hot soapy water and all that).

[Lady Florida.]

22 minutes ago, SquirrellyMama said:

We have one cat who likes to stick her feet in the water dish, and another cat who moves the bowl around. It always gets dumped over in the night! We've used 2 different fountains I love them. 

I bought this fountain at a garage sale, and we used it until it recently broke. I was so excited when the new fountain came today, because I've been cleaning up dumped over water dish the last 3 nights.

We'll still have some water on the floor because both of our girlie cats think these are the greatest splash parks EVER! But, I won't have a dumped over water dish. 

Kelly

 

 

Your old one is the one I've been looking at. I can't tell you how many towels I used lately just wiping up water. 

[SquirrellyMama]

3 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

Your old one is the one I've been looking at. I can't tell you how many towels I used lately just wiping up water. 

I really liked the old one, no complaints about it. I liked the look of the two tiered fountain  that we just bought. The cat that knocks over the water dish would drink the water coming out of the spout on the blue one. It was funny.

Yes, lots of towels. I would hear the water dish moving in the night, and get the towels out. It was one of those dishes with the water reservoir, so  it was a lot of water.

Kelly

[Lady Florida.]

3 minutes ago, Ellie said:

I have owned many cats over the last 44 years, but none have ever pushed their water bowls around...until Lupin and Minerva. They came to us last September, when they were approximately four months old. All was well until around January, and they started pushing their water bowl around. My solution was a pet water fountain. I think they might have tried to move it, but it's just too heavy. We've had it for about six weeks now; so far, so good.

I have to be sure to add water to the bowl (it holds about a quart). Also, the water gets slimy with kitty slobber after awhile :-) so now, every Wednesday I use the water in the bowl to water my one and only house plant, and put all fresh water in the kitty bowl, being sure to clean it well (hot soapy water and all that).

I've had 9 cats in my lifetime (this one who spills water is the 9th) and never dealt with this until she came along. I'm glad to hear the fountain is too heavy to move. :) I'm thinking (hoping) she'll drink from the stream and our other cat will just drink from the water in the bowl part of it.

[Pawz4me]

I had the one Squirrelymama linked to in her first link. It was over ten years old and still working fine when our last cat passed away. I hated the thorough weekly cleaning it needed, but I wouldn’t have a cat without having some type of fountain. I really do think most cats drink a lot more from one than from a bowl. I had an extra reservoir on ours so I didn’t usually have to worry about refilling it between cleanings. 

[Stacia]

I think the ones SquirrellyMama linked look good.

We used to have a couple of cats who loved running water. I had one with a small tank you filled & flipped over on the back. That one got knocked over often, so I went for a similar style w/ a bigger tank. My younger, stronger cat liked to bathe under it (as well as drink from it), & always, always flipped the tank off the back. Every morning I came down to a flooded kitchen. (At least my kitchen got mopped often during that time!) I then duct-taped it to the base, but that was a pain because I needed to refill it about every 24-48 hours. So I can't say we had a lot of success with the cat fountain. And the one who really loved the running water was my elderly baby so I just accommodated him with the sink dripping when he wanted it.

I might have to consider one of the newer types (without the tank). I'm guessing our current house of kitties would like it.

[Lady Florida.]

Well, I ordered this one last night. It looks like a urinal but hopefully it will solve the problem. I considered some of the ones that look prettier but this one seemed to have the best water stream for a cat who likes drinking from the faucet. 

 

Duh. Forgot the link. Fixed it.

[Lizzie in Ma]

We use a huge heavy steel bowl for similar reasons.  One cat has to put his paw in and swish so he can see where the water level is I guess before he drinks.  One will only drink out of the faucet.  I would love a pet fountain but have never bought one.

[Lady Florida.]

It works! It arrived yesterday and she took to it right away. She'll drink from either the bowl part or the falling water and hasn't tried to spill it at all. Now we just have to convince the 10 year old cat that it's not a killing machine. She's scared of it. Ds turned it off for a bit so she could drink from it. Hopefully she'll get used to it. It's not very noisy but there's a low hum from the motor and the water falling into the bowl has a fountain sound. She doesn't like strange noises at all.

Here's Cookie drinking from both the bowl and the stream.

 

[lea1]

I have had one of these for years but I put it away because I got tired of cleaning it.  I just read on one of the reviews that if you put avocado seeds in the bowl, you won't have the slime build up.  Apparently they are antimicrobial and antibactirial, or something like that....and apparently the cats like it.  I might dig mine back out again just to try this:).

[Lady Florida.]

6 hours ago, lea1 said:

I have had one of these for years but I put it away because I got tired of cleaning it.  I just read on one of the reviews that if you put avocado seeds in the bowl, you won't have the slime build up.  Apparently they are antimicrobial and antibactirial, or something like that....and apparently the cats like it.  I might dig mine back out again just to try this:).

I confess I'm worried about the cleaning. We've only had it two days but I know I'm going to end up being the one who cleans it. I'd be a little concerned about the avocado seeds. Avocados are mildly toxic to cats (not deadly but they can cause stomach upset and diarrhea). I don't know if a seed would release anything into the water that they're drinking.

[Kathy in Richmond]

She sounds a lot like my kitty! And she looks like her, too :-) She's also 1 1/2 years old.

When she was little, she preferred to drink from running water at the sink than her bowl. We got her the same pet fountain that you bought about a year ago, and she adores it! I keep a regular water bowl for her downstairs, but honestly she just runs upstairs to her fountain if she's thirsty.

I do have to take it apart and give it a thorough cleaning once a week and change the filter every other week (I buy those in bulk on Amazon).