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Do you have a dishwasher? If so, petsafe came out with a dishwasher safe fountain recently. Every piece is dishwasher safe too, no tiny pump to clean by hand. I bought one recently to confirm then when it arrived and I saw truly every piece was dishwasher safe with no tricks or "oh except for washing the pump by hand" I ordered a second one.
https://www.petsafe.com/product/outlast-cat-fountain-90-oz/?sku=PWW00-17258&collection-location=/shop/fountains-and-feeders/
Sorry for the late video add https://youtu.be/BA1Ny_2JiQ8?si=-ty0dbueIHtpwd4V
The base is not dw safe but doesn't come into direct contact with water.
That's amazing, I hate taking apart the pump and cleaning every tiny plastic piece by hand. Is it very loud though? I like the sound of fountains but not if you can hear the pump too much.
I know my fountain is low because I can hear the water splashing more and the noise makes me ILL. So I have a little built in detector before it gets too low!
Omg the low-water noise reminds me of my cat's pre-barf gagging. It's pretty effective because my spouse has misophonia so we both *race* to refill it!
petsafe creekside is the one I have and it's so quiet. but does need to be kept up with somewhat to maintain the quiet. I clean mine about once a week (sometimes when executive function is extra bad, once every 2 weeks) and the filters last 1 month for my one cat.
HOLY SHIT THIS IS AMAZING. This is going on the top of my disposable income wishlist. It makes so much sense how it works too, why hasn't anyone made something like this before?
"Dishwasher safe" are two of my favorite words.
As someone who's done the same, yes I recommend it so much. It's a godsend.
I'm about to take one apart to clean later today if you want to see picture video etc. I can add later.
Have you had any issues with hair accumulating? I'm having trouble picturing what the insides look like. I have two long haired cats so in a traditional pet fountain we have to clean out a decent amount of hair from the pump.
Sorry for taking a week to get you a video. https://youtu.be/BA1Ny_2JiQ8?si=-ty0dbueIHtpwd4V
u/ArtermisTheMany
u/omnomnomscience
Edit to add: The base is not dw safe but doesn't come into direct contact with water.
I need this. We have two fountains currently in the cabinet because I hate cleaning the pump. One of them is plastic and my cat figured out how to take the lid off and let the water spray everywhere. The other looks like a cwramic baking dish with a ceramic mound that goes over the pump. I like it, except for cleaning the damn pump.
If you're willing and able to afford it, do this, but with a stainless steel fountain - and get two. First benefit is that stainless steel is dishwasher safe. Second benefit is that it takes longer to get grody. Third benefit is that with a second fountain, you can leave the dirty one by the sink (not out of sight), and when you finally get around to cleaning it, swap them. Repeat ad nauseum. I had 5 cats and a stainless steel fountain and it needed cleaning about every 1-2 weeks.
So the problem with fountain cleaning isn't the fountain itself, it's cleaning the pump. As far as I know, there are 0 stainless steel fountains where every single piece that comes into contact with the water is dishwasher safe. I know because I've looked pretty damn hard.
So while I appreciate the sentiment, unless you can link me a pump less stainless steel fountain, this advice is kinda useless.
Well, I was directing my comment at OP as well, but the same principle applies - two pumps means one can be in use while the other lays around waiting for a cleaning 🤷♀️
This is probably big enough for a dog. If the dog is large you might have to refill it more often though
https://youtu.be/BA1Ny_2JiQ8?si=-ty0dbueIHtpwd4V
Edit to add: The base is not dw safe but doesn't come into direct contact with water.
My cat has trained my husband to turn on the bathroom faucet and wait while she drinks from the tap. She is *very clear* when that's what she wants, and he's a softy who can't say no.
It's not the system I would have chosen, but it seems to be working?
When I had my dog, he couldn't be trusted with a water bowl. He would see the bowl of water and drink the entire thing as fast as possible and then immediately puke it all back up. One day he had followed me into the bathroom so I turned on the tub faucet. Turns out he loved the damn thing. And he was forced to drink it slow enough that he kept it down. So instead of keeping a big bowl of water in the kitchen, he got to drink his fill out of the tub every time I stepped foot in there. The vet said if it worked, keep it up. So that's what I did. (He did have access to a bowl of water, but it was like an inch deep at any given time to prevent him getting sick)
My kitty used to just hang out in the sink in the morning waiting for someone to turn it on. (She's still around, just doesn't like the bathroom sink in our current place.)
The system at my old apartment was my dog having metal tags on her collar, with a large, heavy glass bowl for the water dish!
As soon as it hit "clangy-bell noises" time?
I pavloved *myself* into running to the kitchen to scoop up the bowl,give it a quick check, and then either *wash* and refill, *or* simply refill it--to stop the obnoxious clanging!😉😂🤣
My cats force the issue. When it’s time to clean or refill, they knock the pieces around so it stops working and makes weird noises. Works for us. 🤷🏻♀️ #blessed
If you have the money... I don't own this or even recommend it but I think it's an interesting concept. It hooks to your tap and lets the cat drink from the sink with motion detection.
https://aquapurr.com/products/aquapurr-4
I highly recommend it and have two Aquapurrs! My cats prefer it over their clean fountains (we have multple).
Small business and great customer service, in addition to a great product.
ETA: he sometimes has refurbished ones for a bit of a discount.
I also own two of these and my cats love them. Started with one and they were getting territorial so I added another. I still put a bowl of water out but they rarely touch it.
Two years in and the only cleaning I've ever had to do is wipe cat hair off the top of it. Other fountains I tried had to be taken apart and sanitized every single day to avoid the pink slime. I
Came here to recommend the AquaPurr. It works really well and the owner is really helpful. I had to go through a few adapters after moving to make the AquaPurr compatible and he was so incredibly helpful.
The aquapurr was the best purchase I ever made for both my cats and my mental health. I've had it for a few years now and I recommend it to anyone/everyone with a cat. I love that they can just get the same fresh water that the humans in the house drink whenever they want, no opposable thumbs/human executive function required.
My little dude is a big drinker, and previously we did the trained husband at the tap method, and several iterations of fountains.. But not wanting the cat jumping up and down on the counter (he's getting old), I picked up one of these.
Its. Amazing. Never going back.
This needs to be higher. LOVE my aquapurr. I got the one that takes batteries and haven’t had to change them yet - it’s been almost 10 months. My two boys love love love having fresh water on demand and I love that the only cleaning is wiping the car hair out of the sink occasionally.
You don't need a sink, just a water line. I have mine tapped into the waterline for the toilet, but I have a 10 foot piece of tubing on it and the fountain itself is in the bedroom and fills into a big dish. I have to dump the dish occasionally but the plants don't mind cat spit water.
I lovethat it exists, my cat hates water bowls, and I can't keepfountains clean; so in a desperate attempt to try anything that might work, I got this. It'samazing; it's so adorable hearing her get up at night and wander into the bathroom, and hear it click on. I put a littleshelf next to the vanity so she can get up easier too
My cat loves to drink from the sink and I currently have a fountain right next to it for him to drink out of instead. But I'm really bad at cleaning it so I wind up just turning the faucet on for him a lot, anyway. The aquapurr seems like it would be the natural progression of that!
I bought a ceramic fountain that stays much cleaner than the last generation plastic one I had. I have an alarm on my phone set to go off every Saturday reminding me to take it apart and put it through the dishwasher.
You can’t put the pump through the dishwasher, of course, but the two main ceramic parts you can. I’m pleased with this fountain; it’s easy to take apart and put back together. https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-drinkwell-pagoda-ceramic-dog/dp/48111
I was bad at changing my cats' water so I built it into my morning routine. I figured the time it takes for the milk to steam for my coffee is the perfect amount of time to dump the old water, clean the bowls and refill. Now I do it automatically without having to think about it. Is there any part of your routine you could work it into?
I do that with my cats' water bowl but the fountain is so much more work. It has to be unplugged, allowed to drain, either fully disassembled or wiped down, and then plugged back in. Their regular water bowl is just dump, put out clean bowl, refill.
Fountains really are a pain and proof that there are no cat owners, only cat staff 😂
We have a simple lazy way to get around this. The cat very strongly prefers water that you can see is fresh - so she likes to watch the dripping. Our landlord doesn't care about the fact that our bathtub faucet drips, so we have a low flat lid from a cookie container in the bathtub under the faucet where it just catches the drips. Well, couple weeks ago it stopped dripping, magically (probably because of the swelling of the pipes and changing temperatures) for a few days. So we had to turn the faucet onto a drip for her. She's happy.
Mine is in the kitchen and gets low on water once or twice a week (3 thirsty cats to make it happen). The sound it makes drives me nuts, so that helps me remember to clean it out at least once a week. It's a PetSafe, though not the 100% dishwasher safe one someone else mentioned. Most of it is, though, so it's still pretty easy to clean. My husband usually does the deep cleans since we split animal care, so if I'm not doing a quick clean out, I'm bugging him lol
I would put it on my calendar every other week to remind me to clean it. It was a huge pain for me though so I eventually gave up and no longer have the fountain sadly 😭 But having a regularly scheduled day for tasks like that makes it easier for me to do them in general.
I just bought a Petlibro Dockstation and I find that I am more attentive to it than the previous fountains I’ve had because it works wirelessly. So basically you can pick up the entire unit and just refill/clean vs. having to untangle and undo the pump cord. I used to have whatever the basic Petlibro one was and because it was such a burden, I found myself neglecting it a bit more because I just didn’t want to deal with it.
ETA: It can work wirelessly for several weeks before the dock needs to be charged so you can also put it somewhere more conspicuous that isn’t near an outlet!
I love it! I wasn’t paying attention when I bought mine and got the plastic instead of full stainless. The one benefit is that I can see the water level through it so I’m going to leave it for a while. Kitties didn’t need any adjustment time and they seem very happy with it too!
I have a petkit fountain. The bowl/fountain part is wireless as is the pump but the base plugs in. So I can take the whole fountain, clean it and fill it and then put it back on the base and the app reminds me to change the filter and clean it. The inside of the one I have is stainless steel too.
I have [this one ](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Automatic-Pet-Water-Fountain-95oz-2-8L-Replacement-Filters-Electric-Bowl-Cats-Dogs-Multiple-Pets-Cat-Dog-Dispenser-Efficient-Pump-Blue-Plastic/405400704)and when its low on water the light flickers and it annoying enough that I have to fill it. I have it in the kitchen, near their food so its something I see all the time, hard to ignore.
I just leave the bathroom faucet on a barely drip.
I’m on a well, so the water bill is “there isn’t one” and I’m not particularly concerned about the waste aspect, not do i live in a drought prone area. Plus, septic means the waste water goes back to the ground anyhow.
I keep my cat's water bowl in my shower (tub) and refill it with fresh water after I shower.
If it's a no-shower day I try to remember to refill it fresh. If I get a glass of water from the tub faucet (my makeup lives in the sink don't judge) I fill it with fresh water, etc
because I know he likes it fresh thankfully I looked it up
I have a CatIt fountain and just have the date to check and swab it on my planner with back-up phone alarms. It does have a filter you gotta hit with a toothbrush.
He won't use it in front of us, the little shit. 🤣 So my husband set up a camera that sent a notification for movement. He's definitely using it at night.
It's easier than remembering to shut off a faucet couple times a day. And more ecologically sound. He won't drink from a clean, still water bowl. Even if it's placed in another room away from his food bowls and litterbox cabinet. (Which are also in separate rooms.)
My cat is one of my ADHD tests, in that he tests my ability to meet his persnickety needs every damn day. But I love the fuzzy, little turkey turd.
I agree so much. Do what I did and ditch the fountain and keep multiple water bowls around the house - just clean them and replace the water every 2 days. It’s much more manageable so it ensures your cat has clean water at all times.
I hated cleaning the water fountain but couldn’t let my cat have dirty water, so I put up with it for a while. No more, thanks.
Until you get an orngboi who loves to *dig* in the water!😂🤣
My last roommates had a cat who was a water-digger, and he could pull at least half the water out of the 2+ *gallon* glass mixing bowl I used for a "water dish" for my Labrador😉
We have the Catit one with the flower in the middle. It has a clear section in the base so you can see the water level, plus it sounds like dripping water when it’s low so it’s hard to miss. We just use a water jug to fill it by pouring in the top, so there’s no hassle of unplugging it and moving it.
It has a replaceable filter in the top part that catches any debris from getting into the water. Everything but the pump is dishwasher safe; and the pump is tiny so I just soak it in some soapy water and rinse when we wash the rest of it. It doesn’t really come apart or need much cleaning beyond surface cleaning.
I’ll admit we do not follow the 30 day suggestion for the filters but instead use a visual inspection to check it. They come in handy 5 packs so it’s not something we’re constantly having to buy either, which is nice.
I don't know what kind of fountain you have but if you have a plastic one, ditch it. Get ceramic or stainless steel, as in my experience the plastic ones get slimy quickly. If you have a dishwasher, the stainless steel one is your best bet as you can take the pump and filters out and rinse, and chuck the rest in the dishwasher.
I have to put a specific reminder onto wash it out each week and replace the water. I also recommend that if you live somewhere with hard water, use bottled to minimise calc build up.
But if your cats have clean water bowls as well that they are ok drinking from, don't beat yourself up. If you can manage to schedule yourself to do it once a week, that is a win.
https://www.petsafe.com/product/seaside-stainless-pet-fountain/?sku=PWW00-17099
I got this one a few weeks ago because I can’t ever see the water level in the little window and so it was constantly running til the motor was grinding. So far, the gang and I are very happy with it. Even my picky senior.
It’s also dishwasher safe if you have one :)
I have a PetLibro fountain and a Catit fountain. I set reminders on my phone 2-3 times a week to check water levels, and I have a reminder to clean/rinse them weekly. The phone reminders are honestly a game changer. That’s the only way I remember to do anything.
I replace the filters once a month. They stay pretty clean as long as I change the water weekly.
My guys also have three water bowls around the apartment. I refill/rinse those daily as part of my bedtime routine.
I don't have a cat anymore but I'm sensitive to sounds and when mine got noisy I knew it was low and I used it as a trigger. Otherwise I never looked at it.
I think it probably depends on the fountain. We got a metal one for ours that's quiet when running (so it doesn't bother them, unlike the last one we tried a few years ago that was a little noisier; they LOVE this one), but also I hear it when it's running low because the water dripping down starts to 'echo' a little in the metal container when it gets to that point and I find I can't really tune the sound out because it's a bit more irregular. (Also, the cat fountain is in the living room where I usually am in my downtime so I DO actually hear it here, versus being in the kitchen or wherever else.) So it tells me to get up and pour another pitcher of water in (or change the filters if it's been long enough that that needs doing).
I honestly had to go back to the plain bowl but I refill/light wash it every time I pee before going to bed. The bowl is physically in my way as I step into the bathroom so I have to look in it. The fountains kept getting overrun with gross things because I couldn't see them and I would accidentally silence my calender reminders and immediately forget.
Yeah I cant keep up with that. Most I can do is refill it when the noise gets annoying but I told my gf she has to take ownership of the cat fountains since she rallied for them and I already handle all the auto feeder refills and auto litter changes/cleaning
I used to leave the faucet in my tub on a slow drip for my cat. He trained me to do it; if I ever forgot, he'd sit in the tub and meow till I came in there and did it.
I recommend adding water to a cats food and to feed as much wet canned food as you can afford. Cats were originally desert animals so their thirst drive is low because they're meant to get most of their hydration from their prey.
I still have a water bowl that my partner and I change daily but it rarely gets any use.
Well i might get downvoted but, my cats drink in the toilelett 🤷♀️ we tried to keep then from doing it, let the lud closed, close the bathroom doors etc, also let thr faucet leek, one of them plays with the water but does not drink it and the ither one dosen't get close to it..
So i realised they like only one of our 3 toilletts so I clean this one thoroughly every day. They don't care for bowls or the fountain. Not sure what else to try honestly...
Ive got a cat who does this too. Always has and always will. Ive tried to keep her out, but she learned it from either her momma or aunt before i got her at 12 weeks. Ive got water bowls, but having that as backup water is a bit anxiety reducing, if im being honest
Be careful with the fountains. My parents vet told them that there have been a ton more cats showing up with dental problems in the past few years since these fountains have become more popular. Their cat actually had to get a bunch of teeth pulled out because of it. I got all scared/paranoid after hearing that and just stopped using ours bc there is no way I remember to clean it/change the filter enough.
Could you get a bigger one that holds more water so it's easier to forget about? My cats can't be trusted with fountains so we have a water dispenser that needs to be filled maybe once a week. I usually have energy to fill it once a week and I try to "clean" it during that time.
My cats also will just knock it over if it's empty and be pretty annoying which is a great way to get me to give them more water
I tried all the fountains and they all get gross and I can’t handle it. I just get the stainless steel pet pools and keep them full of water on each floor of the house that way I know there is plenty and I just change them when I see them and remember or when I also pour myself some water I do the same for them even if it’s already new because I just want them to have as fresh water as possible haha
The gurgling cat fountain usually gets me to do it. I have a big pitcher by my sink that I can quickly fill and dump in the fountain when it happens so it’s not too much of a hassle.
Check out the AquaPurr - if you can train your cat to the sensor, it just turns on when they get in front of it. One of my cats uses it all the time, the other one is still afraid of it though lol. But no cleaning except for the little tube every now and then!
Reminder in my phone, where I put all reoccurring chores including buying litter and cleaning the box out - deep clean I got a robot litter box. Then the fountain is in an obvious space. we walk past it regularly does it get grosser than I would like yes. Do we still clean it yes.
My cats always have a clean water bowl. The fountain is a special treat that only comes out every once in a while, it stays out for an afternoon, and then it gets cleaned, dried, and stored away. My cats like the novelty. If it was out all the time, they wouldn’t appreciate it as much, and it would definitely get gross.
Hello OP,
I have two water dishes on the catio, one gets rain, the other gets refreshed by me when I notice it’s low and my cat has learned to get me to turn the bathroom tap on to a slow dribble when he’s thirsty, keeping it to a dribble means it’s not too much grief if I forget. Somehow this arrangement seems to cover the bases, you’ll find a way!
I leave a faucet dripping in the utility room. Eight gallons a day, or whatever it uses, is a small price to pay for my cat to always have cold, fresh water. I also leave a bowl of water out, of course, in case the sink is turned all the way off.
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Do you have a dishwasher? If so, petsafe came out with a dishwasher safe fountain recently. Every piece is dishwasher safe too, no tiny pump to clean by hand. I bought one recently to confirm then when it arrived and I saw truly every piece was dishwasher safe with no tricks or "oh except for washing the pump by hand" I ordered a second one. https://www.petsafe.com/product/outlast-cat-fountain-90-oz/?sku=PWW00-17258&collection-location=/shop/fountains-and-feeders/ Sorry for the late video add https://youtu.be/BA1Ny_2JiQ8?si=-ty0dbueIHtpwd4V The base is not dw safe but doesn't come into direct contact with water.
That's amazing, I hate taking apart the pump and cleaning every tiny plastic piece by hand. Is it very loud though? I like the sound of fountains but not if you can hear the pump too much.
I know my fountain is low because I can hear the water splashing more and the noise makes me ILL. So I have a little built in detector before it gets too low!
Omg the low-water noise reminds me of my cat's pre-barf gagging. It's pretty effective because my spouse has misophonia so we both *race* to refill it!
THAT’S THE EXACT SOUND AAHHH it’s sickening
100% what prompted me it was time to fill it up! Oh no it's all DRIPPY, HEEELP.
Mine triggers me so much
It's not that loud. The water falling does make sound though.
petsafe creekside is the one I have and it's so quiet. but does need to be kept up with somewhat to maintain the quiet. I clean mine about once a week (sometimes when executive function is extra bad, once every 2 weeks) and the filters last 1 month for my one cat.
I wish I had seen this literally 3 days ago, before I bought my cats a fountain that requires me to take it apart and wash it by hand ☹️
Return it and get this!
HOLY SHIT THIS IS AMAZING. This is going on the top of my disposable income wishlist. It makes so much sense how it works too, why hasn't anyone made something like this before? "Dishwasher safe" are two of my favorite words.
I’ll look more into that thank you!
I’ve bought and failed a million pet fountains….do I try this one? 😬
As someone who's done the same, yes I recommend it so much. It's a godsend. I'm about to take one apart to clean later today if you want to see picture video etc. I can add later.
🙏 Yes please!
I would also like to see pictures/video if you post any, please and thank you <3
Have you had any issues with hair accumulating? I'm having trouble picturing what the insides look like. I have two long haired cats so in a traditional pet fountain we have to clean out a decent amount of hair from the pump.
Sorry for taking a week to get you a video. https://youtu.be/BA1Ny_2JiQ8?si=-ty0dbueIHtpwd4V u/ArtermisTheMany u/omnomnomscience Edit to add: The base is not dw safe but doesn't come into direct contact with water.
I was just going to hunt you down! Ha! How much water does it hold?
90 ounces, or about 11 cups, or 2.6 liters. Holds a lot
I need this. We have two fountains currently in the cabinet because I hate cleaning the pump. One of them is plastic and my cat figured out how to take the lid off and let the water spray everywhere. The other looks like a cwramic baking dish with a ceramic mound that goes over the pump. I like it, except for cleaning the damn pump.
I’ve never purchased something so fast in my life. Thank you so much for this recommendation!! 🙏
Thank you for this recommendation!
OMG I need this! Thank you for sharing! Also unrelated but I love your username!
Why don't they sell them in Germany?! 😭 I was so ready to throw all my money at them, but they only sell their traditional pump models over here.
Same for Australia! Fingers crossed they arrive for us asap 😭
I wrote them yesterday and I got the info that they should become available in Germany in around 2 months. I hope it's the same for you guys!!
Haha I actually did the same today, and they said they should arrive here September/October! I’m excited for us both :)
Came here to rec a pump less fountain - being able to pop it into the dishwasher is everything
If you're willing and able to afford it, do this, but with a stainless steel fountain - and get two. First benefit is that stainless steel is dishwasher safe. Second benefit is that it takes longer to get grody. Third benefit is that with a second fountain, you can leave the dirty one by the sink (not out of sight), and when you finally get around to cleaning it, swap them. Repeat ad nauseum. I had 5 cats and a stainless steel fountain and it needed cleaning about every 1-2 weeks.
So the problem with fountain cleaning isn't the fountain itself, it's cleaning the pump. As far as I know, there are 0 stainless steel fountains where every single piece that comes into contact with the water is dishwasher safe. I know because I've looked pretty damn hard. So while I appreciate the sentiment, unless you can link me a pump less stainless steel fountain, this advice is kinda useless.
Well, I was directing my comment at OP as well, but the same principle applies - two pumps means one can be in use while the other lays around waiting for a cleaning 🤷♀️
Again, the problem is cleaning the pump. Your take sounds like a neurotypical saying "just do the thing" that my brain isn't going to let me do.
OMG THANK YOU! I had given up on fountains because they’re such a fucking pain to clean.
Amazing!! Do they have a dog one?
This is probably big enough for a dog. If the dog is large you might have to refill it more often though https://youtu.be/BA1Ny_2JiQ8?si=-ty0dbueIHtpwd4V Edit to add: The base is not dw safe but doesn't come into direct contact with water.
This looks great. My cat fountain just died so I might have to pick up one of these!
God, I love you women. This sub is SO full of helpful, niche tips.
I stopped buying anything that's not dishwasher safe. It will never get cleaned so I just won't use it.
My cat has trained my husband to turn on the bathroom faucet and wait while she drinks from the tap. She is *very clear* when that's what she wants, and he's a softy who can't say no. It's not the system I would have chosen, but it seems to be working?
Another vote here for husband-operated tap water on demand. Pleased to see there are others just like us!
My cat has also trained my husband for this too 🤣 he was so proud to show me and now I wonder if he regrets it sometimes 🤣🤣🤣
When I had my dog, he couldn't be trusted with a water bowl. He would see the bowl of water and drink the entire thing as fast as possible and then immediately puke it all back up. One day he had followed me into the bathroom so I turned on the tub faucet. Turns out he loved the damn thing. And he was forced to drink it slow enough that he kept it down. So instead of keeping a big bowl of water in the kitchen, he got to drink his fill out of the tub every time I stepped foot in there. The vet said if it worked, keep it up. So that's what I did. (He did have access to a bowl of water, but it was like an inch deep at any given time to prevent him getting sick)
My kitty used to just hang out in the sink in the morning waiting for someone to turn it on. (She's still around, just doesn't like the bathroom sink in our current place.)
We have a kitty water bowl on our bathroom counter, so I see it every day and can put water back in it.
Hahaha! Ours love the leftover water at the bottom of the shower and will hop in after we get out in the morning. Very SaltBurn of them 😝
That’s so cute! I don’t trust the tap here otherwise I’d try that lol
And god forbid the cat *figures out* the faucet augh
My dogs do this when I’m in the bathroom. They sit by the tub waiting for me to turn it on so they can drink.
The system at my old apartment was my dog having metal tags on her collar, with a large, heavy glass bowl for the water dish! As soon as it hit "clangy-bell noises" time? I pavloved *myself* into running to the kitchen to scoop up the bowl,give it a quick check, and then either *wash* and refill, *or* simply refill it--to stop the obnoxious clanging!😉😂🤣
Same. I do leave mine accidentally running but it’s better than a dehydrated cat so 🤷🏼♀️.
hahaha once of my birds does this! She will sit on the faucet and call for us.
This exact method works for our household.
My cats force the issue. When it’s time to clean or refill, they knock the pieces around so it stops working and makes weird noises. Works for us. 🤷🏻♀️ #blessed
This is so funny! They chose violence
Mine also enlisted in this violent assault on water fountains
Lol mine chooses when violence when I'm reading a book and not petting her. Like, how dare I?
If you have the money... I don't own this or even recommend it but I think it's an interesting concept. It hooks to your tap and lets the cat drink from the sink with motion detection. https://aquapurr.com/products/aquapurr-4
I highly recommend it and have two Aquapurrs! My cats prefer it over their clean fountains (we have multple). Small business and great customer service, in addition to a great product. ETA: he sometimes has refurbished ones for a bit of a discount.
So many positive comments.. now I really want one despite that fact that my cat loves water from bowls and never showed any interest in the tap
I also own two of these and my cats love them. Started with one and they were getting territorial so I added another. I still put a bowl of water out but they rarely touch it. Two years in and the only cleaning I've ever had to do is wipe cat hair off the top of it. Other fountains I tried had to be taken apart and sanitized every single day to avoid the pink slime. I
Came here to recommend the AquaPurr. It works really well and the owner is really helpful. I had to go through a few adapters after moving to make the AquaPurr compatible and he was so incredibly helpful.
The aquapurr was the best purchase I ever made for both my cats and my mental health. I've had it for a few years now and I recommend it to anyone/everyone with a cat. I love that they can just get the same fresh water that the humans in the house drink whenever they want, no opposable thumbs/human executive function required.
My little dude is a big drinker, and previously we did the trained husband at the tap method, and several iterations of fountains.. But not wanting the cat jumping up and down on the counter (he's getting old), I picked up one of these. Its. Amazing. Never going back.
This needs to be higher. LOVE my aquapurr. I got the one that takes batteries and haven’t had to change them yet - it’s been almost 10 months. My two boys love love love having fresh water on demand and I love that the only cleaning is wiping the car hair out of the sink occasionally.
I was going to recommend this!! I don’t have a sink setup to use this but I know someone who has one and they’re so cool!
You don't need a sink, just a water line. I have mine tapped into the waterline for the toilet, but I have a 10 foot piece of tubing on it and the fountain itself is in the bedroom and fills into a big dish. I have to dump the dish occasionally but the plants don't mind cat spit water.
whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat okay I might have to splurge on this someday
I lovethat it exists, my cat hates water bowls, and I can't keepfountains clean; so in a desperate attempt to try anything that might work, I got this. It'samazing; it's so adorable hearing her get up at night and wander into the bathroom, and hear it click on. I put a littleshelf next to the vanity so she can get up easier too
My cat loves to drink from the sink and I currently have a fountain right next to it for him to drink out of instead. But I'm really bad at cleaning it so I wind up just turning the faucet on for him a lot, anyway. The aquapurr seems like it would be the natural progression of that!
I bought a ceramic fountain that stays much cleaner than the last generation plastic one I had. I have an alarm on my phone set to go off every Saturday reminding me to take it apart and put it through the dishwasher.
Are all parts of that fountain you have dishwasher safe? If it is, can you drop a link? 😅
You can’t put the pump through the dishwasher, of course, but the two main ceramic parts you can. I’m pleased with this fountain; it’s easy to take apart and put back together. https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-drinkwell-pagoda-ceramic-dog/dp/48111
I was bad at changing my cats' water so I built it into my morning routine. I figured the time it takes for the milk to steam for my coffee is the perfect amount of time to dump the old water, clean the bowls and refill. Now I do it automatically without having to think about it. Is there any part of your routine you could work it into?
I do that with my cats' water bowl but the fountain is so much more work. It has to be unplugged, allowed to drain, either fully disassembled or wiped down, and then plugged back in. Their regular water bowl is just dump, put out clean bowl, refill. Fountains really are a pain and proof that there are no cat owners, only cat staff 😂
Yes, this is why I've never bought a fountain! Luckily mine all seem happy enough with the bowls
We have an Aquapurr and love it. It takes a few extra steps to set up on the faucet but after that there was absolutely no fuss.
We have a simple lazy way to get around this. The cat very strongly prefers water that you can see is fresh - so she likes to watch the dripping. Our landlord doesn't care about the fact that our bathtub faucet drips, so we have a low flat lid from a cookie container in the bathtub under the faucet where it just catches the drips. Well, couple weeks ago it stopped dripping, magically (probably because of the swelling of the pipes and changing temperatures) for a few days. So we had to turn the faucet onto a drip for her. She's happy.
Mine is in the kitchen and gets low on water once or twice a week (3 thirsty cats to make it happen). The sound it makes drives me nuts, so that helps me remember to clean it out at least once a week. It's a PetSafe, though not the 100% dishwasher safe one someone else mentioned. Most of it is, though, so it's still pretty easy to clean. My husband usually does the deep cleans since we split animal care, so if I'm not doing a quick clean out, I'm bugging him lol
I would put it on my calendar every other week to remind me to clean it. It was a huge pain for me though so I eventually gave up and no longer have the fountain sadly 😭 But having a regularly scheduled day for tasks like that makes it easier for me to do them in general.
I just bought a Petlibro Dockstation and I find that I am more attentive to it than the previous fountains I’ve had because it works wirelessly. So basically you can pick up the entire unit and just refill/clean vs. having to untangle and undo the pump cord. I used to have whatever the basic Petlibro one was and because it was such a burden, I found myself neglecting it a bit more because I just didn’t want to deal with it. ETA: It can work wirelessly for several weeks before the dock needs to be charged so you can also put it somewhere more conspicuous that isn’t near an outlet!
I was actually looking at one of the pet libro for our dogs! So you like it???
I love it! I wasn’t paying attention when I bought mine and got the plastic instead of full stainless. The one benefit is that I can see the water level through it so I’m going to leave it for a while. Kitties didn’t need any adjustment time and they seem very happy with it too!
I have a petkit fountain. The bowl/fountain part is wireless as is the pump but the base plugs in. So I can take the whole fountain, clean it and fill it and then put it back on the base and the app reminds me to change the filter and clean it. The inside of the one I have is stainless steel too.
I have [this one ](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Automatic-Pet-Water-Fountain-95oz-2-8L-Replacement-Filters-Electric-Bowl-Cats-Dogs-Multiple-Pets-Cat-Dog-Dispenser-Efficient-Pump-Blue-Plastic/405400704)and when its low on water the light flickers and it annoying enough that I have to fill it. I have it in the kitchen, near their food so its something I see all the time, hard to ignore.
I just leave the bathroom faucet on a barely drip. I’m on a well, so the water bill is “there isn’t one” and I’m not particularly concerned about the waste aspect, not do i live in a drought prone area. Plus, septic means the waste water goes back to the ground anyhow.
> leave the bathroom faucet on a barely drip. this is what I did until the faucet was fixed, it's still my go-to when I go away on vacation
I keep my cat's water bowl in my shower (tub) and refill it with fresh water after I shower. If it's a no-shower day I try to remember to refill it fresh. If I get a glass of water from the tub faucet (my makeup lives in the sink don't judge) I fill it with fresh water, etc because I know he likes it fresh thankfully I looked it up
I put the bowl next to the kitchen tap. Takes 5 seconds to see the bowl needs sorting and sort it because it's right there by the sink 🙂
I saw a lady who had one of those fountains for their cat, forgot to clean it and there were mosquito larvae in it 🤢
I have a CatIt fountain and just have the date to check and swab it on my planner with back-up phone alarms. It does have a filter you gotta hit with a toothbrush. He won't use it in front of us, the little shit. 🤣 So my husband set up a camera that sent a notification for movement. He's definitely using it at night. It's easier than remembering to shut off a faucet couple times a day. And more ecologically sound. He won't drink from a clean, still water bowl. Even if it's placed in another room away from his food bowls and litterbox cabinet. (Which are also in separate rooms.) My cat is one of my ADHD tests, in that he tests my ability to meet his persnickety needs every damn day. But I love the fuzzy, little turkey turd.
Part of daily routine, alexa/phone reminder
We asked our cleaning lady to take care of it as part of her weekly clean.
When I lived with cats I set an alarm on my phone to wash it.
I agree so much. Do what I did and ditch the fountain and keep multiple water bowls around the house - just clean them and replace the water every 2 days. It’s much more manageable so it ensures your cat has clean water at all times. I hated cleaning the water fountain but couldn’t let my cat have dirty water, so I put up with it for a while. No more, thanks.
> keep multiple water bowls around the house *laughs in NYC apt*
Ha been there, lived in matchboxes too. Two bowls are still good in case you have a dummy, like we do, who sometimes spills them.
Until you get an orngboi who loves to *dig* in the water!😂🤣 My last roommates had a cat who was a water-digger, and he could pull at least half the water out of the 2+ *gallon* glass mixing bowl I used for a "water dish" for my Labrador😉
Ours go full SaltBurn on us and demand to drink the leftover water at the bottom of the shower some mornings
We have the Catit one with the flower in the middle. It has a clear section in the base so you can see the water level, plus it sounds like dripping water when it’s low so it’s hard to miss. We just use a water jug to fill it by pouring in the top, so there’s no hassle of unplugging it and moving it. It has a replaceable filter in the top part that catches any debris from getting into the water. Everything but the pump is dishwasher safe; and the pump is tiny so I just soak it in some soapy water and rinse when we wash the rest of it. It doesn’t really come apart or need much cleaning beyond surface cleaning. I’ll admit we do not follow the 30 day suggestion for the filters but instead use a visual inspection to check it. They come in handy 5 packs so it’s not something we’re constantly having to buy either, which is nice.
I don't know what kind of fountain you have but if you have a plastic one, ditch it. Get ceramic or stainless steel, as in my experience the plastic ones get slimy quickly. If you have a dishwasher, the stainless steel one is your best bet as you can take the pump and filters out and rinse, and chuck the rest in the dishwasher. I have to put a specific reminder onto wash it out each week and replace the water. I also recommend that if you live somewhere with hard water, use bottled to minimise calc build up. But if your cats have clean water bowls as well that they are ok drinking from, don't beat yourself up. If you can manage to schedule yourself to do it once a week, that is a win.
https://www.petsafe.com/product/seaside-stainless-pet-fountain/?sku=PWW00-17099 I got this one a few weeks ago because I can’t ever see the water level in the little window and so it was constantly running til the motor was grinding. So far, the gang and I are very happy with it. Even my picky senior. It’s also dishwasher safe if you have one :)
I have a PetLibro fountain and a Catit fountain. I set reminders on my phone 2-3 times a week to check water levels, and I have a reminder to clean/rinse them weekly. The phone reminders are honestly a game changer. That’s the only way I remember to do anything. I replace the filters once a month. They stay pretty clean as long as I change the water weekly. My guys also have three water bowls around the apartment. I refill/rinse those daily as part of my bedtime routine.
I don't have a cat anymore but I'm sensitive to sounds and when mine got noisy I knew it was low and I used it as a trigger. Otherwise I never looked at it.
I think it probably depends on the fountain. We got a metal one for ours that's quiet when running (so it doesn't bother them, unlike the last one we tried a few years ago that was a little noisier; they LOVE this one), but also I hear it when it's running low because the water dripping down starts to 'echo' a little in the metal container when it gets to that point and I find I can't really tune the sound out because it's a bit more irregular. (Also, the cat fountain is in the living room where I usually am in my downtime so I DO actually hear it here, versus being in the kitchen or wherever else.) So it tells me to get up and pour another pitcher of water in (or change the filters if it's been long enough that that needs doing).
I honestly had to go back to the plain bowl but I refill/light wash it every time I pee before going to bed. The bowl is physically in my way as I step into the bathroom so I have to look in it. The fountains kept getting overrun with gross things because I couldn't see them and I would accidentally silence my calender reminders and immediately forget.
I used to have a cat that trained my entire family to turn on the sink faucet for him. We'd follow behind each other and turn it off.
do you have a voice assistant of some sort? can each of you make it every other day to do this chore?
Yeah I cant keep up with that. Most I can do is refill it when the noise gets annoying but I told my gf she has to take ownership of the cat fountains since she rallied for them and I already handle all the auto feeder refills and auto litter changes/cleaning
I used to leave the faucet in my tub on a slow drip for my cat. He trained me to do it; if I ever forgot, he'd sit in the tub and meow till I came in there and did it.
I recommend adding water to a cats food and to feed as much wet canned food as you can afford. Cats were originally desert animals so their thirst drive is low because they're meant to get most of their hydration from their prey. I still have a water bowl that my partner and I change daily but it rarely gets any use.
I have a smart fountain now and it tells me what to do. Change filter, refill, deep clean. It’s been working well for me compared to the old one
Well i might get downvoted but, my cats drink in the toilelett 🤷♀️ we tried to keep then from doing it, let the lud closed, close the bathroom doors etc, also let thr faucet leek, one of them plays with the water but does not drink it and the ither one dosen't get close to it.. So i realised they like only one of our 3 toilletts so I clean this one thoroughly every day. They don't care for bowls or the fountain. Not sure what else to try honestly...
Ive got a cat who does this too. Always has and always will. Ive tried to keep her out, but she learned it from either her momma or aunt before i got her at 12 weeks. Ive got water bowls, but having that as backup water is a bit anxiety reducing, if im being honest
Be careful with the fountains. My parents vet told them that there have been a ton more cats showing up with dental problems in the past few years since these fountains have become more popular. Their cat actually had to get a bunch of teeth pulled out because of it. I got all scared/paranoid after hearing that and just stopped using ours bc there is no way I remember to clean it/change the filter enough.
What about the fountains causes the dental issues in cats? Not changing the filter enough?
Yea I think not changing the water/filter enough or not cleaning it out enough
how will I know if my kitty ever needs the dentist?
You could get a fish tank bubbler aerator thing and put it in your water bowl. It’s similar and meant to be in water
I have both,. I clean the fountain much less than I should, but I wipe it down every once in a while.
The catit fountain is so easy to clean and quiet if you want or noisy if you don’t!
A ceramic water bowl and I keep mine by the sink, easy to refill and easy to clean
Could you get a bigger one that holds more water so it's easier to forget about? My cats can't be trusted with fountains so we have a water dispenser that needs to be filled maybe once a week. I usually have energy to fill it once a week and I try to "clean" it during that time. My cats also will just knock it over if it's empty and be pretty annoying which is a great way to get me to give them more water
I tried all the fountains and they all get gross and I can’t handle it. I just get the stainless steel pet pools and keep them full of water on each floor of the house that way I know there is plenty and I just change them when I see them and remember or when I also pour myself some water I do the same for them even if it’s already new because I just want them to have as fresh water as possible haha
Aqua purr Hooks right to the sink
The gurgling cat fountain usually gets me to do it. I have a big pitcher by my sink that I can quickly fill and dump in the fountain when it happens so it’s not too much of a hassle.
Mine has an LED inside that turns red when it needs filling.
Check out the AquaPurr - if you can train your cat to the sensor, it just turns on when they get in front of it. One of my cats uses it all the time, the other one is still afraid of it though lol. But no cleaning except for the little tube every now and then!
Pet Libro has a really nice fountain that is super easy to clean and the filter is extremely nice!
Reminder in my phone, where I put all reoccurring chores including buying litter and cleaning the box out - deep clean I got a robot litter box. Then the fountain is in an obvious space. we walk past it regularly does it get grosser than I would like yes. Do we still clean it yes.
My cats always have a clean water bowl. The fountain is a special treat that only comes out every once in a while, it stays out for an afternoon, and then it gets cleaned, dried, and stored away. My cats like the novelty. If it was out all the time, they wouldn’t appreciate it as much, and it would definitely get gross.
Hello OP, I have two water dishes on the catio, one gets rain, the other gets refreshed by me when I notice it’s low and my cat has learned to get me to turn the bathroom tap on to a slow dribble when he’s thirsty, keeping it to a dribble means it’s not too much grief if I forget. Somehow this arrangement seems to cover the bases, you’ll find a way!
I leave a faucet dripping in the utility room. Eight gallons a day, or whatever it uses, is a small price to pay for my cat to always have cold, fresh water. I also leave a bowl of water out, of course, in case the sink is turned all the way off.