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seen with The rise of Automatic litter box, Automatic feeder, Pet trackingAnd now the cat water fountain, technology has made it so that we can closely monitor our pets and make sure they are being taken care of without doing a lot of manual labor.
A cat water fountain encourages cats to drink more water, which helps with their overall health. I have noticed an increase in my cats water consumption since switching to a fountain. As a pet helicopter mom, I’ve become a fountain believer.
Automatic water fountains are better for your cats overall water use, but they require a bit more work and money. Instead of refilling a bowl, these take a little more elbow grease—but it’s worth it for your cat’s health. In addition to routine refilling and cleaning, you should take the fountain apart to clean all parts, including using a brush for the bowl and tubes. You may need to take the motor apart for deep-cleaning due to mineral build-up. They have different types of filtration cartridges in sizes specific to brand fountains, which require you to buy and change filters, usually monthly or more often.
Many of these fountains also have a connected app, which reminds you when to clean, replace the filter, and refill the water. Many also track how often your pet drinks throughout the day, week and month to monitor your pet’s habits and track any changes. A cat drinking more or less water than usual can be a good indicator that something is wrong with their health.
I (and my cat) have tested the various models (and some technologically advanced) automatic water fountains for pets available right now to see which ones are worth the money.
See our related guide for example Best Automatic Feeder, Best automatic litter box, Our favorite fancy cat furnitureAnd Our favorite cat toys, litter boxes and other cat supplies. More of a dog person? We’ve got you covered; see us The best accessories and tech essentials for your dog Guide
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Cats sometimes struggle to drink enough water, which can be potentially fatal Life-threatening UTI And especially the inhibition in male cats. This is one reason why vets are going more and more towards encouraging their cats to feed them at least a partially wet food diet, as this helps them take in more moisture, especially since cats don’t naturally take in as much water as dogs. Unlike dogs, cats are generally quite specific in their likes and dislikes, and cats can view stagnant water as potentially harmful. (If the cat was feral, stagnant water is more likely to harbor harmful bacteria). Cats are more attracted to running water in nature, and these fountains help encourage them to drink more by mimicking what they naturally attract.
Let’s be honest, many of these fountains are pretty much the same. I looked especially for the overall design—I’m a fan of stainless steel because of its potential to shelter porous plastic Harmful bacteria. I favor a wide reservoir without high sides to help reduce the chance Trembling fatigue. I prefer fountains that have a small basin of water available at all times, in case of low water levels or power failures. I considered ease of set up, refilling and cleaning as well as the overall design. And of course, there were some that my cats took to right away and some they didn’t seem to like as much.
I used each of these for a week as my cats main water source. As mentioned, I noted ease of set up, evaluated parts and filters, and generally compared different types of water fountains—spigot, bubbler, or waterfall. Some of the flow was continuous and some was intermittent (my cats don’t like breaks). Cats can also be curious and want to play with the machine instead of drinking, so be sure to give them time and have another water source until they are fully adjusted to the new gadget.
