How To Choose The Best Cat Water Dispenser For Your Cat – CatTime
Cat water dispensers, especially the electric fountain variety, are handy appliances that help keep your cat hydrated and healthy. Most users say their furry friends are so attracted to the units that they consume two or three times the amount they were previously accustomed to drinking. Cat water dispensers are designed to require less maintenance than regular dishes and allow you to go on day-, or even week-long trips without worrying whether your kitten will suffer dehydration. Let's have a look at some of the best, and most affordable cat water dispensers available.
Best Choice
Very easy cleaning
Pros:
Unlike the cat water dispensers that use power, you will not have to go hunting for a wall outlet in order to use the PetSafe Healthy Pet Food and Water Station. There are three different sizes available to make the dish comfortable to use for different sizes and numbers of pets. It can even be converted to emit dry food. Because the bowl itself is made of stainless steel, it doesn’t cause the plastic allergies to which many cats are prone.
Cons:
The filter is purchased separately. Because the container isn’t completely transparent, it can be difficult to gauge the water level. It is tricky to fill. The tank is filled upside down and the bowl locks in place on top of it, then the whole thing is turned right-side up for your cat to use. Debris easily gets into the dish.
Best BPA-Free
Triple filtration system
Pros:
Cats are attracted to the bubbling of this electric cat water dispenser. Some little ones love the flower of the fountain so much that they sleep next to the unit as it hums outside the range of human hearing. The Veken Pet Water Fountain is well-built and tends to stay self-contained without splashing outside the bowl. Multiple cats can use the bowl at the same time. It’s good to wash these once a week, or when refilling.
Cons:
The power cord is the kind that doesn’t split in the middle, so it has to be disconnected from the wall each time you need to empty or clean the fountain. If the wall outlet is located in an inconvenient spot, this becomes difficult. Due to its height, this fountain is not suitable for kittens. Users report that pink bacterial slime builds up without weekly washing.
Best From Stainless Steel
Noise-canceling, easy to assemble
Pros:
The fountain’s bowl is illuminated by internal blue lighting. It comes with a stainless-steel bowl instead of a plastic one, which discourages mold growth. It also ships with three charcoal filters. There is a small window with a view to the tank so that you can easily tell when the water is low. It is easy to clean and reassemble. The flower can be removed if your furballs prefer, so that the fountain just bubbles instead.
Cons:
The indicator light that’s meant to let you know when the water is getting low does not always work. Some pets find it difficult to acquaint themselves with the bowl and are unable to drink from the metal dish. There are holes in it for perfect circulation.
Best Automatic
Low consumption pump
Pros:
This fountain is great news for cats who like to drink out of a bowl. It has a wide perimeter built in that allows cats to lap as much as they like while those who prefer can sip from the fountain. To the joy of users, the motor is ultra-quiet. Like the above mentioned product, the Beacon Pet Water Fountain is also lit by a blue light, but it is made of plastic, not steel. It comes with a cute silicone mat, too.
Cons:
Like most electrical cat water dispensers, this one also ramps up the noise when it is time to be refilled; however, it is nothing major. Most pet parents just say they hear a sound like a waterfall when it is time to top up the tank.
Best Easy-to-Clean
3 different flow designs
Pros:
If you’re replacing an older cat water dispenser, you’ll notice that this model is pretty standard in appearance as far as electric pet fountains go. It is cylindrical, and the water recycles continuously, being pumped from the fountain into the drain and back again. It differs in that it is much easier than others to clean and refill. The flow is gentle, and it uses a charcoal filtration system. It has a comforting blue LED light, and the flower detaches.
Cons:
There are three different ways to use the unit, with or without the flower and also the bubbling action. However, there is no way to control the strength of the water flow. If the tank dips below half, the fountain will start ticking or you’ll hear the sound of rushing water.
What Really Matters
Keeping Dry
It is important that your cat’s first experience with the cat water dispenser is positive, not wet. Getting splashed with water on the first attempt to drink might make your furry friend averse to using the appliance altogether. It’s a good idea to start off with the lowest flow setting until the cat gets adjusted to the fountain. Later on, you can increase the flow of the stream, depending on how many cats you have and what their preferences are.
Appearance
Can you stand to look at the unit you’ve chosen day in and day out? As you’re searching online, don’t get sucked in by the cute little cat that’s in the picture. Have a close look at how the device appears so you don’t end up stashing it away or giving it as a gift because you can’t bear the sight of it.
Consider what you’re purchasing well to make sure it will look good in the room in which you plan to put it. If interior decor is important to you, cat water dispensers that are constructed from natural materials tend to blend in with their surroundings better than a plastic unit–that is, unless your style is modernistic.
Size
Many brands of non-electrical cat water dispensers are available in more than one size, so it’s only a matter of matching the size of the tank to the number of pets that will drink from the unit. Fountains, on the other hand, recycle the water. They should be refilled when your pets drink enough to empty the tank to the halfway point. For some families, that means every two weeks, others have to maintain the unit every other day. So, there might be trial and error before the mechanism is as maintenance-free as you’d like it to be.
What’s in Right Now
Although costly, class-A cat water dispensers that are made of steel or ceramic are immensely popular. They blend into different settings well. If you’re into interior decoration, you have likely spent hundreds or even thousands of dollars getting the rooms of your home to look exactly the way you want them. Why ruin your efforts? It might be worth it to spend more and get a nice-looking unit. The cheaper varieties usually look like cute, colorful little crockpots. Your choice will depend on what you like, and on how much appearance matters to you.
Prices
Expensive: $50 – $100. Cat water dispensers made of natural materials like ceramic or steel are much more expensive than their plastic counterparts. They hold up to a gallon of water.
Mid-Range: $20 – $50. Plastic fountains are in this category, and they vary in quality, shape, and color. These generally only hold up to eighty ounces.
Cheap: $7 – $20. Here you will find non-electrical units that use gravity instead of electricity to replenish the water for your cat. These sizes hold up to one gallon.
FAQs
Do cat water dispensers purify tap water?
It depends on the model. The least that a cat water dispenser will contain is a foam or sponge filter to remove hair and dirt. Even gravity-based units have a basic strainer made of similar materials. On better models, charcoal and cotton cartridges are used to purify the water in a similar manner that purification pitchers work for human consumption. One can fill in the isYoung Pet Fountain, for instance, from the tap and rest assured that the pet is receiving fewer contaminants. Of course, the purity of tap water depends on where you live and, naturally, a cat water dispenser is not going to work as well as a Brita filter.
How do I get my cat to switch from the bathroom sink to the cat water dispenser?
In theory, the easiest way is to keep the bathroom door closed. Using this method is also the quickest way to get your cat to remain outside the bathroom door, meowing you to death. Here are a few tips to make the transition.
The first thing is to go slowly. If it is a fountain with a dish, it should not be powered on. Because the pump will make some noise, no matter how quietly. If the cat is introduced to the appliance while it is on, they may become afraid of it. Bring the cat close to it and dip your finger into the water to show them what’s inside. Scratch the cat’s forehead with your wet finger. If they take a sip, reward them with a cat treat. Do this a few times for a day or so before turning the fountain on to the lowest setting.
Once the cat has become accustomed to drinking from the cat water dispenser, it will be a small step for them to drink while the fountain makes a little noise on higher settings. Cats enjoy the sound of splashing water, and the attraction might even overcome any fear they have of the whir of the motor, if it’s audible. Make sure to reward your cat after each drink, even if they only take a few sips. Do not try to force your furry pet to use the fountain by taking away the other dish–at least not until they prefer the fountain. Please do not punish your cat for not liking the cat water dispenser. Eventually, curiosity will take over and the novelty of the moving water should draw the cat’s attention.
What is the best place to put the water dispenser for cats?
The cat water dispenser should be located in your kitty’s favorite area for lounging or sleeping. The idea is to make the fountain as attractive as possible. Don’t put it somewhere the cat never likes to be. Keep in mind, too, that some cats are not fond of having the unit located near their food dish.
If you are concerned about a baby coming into contact with the dispenser, the dish can be stored atop a small table. The cat will also like the feeling of distinction they get from having the dish located off of the floor. If multiple pets will be using the same unit, the floor might be the only alternative. You might have to keep the baby away, instead.
What color water dispenser will my cat like?
Your cat can see colors like blue and yellow in muted shades. Other colors will appear in grayscale, so don’t expect colors like pink or purple to ring any special bells.
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