Do Faucets Encourage Drinking Water for Cats – Are They Good for Cats?

If your kitten skips the water bowl, you’ve certainly had someone recommend a cat faucet to encourage healthy hydration. The sight and sound of bubbling, bubbling water is said to attract cats’ attention and motivate them to drink. But a cat fountain can be a bit of an investment, and it’s hard to tell if your quirky cat will enjoy it. Plus, what about your own preferences – how loud does the fountain make? And how much cleaning and maintenance do they require?

To get answers to these questions, we tested some of our own cat fountains, read numerous reviews, and spoke with veterinarian Dr. Bruce Kornreich, director of the Center for Wellness. healthy Cornell Feline.

How cat sprinklers work: Pros and cons

Kornreich says the average 10-pound cat needs about a cup of water a day (four ounces for every five pounds of body weight). “If you feed your cat wet food, a lot of water can be provided in the food,” he says, noting that most wet food is about 80 percent water.

But if your cat mainly eats dry food, they will depend on you to provide them with the water they need. That water could be from a bowl, from a bathroom faucet — or from a cat fountain.

Just what makes a cat fountain better a simple old water bowl?

Theoretically, a fountain should be more interesting to a cat’s senses than a bowl of water. In some fountains, water emerges from the high spout. Elsewhere, the water goes up through a bubbling and then down a slope into a “pond” at the base of the fountain. The movement of running water and the noise of the fountain are said to attract the attention of cats and encourage them to drink.

Daria Kulkova via iStock

Some have theorized that this speaks of a Instinctive preference for running waterCats’ wild ancestors would have been safer than standing puddles that could harbor dangerous bacteria.

There’s also the fact that the filter keeps debris out of the water, making it easier for fussy cats to avoid water bowls with pet hair or plants being tracked from the outside.

From a household point of view, a fountain may be more convenient than a basin of water. It needs cleaning less often than the water bowl, thanks to a replaceable charcoal filter that removes cat hair, food particles, and bits of dirt and debris in drinking water.

But cat fountains have some downsides.

Consider bubbling that attracts cats: with some fountains, splashes of water can be quite noisy. The water pump runs continuously as well. This shouldn’t be a problem if your fountain is in the basement, but if it’s near your bedroom, it can be very annoying. Our testers have found some fountains that quiet well and avoid crashes.

The famous Pioneer Pet Swan Cat drinking fountain mimics a faucet.

There is also maintenance to consider. Although a fountain needs cleaning less often than a bowl of unfiltered water, it needs frequent and elaborate cleaning to prevent biofilm from developing on the surface, and the process can be more intensive than the milder cleaning that a standard bowl requires. Consider buying a fountain that can be cleaned in the dishwasher instead of by hand.

Ultimately, a cat fountain is a working investment. The filter needs to be cleaned weekly and replaced once or twice a month. Replacement filters aren’t expensive, but buying more than a dozen filters per year adds to the overall cost of your fountain.

Different types of cat fountains

Cat fountains come in a number of different styles to suit different tastes — both yours and your cat’s.

Pioneer Pet’s stainless steel rain fountain is completely quiet.

Some fountains create quiet and low is their priority; they usually have a gentle pump and a ramp that allows the water to slide almost silently into the tub. The Pioneer Pet stainless steel rain fountainfor example, there is a pump that is virtually silent and has a small splash sound, like Our testers found out. It allows cats to drink from a bubbling stream or from a freshwater basin and is made of premium stainless steel that can be washed in your dishwasher.

There is also a cat fountain mimic the appeal of a bathroom faucet by putting a small jet of water in the basin. If you don’t mind the sound of splashing, one of the simplest and most attractive fountains is Pioneer Pet Swan Cat drinking fountain. It holds up to 80 ounces of water but doesn’t take up much space. This model is also dishwasher safe.

Then there are The fountain is designed for multiple cats or large pet families. They have a large capacity and are meant to reduce the clutter of the water bowl. The Drinkwell 360 . stainless steel pet fountain is a good example: it offers multiple water flows, an adjustable water flow, and a high capacity basin that can hold up to a gallon of water. Again, stainless steel is easy to clean and sanitize.

Drinkwell 360 stainless steel pet fountain is a good choice for families with many pets.

Haven’t seen the right fountain yet? You will find many more in Our review of 10 cat drinking fountainsFrom basic models to high-end ceramic fountains.

Are faucets good for cats? What does the experts say

The short answer is that it is difficult to generalize — Dr. Kornreich notes that there isn’t much research on the effectiveness of cat sprinklers. One very small study he read showed that cats will drink from the bowl as much as they drink from the fountain.

That said, there are plenty of pet parents who swear by them. Dr Kornreich adds: “I know an anecdote that some cats are fascinated by fountains. “There’s nothing wrong with fountains, and for individual cats, they can be beneficial.”

As for whether they’re a good investment, that depends on your family’s needs. Households with many pets can reduce in the amount of work required, as well as cat parents who are fussy with debris — both should refill the bowl themselves less often.

To keep things simple, Dr. Kornreich recommends choosing an easy-to-clean fountain. He likes models made of non-porous materials such as ceramic, glass, and stainless steel. He also suggests buying one that lets you adjust the water flow rate — some cats prefer a quieter, calmer stream.

And for those of us who used to have cats picking their noses in front of a new fountain, he has a little trick. “Adding a drop of tuna juice or low-sodium chicken broth to the water can help get them started,” he says.

BiancaGrueneberg via iStock

Final Verdict: Does Your Cat Need a Fountain?

Cat fountains are not the answer for every household. Your cat can do perfectly well with wet food or dry food and an easy-to-access water bowl. But if you’re concerned that your cat isn’t drinking enough water, we think you should try an inexpensive sprinkler or two to see if they spark your kitten’s interest.

We think you’ll love a fountain if:

• Your cat already loves drinking water from the faucet
• Do you have multiple cats sharing a water bowl or a large family of pets?
• Do you have a cat that is fussing with crumbs in their bowl?
• You don’t mind cleaning the fountain weekly and changing the filter every two or three weeks

You may want to use a bowl of water and/or wet food to stay hydrated if:

• Your cat tends to ignore new toys or gadgets
• Your cat loves wet food anyway
• Ordering and replacing fountain filters seems too much of a hassle

How do we choose?

The products described in this article have been selected through actual testing by Rover reviewers, checking customer reviews on various pet product websites, and interviewing experts. veterinary medicine. We rate cat fountains based on capacity, usability, noise level, and maintenance requirements. We also looked at feedback from our tough cats.

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