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One could argue that sprinklers, especially filter, self-pumping, aerators, are intended only for the highest level of pet maintenance. Well, my house definitely has high-maintenance pets.
Our indoor cat requires fresh water to flow from the tap 24/7. The times my Shiba Inu drink water indoors are when he’s desperate (and he won’t drink outside unless it’s from water fountain for dogs). Of the water bowls I have, our older puppy will drink it all in one sitting, making refilling a crouching chore.
So naturally a fountain that can provide fresh, cool water sounds like a nice upgrade from small stainless steel bowls. We also hypothesize that The fountain will encourage more drinking in our household.
To make sure we found a fountain that met all three of our pet’s needs, we searched for a fountain that was:
- quiet for our sensitive cats
- Easy to clean without special tools
- cascading for pets of different heights
- Can filter out pet hair and dirt
We finally arrived at the Blue Himalayan PetSafe Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain. While there are other multi-tiered fountains, Petsafe’s Pagoda Fountain is ceramic and dishwasher safe – and comes in a variety of colors to match our homes.
PetSafe Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain — Key Features
The Temple fountain, which holds about 70 ounces of water, isn’t the Drinkwell brand’s only multi-tiered fountain. we Reviewed Multi-Level Pet Fountain as a more affordable alternative. Like the Multi-Stage Pet Fountain, the Pagoda Fountain has:
- a deluxe dish
- a carbon filter
- a low voltage pump
- noise around running water
The basic difference between Pagoda fountain and other multi-tiered fountains is the ceramic material and open concept design. The top floor has two free-falling streams facing each other, so pets don’t have to congregate and drink water from the same stream. The heavy ceramic material is easy to wipe clean with a paper towel or cloth.
Petsafe Drinkwell Pagoda fountain, made of ceramic. Christal Yuen’s photo
Our dog loves to drink from the fountain in the temple
Assembled and clean: 8/10
Once assembled, the Temple Fountain is very easy to put together. It took my partner less than ten minutes to set up the fountain according to the instructions. The cord is long enough that you can place the fountain anywhere you want.
Cleaning the fountain is also simple, although the bulky machine can be an inconvenience. If full, the fountain will be heavy to carry and can easily take up space in your sink and dishwasher. (We have a smaller sink and dishwasher – so we often have to plan when to wash the fountain.)
Close-up of Drinkwell Pagoda Fountain. Christal Yuen’s photo
If it’s not easy for you to change the filter every two to four weeks, this fountain might rank lower for you in terms of assembleability and cleanliness.
I love seeing pet hair and debris also stand out against the white ceramic background. It makes me feel confident that the filter is doing its job and also allows me to note when to clean the fountain.
Note: We keep a mat under the fountain because our Samoyed puppy has water all over the place. However, the area was still clean and didn’t get wet when our senior Shiba drank from it.
Noise level: 7.5 / 10
Once set up, we noticed that the fountain could be heard from the kitchen to the living room (about 20 feet away). The Pagoda Fountain is certainly not a silent fountain, but we found the noise relaxing, in a babbling way.
If anything, my partner and I appreciate the noise, as it informs us of the water level. Whenever the fountain made a whirring sound, we had to go fill it up – otherwise our puppy would bark at us too.
Pet reaction: 8/10
Our dogs were immediately taken to the Fountain Pagoda. My Shiba Inu enjoys drinking from free-falling springs, while my puppy Samoyed happily fetches water from the top plate. In fact, we removed their water bowl the same day and didn’t worry about whether our dogs are drinking enough water are from.
Accio, 12 years old, drinks from the dish on top of the Temple Fountain. Christal Yuen’s photo
Depending on their fitness level, we pour water into the fountain anywhere from one to three times a day. Some nights, my Samoyed would wake us up so she could drink from the Temple fountain instead of the bowl in our room.
As for our cat… while the main reviews for this fountain seem to focus on feline use, our cat decided the Pagoda fountain wasn’t for her as soon as she She realized she had to share it. To win for the environment, we no longer feel obligated to keep the faucet running because of the Petsafe Pagoda Fountain. (And luckily, she didn’t decide to go on strike and risk it dehydrated cat.)
When reviewing the product page for the Pagoda fountain, I came across some sticker shocks. This fountain is more than double the price of your average multi-tiered fountain. What might shake us off buying this fountain is the ceramic material (easier to clean and stays clean longer than plastic) and the color options. If aesthetics are important, the Pagoda fountain is sure to delight you and your pet.
Another outstanding feature is the two-tiered waterfall. These lines offer more appealing drinking opportunities. If you have multiple pets that enjoy drinking from waterfalls, this design allows them to drink at the same time. But if your pet doesn’t like sharing, an expensive, centralized fountain is probably not a smart choice.
Get the Temple fountain if you:
- wanted an open concept design to maximize shareability
- know many pets who want to drink water from waterfall
- want a heavy duty fountain that is also easy to clean
- love having a choice of colors
However, if convenience and cost-effectiveness are a priority, there are more accessible options out there, such as Multi-tiered pet fountain. The Temple fountain, for example, holds only 70 ounces of water, and larger dogs will quickly drain it. This also makes the fountain less than ideal for large pets who may be home alone a lot, as no one will ever refill the fountain.
The filters also require fairly regular maintenance, with charcoal every two to four weeks and foam filters every four to eight weeks. If you are the type of person who likes to forget and forget, fountains with filters are not for you. However, if your cat or dog likes plain water, we found that you should try to add recurring reminders to your calendar.
Skip the Temple fountain if you:
- looking for a more affordable option
- need a fountain to hold more than 70 ounces
- don’t want to change the filter often
- Have a pet that is afraid to share?
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