I'm Gonna Need a New Cat Fountain

[easysurfer]

The cat fountain I have looks like the one in the picture.

I had two of them, but no more.

In back to back days, a plastic tab that secures the hood to the stainless steel bowl broke off. First day was from wear and tear with a broken tab.

Second day, my cats decided to go on a destructive tear on my backup. Broke off a tab similarly and killed the a pump by taking it out of the water.

A major flaw with cat fountains is that fountains aren't always cat proof .

 

[REWahoo]

I'm OK with water fountains, chocolate fountains and champagne fountains, but cat fountains sound incredibly cruel.

 

[RunningBum]

I couldn't get my cat to use her water fountain. But she sometimes likes when I let a slow stream run in the bath tub for her for a few minutes.

 

[easysurfer]

I have a love/hate relationship on whether fountains are the way to go.

I don't mind the work of setting up/taking apart and cleaning.

Cats do seem to drink more and nice not having to constantly change the water bowl.

The biggest obstacle is the cats like to play and destroy. Play like at time tossing things in to see what happens and chew up the cord.

 

[gerntz]

Does it run on solar power?

 

[Amethyst]

I had cats for years, and before then I grew up in a household with several cats.

We never used water bowls on the floor - too easy for humans to knock over (also, the cats always got food in them). Instead, the cats had small drinking glasses on the bathroom vanity. (Yes, they were allowed up there - it's a bathroom, not a kitchen counter). The glasses were always kept filled - I often came upon a kitty taking a drink, and would freshen the water for her from the tap, which kitty seemed to appreciate.

 

[badatmath]

Instead, the cats had small drinking glasses on the bathroom vanity. (Yes, they were allowed up there - it's a bathroom, not a kitchen counter). The glasses were always kept filled - I often came upon a kitty taking a drink, and would freshen the water for her from the tap, which kitty seemed to appreciate.

That is adorable. I learned (somewhere?) cats prefer their water and food in separate locations. Something to do with contamination . But I have had mine separate ever since.

 

[Amethyst]

I've read that, too, although I think a cat will get used to whatever setup it has to use. If there is no water available elsewhere, it will use the bowl on the floor (I suppose a cat with a really long reach might do the canine thing, and use the toilet!) But every cat I've lived with, has eaten meals on the floor yet loved being up high when he or she is drinking. And of course, they enjoy being "waited on" by humans! Who doesn't?

That is adorable. I learned (somewhere?) cats prefer their water and food in separate locations. Something to do with contamination . But I have had mine separate ever since.

 

[cranberryjoe]

Yes, cats seem to prefer water and food in separate places. We have a fountain, plus a few bowls around the house. They all get used.


We like the PetSafe DrinkWell ceramic water fountain. Much easier to clean and more robust than whatever plastic thing we used prior.

 

[omni550]

In back to back days, a plastic tab that secures the hood to the stainless steel bowl broke off. First day was from wear and tear with a broken tab.

Second day, my cats decided to go on a destructive tear on my backup. Broke off a tab similarly and killed the a pump by taking it out of the water.

.

I just learned about a great way to fix broken plastic, and it's cheap! Super glue and baking powder. There are several youtube videos on this. Here's a couple

I tried this today on a vintage Sewing machine (friction fit steel shaft running through a plastic tab on stitch length controller where the tab developed a crack and the stitch length would not 'hold' its setting). It worked like a charm!

omni

 

[strobot]

We switched our two cats to a raw meat diet a few years ago, and an unintended side-effect is that they completely stopped drinking water. We asked the vet if this is normal, and he told us that cats (big cats and little alike) usually only drink water when they are hungry or dehydrated; it is completely normal for them to get all their liquid/water from their food. It's been a few years now and they still don't touch their water, except to occasionally splash around in it and play. Took them to the vet a few months ago for a check up and the doc said they are "super healthy cats"!

I only say this because it was a side-effect, and water bowls/fountains is something we don't have to worry about. Also, added benefit, their #2's changed too! They don't even smell anymore! It's the craziest thing.

 

[Amethyst]

Sounds like treating your cats like the pure carnivores they are, is paying off. Congratulations! (I admit to a little skepticism about odorless BMs, though).

We switched our two cats to a raw meat diet a few years ago, and an unintended side-effect is that they completely stopped drinking water. We asked the vet if this is normal, and he told us that cats (big cats and little alike) usually only drink water when they are hungry or dehydrated; it is completely normal for them to get all their liquid/water from their food. It's been a few years now and they still don't touch their water, except to occasionally splash around in it and play. Took them to the vet a few months ago for a check up and the doc said they are "super healthy cats"!

I only say this because it was a side-effect, and water bowls/fountains is something we don't have to worry about. Also, added benefit, their #2's changed too! They don't even smell anymore! It's the craziest thing.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

...cats (big cats and little alike) usually only drink water when they are hungry or dehydrated; it is completely normal for them to get all their liquid/water from their food.

Our vet told us that cats were originally desert animals and said essentially the same thing, if they are fed wet food. We have a drinkwell plastic fountain but our little fellow completely ignored it in favor of his water dish, so we packed it up and put it aside for eventual donation. It was a bit of a PITA to clean although it was easier when I finally "blew the dough" to get the set of cleaning brushes made for it. I hadn't been disassembling the little pump like I should have and when I did I was in for a shock. Hmmm, maybe that's why he won't touch it.

 

[Badger]

I tried a number of different cat fountains over the years and none of the cats either past or present ever liked to use them and they were a pain in the neck to keep clean from the slime build up that occurred every few days. Then there were the charcoal filters that need frequent replacing. Finally quit because it got too expensive for no results. I do have 4 large (holds at least 1.5 qts) ironstone ceramic bowls I threw on the wheel that they use although one prefers to drink out of the bathroom faucet. Those are much easier to clean and refresh every couple of days.



Cheers!

 

[easysurfer]

I just learned about a great way to fix broken plastic, and it's cheap! Super glue and baking powder. There are several youtube videos on this. Here's a couple

I tried this today on a vintage Sewing machine (friction fit steel shaft running through a plastic tab on stitch length controller where the tab developed a crack and the stitch length would not 'hold' its setting). It worked like a charm!

omni

Thanks for the tip. That superglue and baking powder combo looks it may have worked with the broken plastic cat fountain hood as one of the breaks was very similar.

Unfortunately, I've already cut my losses and tossed out the plastic hoods so can't try the trick.

Glad that the trick worked for your sewing machine tab. I'll have to remember for next time.