As seen with the rise of automatic litter boxes, automatic feeders, pet tracking, and now cat water fountains, technology has made it possible for us to keep a close eye on our pets and make sure they are taken care of without having to do much. of manual labor. A cat water source encourages the cat to drink more water, which helps with overall health. I have noticed an increase in my cat’s water consumption since switching to a water source. As a pet helicopter mom, I have become a fountain believer. While automatic fountains are better for your cat’s overall water consumption, they require more work and money. Instead of filling the bowl, this takes more elbow grease—but it’s worth it for your cat’s health. Along with regular refilling and cleaning, you should disassemble the fountain to clean all parts, including using a brush for the bowl and tube. You may need to disassemble the motor for deep cleaning due to mineral buildup. They also have different types of filtration cartridges in specific forms for brand fountains, which require you to buy and replace filters, usually monthly or more often. filter, and refill the water. Many also track how many times your pet drinks over the course of a day, week, and month to monitor your pet’s habits and track changes. A cat drinking more or less water than usual can be a good indicator that something is wrong with its health. See which ones are worth it. Check out related guides such as Best Automatic Feeders, Best Automatic Litter Boxes, Favorite Cool Cat Furniture, and Favorite Cat Toys, Litter Boxes, and More Feline Supplies. More than a dog person? We got you covered; See the Best Accessories and Tech Essentials for Your Guide Dog. Provides unlimited access to WIRED. Get the best-in-class reports that matter so much to your attention for only $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.AccordionItemContainerButtonCats sometimes struggle to consume enough water, which can lead to potentially fatal UTIs and blockages in male cats in particular. This is one of the reasons why vets go so far as to encourage owners to give their cats at least a wet food diet, as this helps them consume more moisture, especially since cats don’t drink as much water as dogs. Unlike dogs, cats are generally quite particular in their likes and dislikes, and cats can see stagnant water as potentially dangerous. (If the cat is in the wild, stagnant water has more potential for harmful bacteria). Cats prefer to move water in nature, and this fountain helps them drink more by mimicking what they naturally draw. Button Accordion Container Let’s be honest, a lot of these fountains look the same. I look mainly for the overall design-I’m a fiend for stainless steel because of the potential of porous plastic harboring harmful bacteria. I also like the wide reservoir without high sides to reduce the chance of whisker fatigue. I prefer a fountain that has a small basin reservoir of water available at all times, in case of low water level or power failure. I consider it easy to set up, refill, and clean, as well as the overall design. And of course, there are some that the cat takes right away, and some that they don’t like very much. As mentioned, I noted the ease of setup, evaluated parts and filters, and generally compared different types of fountains—spigot, bubbling, or waterfall. Some streams are continuous and some are intermittent (my cat doesn’t like intermittent). The cat may be interested and want to play the machine instead of drinking, so give it time and keep another water source until it adjusts to the new gadget.