Do you own a kitten or cat? Getting dirty looks from your feline friend when you refill their water bowl? Does your cat prefer drinking from the shower or puddles rather than their bowl?
These can all be situations where you may have to think, or rethink, your cat’s water situation.
Cats are notoriously fussy. You’ll often get dirty looks or little protests for the smallest reason and water is one of them.
While we know you shouldn’t pander to their every whim, you want to make sure your cat is happy, so perhaps it’s time to look at their water.
You generally have two options when providing water to cats. Use a water bowl and refill it every morning or use a pet fountain.
The decision may initially seem a simple one, but consider the situation from the cat’s perspective and you’ll see it isn’t quite so cut and dried.
Cats and drinking water
First, let’s set the scene. Cats originally came from the deserts of north Africa. Water was scarce and most animals derived moisture from the fresh food they ate.
It’s believed that cats originally got around 70% of their daily moisture needs from fresh meat, which is a lot.
That means cats aren’t naturally drawn to water like many other animals are so they tend to not drink very much.
Vets believe that the vast majority of domestic cats don’t drink enough. While most cats manage okay, some can suffer illness as a result of not drinking sufficient water.
If you feed your cat wet food from tins or pouches, you’ll provide at least some of that moisture. If you feed your cat dry food, you won’t.
Either way, we need to make sure our feline companions are encouraged as much as possible to drink.
We use the word encourage purposely. If you have ever tried to make your cat do something they don’t want to, you’ll know ‘encourage’ is the only way to go!
Which is where the key question comes in. Do you use a simple water bowl or invest in a cat water fountain?
Cat water bowl
Whether you buy a dedicated bowl with a nice picture of a cat or use an old breakfast bowl you no longer use, they are cheap and simple.
But, some cats, are fussy about drinking from a bowl.
There’s no movement or action to attract their attention and there’s nothing to encourage them to drink.
Pros of cat water bowls
- Cheap and readily available
- Easy to clean
- Easy to monitor and refill
- Low or no maintenance
Cons of cat water bowls
- Cats don’t like standing water
- Some cats don’t like their whiskers touching the edge of the bowl
- Needs to be cleaned thoroughly to keep it safe
- Not attractive to cats
Cat water fountain
A cat water fountain is a small, self-contained device with a water bowl and pump mechanism that keeps water flowing around it.
All animals, humans included, are naturally drawn to running water. A cat water fountain delivers that.
A pet water fountain designed by Closer Pets brings together 35 years of experience to bring you the best, tried and tested cat water fountains on the market today.Our pet fountains have specially designed polymer-carbon filter cartridges that trap dirt, fur and any other nasties.
Pros of cat water fountains
- All animals prefer running water
- Movement attracts cat’s attention, hopefully encouraging them to drink
- Fountains with activated carbon filters removes chlorine and unpleasant odours from your tap water, therefore improving the taste and even the smell for your pets’ sensitive noses.
- Can help keep water cool
Cons of cat water fountains
- Slightly more expensive than a water bowl
- Requires mains or battery power
- Slight maintenance requirement
Cat water bowl vs cat water fountain
On the surface, using a water bowl for a cat to drink from is the logical choice. A bowl is cheap, every home has them, you can refill and clean them quickly and life is good.
Or is it?
If cats much prefer moving water to standing water, how will a water bowl help them drink? How are we living up to our responsibility to keep our friends happy and healthy without water?
That’s why we consider the cat drinking fountain the logical choice.
Yes, it’s not as simple or as cheap as a water bowl. But it delivers exactly what all cats need. Fresh flowing water that tickles that part of the brain that draws all animals to it.
If anything can help encourage our fur babies to drink more, it’s that!