Robbins and colleagues’ small controlled trial detected no significant difference in water intake among 14 laboratory cats.1 In Grant’s controlled trial with 12 household cats, an intake difference was no longer significant after a sensitivity check.2 International Cat Care includes fountains as one of several ways to offer water.3 You may find cat water fountains worth it if your cat uses the extra drinking spot and you’re willing to take the unit apart for regular washing.
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Water intake measurements from fountains and bowls
The 14 healthy laboratory cats in Robbins and colleagues’ trial, which received company funding, were housed individually and fed dry food, with each receiving standing, free-falling, and circulating water in turn.1 Each bowl condition began with seven days of adjustment, followed by 14 consecutive days of measurement. Neither water intake nor urine volume differed significantly among the three bowl types.
Grant’s trial compared a fountain donated by a company with a regular bowl in 12 indoor household cats living without other pets; owners measured water at home.2 The fountain adjustment period lasted seven days, and measurement covered just two days per condition. In the main analysis, average water intake was higher during the fountain condition, a statistically significant difference. After Grant excluded one cat whose diet differed between conditions, that intake difference was no longer significant. The paper’s abstract states: “In this study, a fountain failed to substantially increase water intake and dilute urine in cats.”2
If your cat already drinks normally from a bowl, that bowl can stay in use. Put the purchase on hold while you consider the bowls you already fill and the washing you already fit into your week.
Your fountain adds washing to the household chores
International Cat Care calls for thorough washing inside the fountain on a regular basis and replacement of its filter.3
Before choosing a model, look for replacement pumps and filters. Search for the actual part, then check that its listing names the fountain you’re considering.
Listen to the pump before buying if you can; at night, you may hear it in a room after the other household sounds have stopped. Think about that sound during the hours you spend there. A brief daytime demonstration may be a poor preview of what you’ll notice while reading in bed.
Do cats need a water fountain?
Your cat can have water available in bowls without a fountain. VCA Animal Hospitals places fountains seventh in an eight-tip guide that also covers bowls in several locations, changes in placement, water temperature, and moisture in food.4
International Cat Care recommends at least one water bowl for each cat plus an extra, and at least one on every floor of your home.3 Count the bowls you have, then walk through the floors where your cat spends time. For a home with an upstairs landing, that means including an upstairs bowl in your count, alongside the water downstairs. An extra bowl is a straightforward place to start when your current setup puts all the water on one floor.
Cornell Feline Health Center advises providing water sources your cat can reach easily with no other pet blocking access, and suggests wet food or adding water to food.5 Watch the route to the bowl for another pet stretched across the approach.
Could a fountain be worth it for your cat?
Cats vary in their fountain preferences, Cornell Feline Health Center notes.5 In Robbins and colleagues’ trial, three of the 14 cats showed individual differences across bowl conditions, and the directions varied, without consistently favoring moving water.1
Place a fountain beside your cat’s existing water bowl as an additional drinking spot when you try one.
A cat owner fills the 3 L supply tank before using the HAPAW cat water fountain, then pours out water collected from the bowl and washes both tanks and the bowl. There are no replacement filters to buy. The 1.35 L collection tank fills before the supply tank runs out.
In the first few days, both drinking spots should contain water. Notice which one your cat walks toward after waking or finishing a meal. During your routine walk through the room, you can see where your cat stops to drink, at the bowl’s rim or the fountain’s spout.
Sources
- Robbins, M. T., et al. 2019. Quantified water intake in laboratory cats from still, free-falling and circulating water bowls, and its effects on selected urinary parameters. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 21(8), 682–690.
- Grant, D. C. 2010. Effect of water source on intake and urine concentration in healthy cats. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 12(6), 431–434.
- International Cat Care. 2024. Encouraging your cat to drink: a guide for caregivers.
- VCA Animal Hospitals. n.d. How to get your cat to drink more water.
- Cornell Feline Health Center. 2021. Hydration.
