Customer Reviews

Drinkwell Aqua Garden

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

We got these cartridges along with our fountain and set the whole thing up at once. Very nice looking, very easy to attach and a very clever design overall.
We didn't have the problem with the attachments coming off like some other reviewers, it seemed to clip on pretty firmly, but being made of plastic I can see how results may vary.

The only problem I've noticed with these is that the cats seem to tear the grass apart before it has a chance to really grow. Because of this I would recommend allowing the grass to start growing in a water bowl or something out of kitties reach before attaching it to their water dish.

There's no disputing the fact that our cats (well the closet vegetarian at least) love the grass, but it's just turned into a kind of shredded mess of green chunks all over the place rather than the nice growth that you see in the picture.

I'll definitely keep getting them for the cats, it's helped save some of our other house plants fram the terrible jaws of our vegetarian cat. But I think some experimentation and a bit more care is necessary to get the desired results out of these things.

I bought this almost 2 weeks ago. it took a couple of days for the seeds to sprout but when they did it didnt take long for the grass to grow very tall. A couple of things i noticed though. First when the grass was tall enough my cat pulled out the seed pod and i found it on the ground. I dont know if i didnt push it down far enough so that it clipped but she did it a couple of times. Anyways i have pushed it down with the roots and it is holding. The next day i found a trail of red ants going for it. I guess wheat grass is just as appealing to bugs as it is to cats!. I cleaned the area with soap and moved the dish but im going to pay extra attention for bugs. The other thing is that you will be pulling out floating grass every now and then. All in all though my cat loves it which was the reason why i got it. Whenever i see her go by she munches on it and i think it should last hopefully another week. If the bugs find it again i might move it to the 2nd floor or just buy potted wheat grass. Not bad though and depending on how it ends up i might by it again.

This did grow some blades of grass on the side of the water dish, but the water became foamy and needed to be totally changed more frequently. I think that the idea of having the Drinkwell Pet Fountain is to encourage your cat to drink, but my cat wasn't drinking as often when the foam started to appear. As other reviewers have stated, the sides of the bowl get slimy as well. The grass also grows slowly and needs a light source (something I didn't consider), which also would encourage algae to grow in your water dish. There aren't a lot of seeds in the pods, so you're really better off with a separate pot of grass for your cat than sticking it into his water dish - plus for the cost of the pods, you probably could buy a whole pot of grass instead of just a couple dozen strands of grass (and you don't have to wait for the grass to grow).

This is a mixed bag. First, I bought the first thing that came to sight in the store. A mistake, as it was a package of refills for the seeds (2 refills). This made it imperative that I find the holder (the item here). I did so. A then attached it to the side of my fountain (which the cats do not like--see my review of it). The grass started growing in about 3-4 days, and grew relatively quickly. So much so that the grass-loving cat went after it. He then pulled the whole attachment free of the fountain, dragging water all over the floor, and making a mess. I replaced it, and the cat removed it. The plastic hook that goes over the side of the fountain was simply too loose to hold in in place. After several attempts, I decided to try to glue the grass attachment in place, using Gorilla Glue. It is currently sitting and holding the attachment; it will take a matter of time and further experimentation to see if this device will function properly when I get it to hold into place like it should. If it does, I will be happy with it.

A note to explain the workings of the device to those who are confused. The "Garden" is as shown in the picture in two parts. The outer portion is made with a little plastic hook over the outer edge which is made to slip over the edge of the water fountain, the grass holding side hanging into the water. This hook is the source of the problems. It is not adjustable, and may or may not hook onto the fountain securely, or loosely. If it is too loose, the cat will pull the whole assembly out and away from the fountain onto the floor. There is then an inner tray which holds the seeds securely within a compartment, which is completely surrounded and the seeds cannot fall out. This fits securely within the outer attachment; in fact, it seems to be so secure, that I wonder what will happen when time comes to replace the seed bin. Especially if my glue holds the assembly in place, attached to the fountain.

Once the "bugs" are worked out of the device, and its affixation to the side of the fountain is more secure, it will be a great addition to the fountain, and, if your cats like greenery, they will be very appreciative of your generosity.


Addendum, 3/24/10: The Gorilla Glue didn't work. The cat was stronger than it. So, it's no longer on the fountain. Maybe super glue?

This product came very quickly however I've already thrown it out. I was very disappointed. It doesn't clip onto the side very well, and once the grass starts growing, my cats want to eat it and it yanked out very easily. Another bad side effect is that it makes the water green and the sides all slimy. Great idea but fell flat. I'm so disappointed because one of my cats just loves eating grass and buying it at the pet store is so expensive.

I purchased one of these at the same time I purchased the Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain for my cat's 8th birthday. We hooked it up immediately to the fountain and within a few days we had some pretty impressive looking grass. The construction, design, and ease of use of this product is superb. However, there are some definite problems. Some of which can be attributed to the product itself and some depend upon the individual cat or cats that this product is intended for.

In our case, only one of our cats had anything at all to do with the grass and eating it was not it. He would simply pull it out of the plastic garden and would leave it lying either in the water itself or next to the fountain. Our other cat wouldn't even make the effort to even tear it out of the plastic garden. Now this particular issue was merely an individual choice for our cats.

The resulting problem that we had since the grass was only being pulled out and not eaten was the grass lying in the bottom of the fountain and making the water a bit slimy and discolored. When we were awake and saw the grass floating in the water we would immediately pull it out and throw it away. However, when we were sleeping the water would lie in the water for an extended period of time and would then discolor the water and make it a bit slimy.

If your cats will eat the grass and not leave it in the water, then I would have to recommend this product. However, if your cats are like mine and don't eat the grass, then I wouldn't recommend this product at all due to the fact that it makes a mess and creates unnecessary pollution in your cat's water.

Shawn Kovacich
100% Cat Lover

First of all, I'd like to start by saying that I purchased a Drinkwell Platinum bowl that came with the Aqua Garden clip. I had to purchase the Aqua Garden separately so I bought that and a 2 pk of seed refills. First things first. If you use the plastic clip that came with the fountain it should clip the garden FIRMLY in place... I have a LARGE not fat, housecat and he hasn't been able to budge it either intentionally or accidentally while "eating" the grass. Second, as soon as grass is tall enough, cats will start eating it. I'm at the stage where the grass looks like a lawnmower came and cut off all the tops at the same level... The other thing I'd like to mention to ANYONE buying this product. It's a PLANT... if you don't give it enough light, you'll have thin reedy yellowish plants. I have mine set up under a large table with a clip on lamp from walmart for $6.00 and bought a large PLANT BULB to produce the proper growing light. I put this above the bowl and in the morning, I turn on the light and turn it off at night. Let me tell you, a plant that get's enough of the right kind of light flourishes... my grass grows so fast that the cat has trouble keeping up with it.. and the grass is lusher, taller, VERY green.... So, if you're thinking of buying one of these, first check to see if your model supports the Aqua Garden, attach the garden as per all instructions, and install a plant light for the plants... you'll be happy you did.. oh, and by the way, the refill cartridges can be opened... any local seedhouse will carry BAGS of organic wheatgrass seed at a fraction of the cost you're paying here but you do need some empty cartridges... I've got the 1 that came with the garden, and bought a 2pk... now I have 3 cartridged I can fill myself and save some money!!!!!!

The first time the grass grew well, the second and third time I tried to grow the grass almost nothing grew. The biggest problem was the slime it created in the fountain. I had the hardest time trying to remove ALL of the slime -- it was everywhere. Had to take apart and clean the entire unit once a week. Needless to say, I won't be buying these again. Cheaper and easier to buy cat grass that does not grow in the Drinkwell.

I bought this to spare my houseplants. In theory, this product is great. The grass grew pretty quickly, but after several days I noticed long, white roots hanging down in the cat's bowl. It seemed like the roots and the seed casings from the grass made the water bowl very dirty & I noticed the water flow wasn't as quick as normal. When I went to change the water filter, it was much dirtier than usual. I was a little concerned about the cleanliness of the water, so I've stopped using this product. I will say that our cat is a Maine Coon & they are known to play in their water - so it's possible the cat was pulling on the grass or trying to bat at the seed pod & made a mess of things. But, if I were still using the product, I'd be checking and changing the filter regularly.

My cats love this item. My grass grew in a little over a week and keeps growing. It is a little loose on the side of the fountain and my cats like to take it out and drag it around with them (they seem a little upset when I pick it up and move it back to the fountain). I haven't had too much trouble with it messing up the water but I clean the fountain every other week and have the extra water bottle on the back. I also before attaching it popped of the top and redistributed the seeds since they were only in one compartment.

Over all a good buy.