Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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102 of 102 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but could easily be better, August 28, 2006
My aging cat, like many others, needs to be encouraged to drink as much as possible. I read lots of reviews for cat fountains, and decided on this one (there are basically two other options that I know about.)
I have a pergo floor that isn't impervious to water, so I varnished a thin 2'x2' piece of plywood to set the fountain on, to catch any random splashes.
Maisie wasn't sure about the thing at first, though maybe the smell of the varnish was putting her off. After a few days she has taken to it fine. I don't know if she LOVEs it, as other owners have seen, but she does use it, which is all I could reasonably expect.
Good:
- It is quiet. The motor is virtually inaudible. I don't know why some other people complain about the humming or buzzing noise. I don't hear a thing, and mine is sitting on a hard floor (on top of a sheet of 1/16" plywood.) It can make a trickling water sound at the high setting, but apparently some people like the sound, and anyway turning down the flow almost eliminates it.
- It holds a fair amount of water. I don't have to worry about it going dry every few days as I did with the old water bowl. So Maisie always has water to drink.
- Doesn't splash water everywhere. In fact it doesn't splash at all. The water has a landing ramp that lets it down easy.
- Stable, not easy to tip over.
Not so good:
- It does need to be refilled every few days, not because it will run out of water, but because the impeller pump requires a fair amount of water so it doesn't run dry. It complains if the water level falls below the top of the intake in the bowl, which is maybe 1/2" above the floor of the bowl. It becomes noisier, making a sucking, thrumming sound, since it is pulling in air as well as water. If the water level falls below that, the pump will run dry and possibly burn out, and that can happen while there is still water in the bowl. But I would rather the motor burn out than have the water run out, which was the danger with the old water bowl. The large add-on reservoir might be a good idea.
- It isn't that easy to clean. I clean mine every week or so, which is often enough, it appears. It doesn't take me 30 minutes as it does another reviewer, more like 10. I don't have the problem with cat hair (I brush Maisie twice a day) but I do get a bit of brown or pink slime (just as I did with the water bowl.) That is anaerobic bacteria, just like you get on the lower edge of your shower curtain, and it isn't dangerous to your cat. But it is icky.
The fountain was designed with absolutely no thought to making it easy to clean. There are several nooks and cranies that are hard to reach and would have been easy to eliminate. For example, in the water reservoir there is a deep, round cavity about 1/2" in diameter and about 4" deep, closed at the bottom. It serves no purpose other than to align the reservoir assembly with the base, and it is continuously filled with water. To clean it well requires something like a test tube brush (long thin round brush with bristles on the end.)
So instead of cleaning it with a brush, I am experimenting with simply rinsing it with white vinegar, which should kill most of the bacteria, and unlike dishwasher detergent or spray cleaners, it leaves no residue and especially, no odor (once it is rinsed away.)
Or I will just use the dishwasher. The fountain is top-shelf safe, but a different plastic would have made it anywhere-safe. Also, it would be hard to position it so that it won't collect dishwasher water (with little bits of coffe grounds, etc.) somewhere inside.
For those reasons, I give it four stars. The filter, by the way, is nice, but it is quite thin, and I don't know that it does very much. Nor do I know if it is really necessary. It is supposed to remove tastes and odors, but there wouldn't be much in tap water, and Maisie certainly doesn't mind when she drinks from the faucet. Also, it filters water that has already passed through the pump. It would have made more sense to put a screen or filter in the water flow in front of the pump where it can keep hair out of the impeller.
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140 of 143 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not noisy, but clogs easily, May 16, 2005
Some of the negative reviews indicate that the Drinkwell is noisy. The truth is, it's only noisy if it doesn't have enough water or if the intake valve is clogged (which so far hasn't caused the pump to burn out for me). There's a slight hum from the pump when it's working correctly, but it will be much quieter than the other appliances in your kitchen.
Cat hair and cat food can both clog the intake. So to keep it in top condition, check the water level once every day or two (or get the add-on reservoir), place the Drinkwell several paces away from the food dish (so your cats aren't tempted to moisten their food with it), and break down and clean the Drinkwell regularly, perhaps once a month when you change the filter cartridge.
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101 of 107 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Product - With Just A Little Maintence. My Catz Love it!!, July 8, 2005
Every cat owner knows their pet(s) must drink plenty of water for good health. Fresh water is as necessary to your cat's well being as good, nutritious cat food. My two certainly drink lots of water - especially in hot weather. However, stagnate water in bowls loses its freshness fast. It also accumulates cat hairs, dust and debris - not very appetizing. Drinkwell Pet Fountain for Cats encourages pets to drink all the water they need because there's always a supply of clean flowing water. Re-circulating water, with greater exposure to oxygen, provides fresh-tasting, cool, filtered water with lots of health benefits. Encouraging cats to drink more water helps ensure proper kidney function and may decrease the incidence of urinary disease.
The charcoal filter, which is a feature I really like, absorbs bad tastes and odors. The fountain has a six cup capacity, and you can purchase an additional six cup capacity with use of a refill accessory. The additional water supply is wonderful, especially if you go away for the weekend frequently.
The weather has been really warm, recently, in my neck of the woods. I bought my Drinkwell Fountain at the end of April and my cats, Dapple and Max, love it. I still change the water every two days or so, wash the water dish, and I check the water level daily - but that's me. Also, be sure to remove any pet hair that has accumulated near the intake propeller every few days. When the water level is kept above the intake valve, there is no noise except the soothing sound of flowing water.
The cats are also fascinated by the running water, and just hanging out by the water fountain encourages them to drink more. Who knows what they gossip about.
JANA
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