Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Pets > Cats
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 08-14-2009, 02:48 PM
 
Location: here and then there...!
947 posts, read 3,399,697 times
Reputation: 597

Advertisements

I have a drinkwell, though I set it up once and cleaned it and now have not set it back up. My kitties never drink water, sounds funny but they get their moisture from their food, wet food w added water, of course I leave water always out but only once in a great while do they drink from a water dish. I will be moving in a couples months, so I will use it again but I do have a couples questions about it...
How often do you need to replace the filter?
Can you use tap water or is it better for the filter and our pets to use a filtered/premium water first?
My water is really hard here and even if I leave tap water in a glass for a day the deposits stick to the glass/bowl or whatever, bad!
That is neat that kitties like to pplay in it, but then does it trap hair all in the unit?
Silly kitties!!!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 08-14-2009, 03:00 PM
 
Location: California
10,090 posts, read 42,281,429 times
Reputation: 22173
If you read the directions...you don't actually even need the filter. Although, I use one. I clean all of ours once a week and usually rinse out the filters...replace them once every 3 months or so.
Every single one of my cats are long haired, so I have to remove and clean that little gated looking piece at the water line in front where the water flows through, or else it will really clog. My guys love to stick their heads and paws into the running stream.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-14-2009, 09:47 PM
 
Location: Indianapolis, IN
914 posts, read 4,434,343 times
Reputation: 854
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShelbyGirl1 View Post
I prefer Drinkwells. The older versions (the Original) was a bear to clean! But the newer models, re the Platnium, is much easier.
This has been my experience as well.

I am very glad I have invested in a fountain (well, fountains ) for my cat. She drinks much more regularly now than she ever did. But you do have to make sure you clean it regularly.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-14-2009, 11:52 PM
 
Location: Palm Coast, FL & Floral Park, NY
563 posts, read 2,563,572 times
Reputation: 235
Another vote for the drinkwells.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2009, 12:15 AM
 
Location: here and then there...!
947 posts, read 3,399,697 times
Reputation: 597
Ok.
But do you guys use filtered water that you fill the waterer with or just tap water? My water is so hard here, maybe I should use the filter too, with filtered water too...?
That is cute that kitties think it is fun to play in it but then more hair to clean out...!
I think I will pull mine out and set it up before I move, maybe they will take to it and drink water!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2009, 06:11 AM
 
Location: California
10,090 posts, read 42,281,429 times
Reputation: 22173
I use just regular ole tap water....so far, no complaints!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2009, 11:21 AM
 
Location: Ocean Shores, WA
5,092 posts, read 14,781,223 times
Reputation: 10865
I gave up on the fountain because it was too much trouble to keep the water clean.

Food particles that fall off the cat's faces, along with saliva from their mouths, turn the water into a bacteria soup.
The filter can not remove bacteria and associated toxic growth.

To insure that the water is clean and healthy, it should be changed and the bowl rinsed out every few hours.

I have seen people with fountains just add water to the reservoir and only clean the filter and bowl every couple of weeks.
If the whole unit is not cleaned, when water is added it is instantly contaminated.

This would be like drinking from a glass of water, dribbling backwash from your mouth into it, leaving it out and exposed, and just topping off the glass so you could continually drink from it without dumping out the remainder or washing the glass.

I wouldn't do that, and I don't want my cats to do it either.

It's just a lot easier to give them water in a bowl and to dump and refill it whenever I see that they had dropped stuff into it.
I do this probably four or five times a day.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2009, 03:57 PM
 
Location: Colorado
4,306 posts, read 13,430,944 times
Reputation: 4476
Well, I bought the Drinkwell 360, set it up, plugged it in and I think we can safely say it is a thorough and unmitigated . . . failure . The cats won't go anywhere near it. I don't know if it's the motor or the extremely unpleasant smell coming from (I assume) the filter, but they hate it.

I'll give it another 24 hours but if they won't drink from it I'm taking it back. No point in spending all that money on something they won't even use.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2009, 04:05 PM
 
Location: California
10,090 posts, read 42,281,429 times
Reputation: 22173
Quote:
Originally Posted by chilaili View Post
Well, I bought the Drinkwell 360, set it up, plugged it in and I think we can safely say it is a thorough and unmitigated . . . failure . The cats won't go anywhere near it. I don't know if it's the motor or the extremely unpleasant smell coming from (I assume) the filter, but they hate it.

I'll give it another 24 hours but if they won't drink from it I'm taking it back. No point in spending all that money on something they won't even use.
smell??????? Mine have never had a smell...I have no idea what that could be....I would take it back no matter what! Wonder if it had already been returned and had some mildew in it or something!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2009, 04:17 PM
 
Location: Colorado
4,306 posts, read 13,430,944 times
Reputation: 4476
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShelbyGirl1 View Post
smell??????? Mine have never had a smell...I have no idea what that could be....I would take it back no matter what! Wonder if it had already been returned and had some mildew in it or something!
It doesn't smell mildewy. It's smells almost metallic, acrid. Anyway, looks like I'll just have to stick with the running tap or try one of the Catit models.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Pets > Cats
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top