Water bubbler for cats (food, hair, house, cheap)

[601halfdozen0theother]

Just wanted to share how happy I am that I recently bought a water bubbler for my 4 cats.

It was easy to put together and get going, and the cats started using it right away - they love to drink from the continuous stream of water. Also, since the water recyles, I'm not paying for water continously running out of the sink tap, which I used to do now and then. Guess I am paying for the electricity, though.

Excellent addition to the cat stuff, and it only was about $40 all told! I really recommend it to people with several cats.

[leanansidhex]

What brand and model did you purchase? Does it use a filter that needs to be replaced?

[=^..^=]

Originally Posted by 601halfdozen0theother

Excellent addition to the cat stuff, and it only was about $40 all told! I really recommend it to people with several cats.

Brevity snipped.

We had to return ours to PetsMart as our cats would not drink from it. They started drinking from the toilet bowl.

Can you get replacements for the small water pump when it burns out? These little pumps don't last forever.

[leanansidhex]

Originally Posted by =^..^=

Brevity snipped.
Can you get replacements for the small water pump when it burns out? These little pumps don't last forever.

I've had my fountain water bowl running for almost 3 years of continuous (24/7) use (minus 3 months) and the pump is fine.
How long Should a $40 water bowl last to make it cost effective?

[=^..^=]

Originally Posted by leanansidhex

I've had my fountain water bowl running for almost 3 years of continuous (24/7) use (minus 3 months) and the pump is fine.
How long Should a $40 water bowl last to make it cost effective?

That's the longest I ever heard of one lasting. My SD paid $60 for hers and it lasted about 18 months.

[leanansidhex]

When I clean the fountain, I open up the pump (it snaps open and closed) and remove any hair or food particles, maybe that makes a difference.

[601halfdozen0theother]

Ummm, I have a "Drinkwell Platinum". Recommended in Cat Fancy. Got a deal on it on Amazon. Yes, it has a filter that has to be replaced. Guess that will add up over time. But, even so, and even if it poops out after a couple of years, it's still worth it because my cats are enjoying drinking from that running stream.

Originally Posted by leanansidhex

When I clean the fountain, I open up the pump (it snaps open and closed) and remove any hair or food particles, maybe that makes a difference.

Thanks for that great advice, I'll be sure to do that!

[greg42]

The filter is optional on the Drinkwell Platinum, just FYI. I stopped using them a while ago because I filter the water before putting it in there so it seemed redundant. The one for the fountain (true of most fountains) is just a charcoal filter so it's not going to really remove any impurities or anything. You need to clean the fountain parts regularly whether you use the filters or not so it seems like a cost you can just give up if you want.

The motors on mine (I have two, because we bought a second one for the other cat, and now I rotate them in and out of use) have lasted a good 4 years or thereabouts, although I suppose most of that time they have only been in use half the time, but I think one may be having an issue so I'm about to order some parts. Drinkwell has been bought by PetSafe and they do still offer replacement parts. Buying a new pump is only about 1/4 the cost of buying a whole new fountain, and the plastic parts mostly don't go bad (although I did break one of the plastic prefilter things, but you can buy those too).

[ParallelJJCat]

I really wanted one because Robin gets frequent UTIs and needs to drink more to keep her system flushed. We tried twice, and both times within a few weeks found little black bugs swimming in the water. They didn't look like 'water bugs' (no flippers) but like tiny black beetles. I've never seen them anyone else in the house but in the bubbler system.

[SorryIMovedBack]

I bought an original Drinkwell first, in 2002. And got the clip-on water bottle for it. But one of my cats developed a fascination with banging on the water bottle until he knocked it off, spilling water everywhere. i still have it, but packed in a box. haha

So, I went with the smaller Pet Mate, then bought a larger one. I've had some pumps last a long time, and some maybe only 6 months of running continuously. The last replacement pumps I bought were the cheapest price I could find on Amazon.com. They don't have the rate adjustment; they just run at top speed all the time. I found that didn't cause any problem with overflowing either my small or large fountain, but some reviews I read said that they had to devise a flow restriction disk and stuff it into the pump to throttle back the flow rate. There's a writeup on that in one of the reviews on Amazon.

I don't use those filters. I think they are just something to harbor bacterial and encourage biofilms. I change the water in the fountain daily, giving it a thorough rinsing then and a complete scrubbing once a week.