I bought this for my mom who has 4 cats and a smaller indoor dog. This is far more animals than the fountain is designed for, but I'm sure a lot of people thinking of buying this probably have more than the 2-3 cats it is designed for. The good: -The cats seem to drink more water than they did when they only had a water dish out. A couple of them also prefer to drink the water as it pours out. As long as you keep the water fountain clean your animals will love the water. Well, I don't think the dog cares either way, but the cats like it :) -If you care for your cats this is a worthy investment. Even with the problems I point out below I still think any cat lover should try to make this work. As long as you clean the fountain regularly and remember to fill it before it goes dry you shouldn't have any problems with the pump failing. -I've had this fountain for a year and a half with no problems with the pump yet. There have been more than a few occasions I've noticed it was running with close to no water, or went for long periods without being cleaned, yet it's still pumping water strong! -Safe for the washing machine, everything can go in the washer except for the pump itself. This makes cleaning a lot easier, but be careful not to lose any of the smaller pieces. The not-so-good: -I have to clean the water fountain for my mom. She would likely lose most of the smaller pieces if she did it on her own, and I know she wouldn't be able to put it back together without help. For some people re-assembly won't be difficult at all, but for some it will be impossible - it just depends on the individual. -Requires frequent cleaning, (every 2-3 weeks). If you don't clean it...it gets gross, I mean really gross. If you let it get too bad algae will begin to accumulate, which breeds more disgusting things. At one point I hadn't cleaned the fountain or even changed the filter for over a month. I then I went to change the filter and noticed small worms all over the filter and within the fountain. I ended up hand cleaning it with bleach and using Q-tips on the pump to get all of the algae that was accumulating on all of the parts. This only happened because it hadn't been drained and washed for some time, so as long as you clean regularly this shouldn't be an issue for you. -The reservoir is fine for 2 or maybe 3 cats, but those who have more animals would gladly welcome a larger reservoir. Another small issue is that the reservoir cannot stand on its own when filling it with water. This isn't a problem for myself because I can easily hold it with one hand, but my mom can't do that. They really should have designed it to stand on its own while filling it with water. Advice to keep clean: -Keep this away from any food dishes. Cats tend to go straight from their food dish into the water dish, and usually drop pieces of food into the water fountain. -Keep away from indoor plants. My mom has a lot of indoor plants and always puts them near the water fountain. I end up having to clean it more frequently because of this. If you keep plants away from it it stays clean much better. -Buy lots of extra filters, and buy them online where they are cheaper!! Depending on how many animals you have you might need more or less, but with 4 cats and a dog using this I usually replace it every 3-4 weeks. Overall: As I mentioned previously, if you care for your cats health then the additional cleaning tasks should not be that big of a deal. Once you clean it a few times you get used to it and its not that big of a problem. But for some people they might want to give this task to their husband or son - someone that's good at taking things apart and putting them back together. If you don't clean this it will become filthy, depending on how many animals are using it, so make sure you clean every 2 to 3 weeks. You might be able to go a little longer if you only have one or two cats. I hope the negatives that I and others mention don't scare you off from buying this fountain. This really is a great device that your cats will love to drink from. Many of the negatives are really caused by a lack of basic cleaning. Your cats (or dogs) will love the fountain as it will be far better than drinking from a static water dish!

I decided to purchase a cat fountain because (i) I changed my cats water bowl twice a day and wanted something that would be a bit easier, (ii) my cat loves drinking water every day out of my hand from the bathroom sink and (iii), quite frankly, I love spoiling her and thought this would be a loving gift to her. Originally, I conducted research on the Drinkwell and Petmate fountains and decided to purchase the Drinkwell, particularly after reading about the review's on the Petmate's filters being recently changed into a cheaper version. Before the initial assembly, I cleaned all of the parts. When I started this thing, it sounded like a a pool filtration system was in my kitchen! I mean, this thing was LOUD! So, I contacted Drinkwell: they said to disassemble the motor, clean it and add some olive oil to the spining little metal rod in the motor...did that. When I started it back up, it was quieter for about five minutes...then I was back to the pool filtration system sound. So, I contacted Drinkwell again. They said to allow 24 hours for the motor to 'prime itself.' Did that, too...no change. I tried changing the speeds to the lowest it can go, to the highest it could go, to everything in the middle...still no change. This thing was so loud, that my cat wouldn't even go near it unless it was turned off! There's more... Changing the water reservoir is a NIGHTMARE! I don't care how careful you are...you're going to get water all over the place. Let me try to explain: if you have used a humidifier before, you know that the water reservoirs on those things have a 'stopper' so you can turn the reservoir right-side up or upside-down and no water should seep out; the same holds true for those water containers you see at the work-place. This is so you remove and replace the reservoir without water spilling. There is no such stopper here!! Get this...you have to flip the reservoir a certain way OVER the Drinkwell foutain--as the DIRECTIONS say--to 'MINIMIZE' (not 'prevent') the spilling of the water!!! In other words, no matter how you do it, water WILL spill out! I mean...really?! This means, if it's near a wall, which I put mine and where I think most people would put it, you'll have to move the foutain away from the wall, where it will spill when removing the reservoir if there is any water in it, and then it will spill again (no doubt) when you put the reservoir back on it, and then you'll need to do some clean-up! When the reservoir is on its side, it GUSHES out! When the reservoir is the direction such that the stopper (and I use the term 'stopper' very lightly) is on the bottom (how it goes into the fountain), it drips heavily...more likely streams of water coming out. So, you'll need to clean the water spills EVERY time you deal with the reservoir. I would not change this thing over any rug...that's for sure. The directions recommend weekly cleanings. In order to stay within the warranty, Drinkwell informed me that it must be cleaned at least once every two weeks. Speaking of warranty...it's only ONE YEAR!! Horrible! The first two issues (i.e., the loud pump and the reservoir spilling) were easily enough for me to want to return this product. However, there was a third...and I do feel that this is a cat-particular issue...meaning, one cat may find this to be an issue (like mine), and another may not: It is the free-falling water. My cat didn't like it. In fact, when my cat puts her head in the fountain pool (when it's turned off), her head would probably hit the running water...and I have a five-month old small female kitten! The Petmate (and Catmate) fountains still give the benefits of running water (i.e., the attractive sound for the cat, keeping the water cool, oxidation, etc.), but without the obtrusiveness of free-falling water. As I write this, the Drinkwell is on its way back to Amazon. In doing more research, I narrowed my alternate choices down to the Petmate Deluxe (medium size since I only have one cat) and the Catemate fountains. I ultimately chose the Petmate fountain since it has a reservoir, and the Catmate fountain does not. I wanted the ability to not have to add water all the time, which the Petmate will allow. The Catmate needs to have water added directly to the fountain and I read one review that said this person added water daily. I also feel my cat will prefer streaming water down a slide over the free-falling water. An incidental benefit to the Petmate fountain is that the Petsmart medium fountain is HALF the price of the Drinkwell ($27 versus $44). Let's now talk filters: Yes, I'm reading about complaints of the Petmate filters and how they are supposed have undergone a loss of quality with a recent 'update' to them. For me, given the above, I'm more than willing to have this as a trade-off, IF they are in fact 'poorer' quality than the Drinkwell filters. Of course, I won't be able to gauge this until I actually receive and set up the Petmate fountain. However, know this: in the...

We had an older model pet fountain - don't remember the make. Both cats in the house loved using it - but it didn't hold a lot of water - and it was difficult to clean. Plus the ex-wife didn't think she was responsible EVER for cleaning the darn thing (one of MANY things she didn't think she was responsible cleaning...that's right ladies... I'm a GUY who cleans! Please take a number....) So when we FINALLY sold the house and split the possessions I graciously gave her the old fountain and I ordered the Drinkwell Platinum for my fat cat Jewels and the new house. (Hey...the EX got the Hoover Platinum vacuum so I don't want to hear it.....) Jewels absolutely LOVES this fountain and drinks from it frequently. I swear her coat has become more soft and luxurious as a result of her no doubt increased H2O intake. I'm even contemplating buying a second unit because Jewels took to licking residual water off my shower door when I stepped out in the morning (no I won't put a Kitty Cam on her forehead) so I ended up just putting a plain ole' bowl of filtered water there instead. She enjoyed that. But almost too much. She complains when it's near empty. So thus the potential for a second unit. She'll need to get used to the new upstairs water supply being elsewhere though instead of the bathroom because there's no convenient AC outlet for the pump on the walls...hmmmm....Maybe in the master bedroom? The pump is nearly silent and the water cascading into the pool is rather soothing - or I could just put a timer on it if the noise gets annoying. Off at night - on in the morning when I'm off to work. That'll work. The Drinkwell is worth the price of entry for the size of the reservoir alone. At 168 ounces I can fill the thing up and not have to refill it for WEEKS - which is much less of a hassle than a smaller capacity unit - particularly if you are in a multi-cat household but even if your feline companion is alone. I use filtered refrigerator water. Healthier for humans so I'm thinking healthier for cats too. Plus I don't seem to be having the calcium deposits like I used to on the old unit. (Maybe that's because the new LG refrigerator has a better filtering system?) We moved in July and I set up the Drinkwell in my new digs then. Now it's Christmas and I took it completely apart and cleaned everything for the first time. What a breeze! And very little gunk to clean. A little bit of hair in the pump intake. (I used a toothpick to pluck it out.) The carbon filter looked just fine save a piece of lint here and there. Sprayed it off, slid it back in. (Note: the filter apparently is directional, when it slides in without buckling into a 'u-shape' you've got it right.) A light, rusty looking ring around the splash pool that easily came off with a bit of elbow grease. A little bit of Dawn over the rest of the unit, rinse, fill and the fountain was as good as new! Excellent. A tip for easy setup - either the first time you use the Drinkwell, after cleaning it, and even when refilling the removable reservoir. Fill up a container that holds about a quart and a half of water. Pour about a half quart of water into the back side of the unit. Plug in the AC adapter. Keep adding water in the back until water until begins to circulate. Add the filled removable reservoir. Now the water from the reservoir won't empty out necessitating you having to refill it yet again sooner than you would if you pre-filled the base. Finally? You'll get a Drinkwell Aqua Garden plastic adapter piece that supposedly doubles your fountain as a Hydroponic Grass Garden! Ummmmm.....throw the little clip away because the reviews for the garden add-in are pretty much awful. To be expected right? Grass grows, roots invade water, stuff begins to grow on roots....water gets slimy as a result. Blechh! Bad idea Drinkwell engineers! What's next? A feeder attachment that catapults kitty treats across the kitchen? December 26, 2014 update: I just gave the Drinkwell a thorough cleaning and, I hate to confess, I don't think I've done so since last Christmas! However, the think was amazingly in good shape with little gunk, growth, or other detritus. As before small amounts of calcium deposits were the biggest pain but using a steel wool scratcher they came off fairly easily and didn't damage the unit itself. Excellent. Reassembled, filled up with fresh water and again the thing looks like I bought it yesterday. Kitty too is still going strong! March 22, 2018 update: Can't believe what great shape the Drinkwell is still in! The only issue - and it really doesn't have anything to do with the fountain itself - is the build up of calcium deposits. But scraping the deposits off isn't too much of a chore and only has to be done every few months or so. Kitty Jewels in approaching 20 years old and is probably healthier than she's been in years - despite a tangle with a critter that got in the house - and the resulting abscess on her neck. Dr. Powell with the Emergency Pet Clin...

I have owned cats for nearly all of my 44 years of life. I've owned between one and four cats at a time. One of the first things I learned at an early age is that cats appreciate running water. When caring for elderly cats at several points, having fresh water they wanted to drink was absolutely critical to their health. So, over the years, I've tested out a number of fountains. The Drinkwell Platinum Fountain uses a plastic reservoir in the back along with a filter insert. The filter helps to trap hair and gunk that gets into the water. The pump is within the housing so it stays fairly clear of random stuff. The water flows out the front in a gentle waterfall for the cat. All the cats I've had that have tried this over the past few years have enjoyed the fountain. They drink regularly from it. So in that sense it absolutely serves its purpose. The cats enjoy it. Do they enjoy it 'more' than other fountains? They don't seem to really care in that sense. They simply like running water of all kinds. Part of it of course comes down to how often you clean it. If you only clean it once a month, they probably enjoy that the filter helps keep it cleaner than it would be otherwise. I'd recommend cleaning it more frequently than that, though. The noise is a medium level. There are fountains that are noisier, and those that are quieter. So unless you're very picky about the noise levels of your fountains, this one should do fine. Some people find the water noise soothing. The big reservoir to refill is good. It means you can bring just that over to the sink without lugging the whole unit. However, the design of the overall unit isn't stellar. There are lots of little 'nooks' that slime can get caught in, so you have to take the whole thing apart and then use brushes and pipe cleaners to get in there. Cats aren't fond of drinking slime-filled water. If you're going away for a weekend, though, the reservoir is a great thing. It helps ensure that the cat will be happy and well hydrated when you return. All in all, we'll give this four stars after years of use. We really hope for a new version to come out that's easier to clean. We feel having a thoroughly cleaned water supply is important for our cats' health. Other than that one issue, though, the fountain is generally wonderful. I purchased this fountain with my own funds from Amazon in order to do this review.

I originally purchased this in September of 2012. I was extremely excited to get the unit as I had read all the reviews and I wanted to see how my 3 amigos would react. The unit was simple to set up and I had the unit running in no time. Oh, I highly recommend the Drinkwell Platinum fountain mat Drinkwell Platinum Fountain Mat, MAT-D2 for this unit. I did purchase the mat the day I purchased the unit and I can tell you it is a lifesaver. My kittehs took to playing in the water and some did spill out. The mat caught all the water and kept my laminate flooring from being damaged in any way at all. The mat also fits the unit perfectly and looks like it belongs with the unit. Ok, back to the 3 amigos. They simply love this fountain. At first they were typical kittehs. They walked around for a bit and would stare, and then act as if it were not there. Finally they would get close, and then jump back when one of my kids made a loud noise. Once they got over the newness they tried it. They have not looked back since. They all love it. I have one kitteh who thinks he is a raccoon and brings his food over to the fountain to be cleaned. Ok, ok, it is to play with the food in the water, but cleaning it sounds better. I have another little dude who uses his paws to draw the water from the waterfall to his mouth, and this is how he drinks. My other kitteh just likes to lap the water out of the bowl area. So I do have a little bit of experience with 3 different types of drinkers. Here is a rundown of things that may be of concern for those who are considering purchasing this fountain. Will the cats use it? I was concerned about 1 of my kittehs. He is kind of looney and I was worried this may be something he would have nothing to do with. My concerns were without merit as he was the first to try it out. All my kittehs love this fountain. Now, when I clean it, they follow me around and meow until I put it back on the floor for them to use. They have claimed their fountain and do not like me taking it away. They won't bother with a simple bowl anymore. How long do the filters last? I have 3 kittehs with the habits I listed above. My filter changes run around 4-6 weeks. I tried cleaning the filter, but it did not work. I watch amazon's prices and purchase filters when they are on sale at a decent price. You can either purchase them in packets of 3 Drinkwell Fountain Premium Replacement Filter 3 pack or in bulk where you get 4 packets of 3 Drinkwell Platinum Premium Filters, 12-Pack . Prices vary so you have to watch. One day it is cheaper to purchase just one pack of 3 and on others it is cheaper to purchase 4 packs of 3. Keep your eyes open. As far as the filters go, if you don't change them then the water simply runs over the top of the filter and into the basin. You can still use the unit; it just won't filter the water. What are the filters made of? The filters are a formed trapezoid of fibrous material which is likely what is used for fish tank filtration. The filters will only take out foreign material such as hair or dirt so it will not circulate into the water fountain continuously. The filters will not take out any heavy metals or minerals. It is a basic sediment filter only with a light carbon backing and some carbon granules between both the front and back to remove odor. How much odor is removed, I cannot attest to, as I have a filter on my sink and do not use straight tap water for the fountain. However, from my experience in fish tank filtration I would say it is adequate. Ease of use? I have had absolutely no problems with the unit. It is very easy to put together. Once you understand how to change the reservoir it is a snap. Just remember that the reservoir cap has the plunger on it so you do not spill any water when you put the full reservoir back on the unit. You must hold the plunger out as you are tipping the reservoir over so it does not spill. Once you have it over and you are lowering the reservoir onto the fountain the plunger will be pushed up as it is lowered and then the water will be able to flow from the reservoir into the fountain basin. Cleaning? I have not had any of the problems cleaning that others have mentioned. I went to Wal-mart and purchased a dish cleaning brush that was to be dedicated to cleaning this unit. I have not had any problems reaching every area except one. The one area I need a long small cylindrical brush for is the tube from the pump to the top of the filtration basin. However, you can clean that area with a paper towel and a thin Phillips screwdriver if you had to. So cleaning really was a breeze. I would recommend that you are careful when cleaning the reservoir. Do not drop it or it may crack. By drop, I mean do not drop it from a standing position onto a hard floor. Dropping it in the sink won't crack it. The plastic is thick and seems to very durable. Water Noise? Noise has never been an issue. We keep the unit in our kitchen, which is near our living room. We hav...

I have bought these for the past 10 years and have 2 of these running at all times. My cats all love them. One of my cat likes to sleep next to it like it’s her own personal beach. It is great to get them to increase their water intake (which can be deadly, especially in older cats). I throw most of the parts in the dishwasher. If you dry with too much heat, the plastic can warp making it difficult to put back together. There are some sharp angles that can be difficult to clean. I have very hard water and it gets a buildup easily. After a couple years, I buy a new one and change out the basin part. The pump lasts a long time, but will also get calcium buildup on it. I try to use filtered water which helps a lot. I leave the top off because one of my cats likes to drink from the top reservoir more than the falling water. The filters come in value packs on Amazon. I would also recommend a pet feeding pad to go under it to catch any water. (My cat likes to put her hand in and bat the falling water.) These are worth every penny. I have a different metal one that stops working even when half full. This one with its reservoir lasts wayyyy longer. It will not tell you when it’s low, but you will hear the pump making more noise. Sometimes if it’s off balance, it makes a little bit of extra noise and you’ll have to push down on the top to balance it again. Also, after cleaning, sometimes it doesn’t start up correctly even though you hear the motor running and you have to take it apart and try it again. Even with these small inconveniences, I’d recommend these fountains if you want your cat to drink more water at a reasonable price point

I bought this because my cat's water bowl was small and constantly sloshing water on the floor because my cat is on the hyper side and would get SO EXCITED about drinking her water she would run up to it and end up knocking the bowl. I also don't have air conditioning and it's consistently in the 90s and low hundreds where I live, so I wanted to make sure that she would always have water available, even if I wasn't home. After reading reviews for several different fountains, I decided on this one. I have not regretted it once. Some notes I have for people who may be having trouble with this fountain: 1. I once had the problem of the front reservoir overflowing. I thought I had somehow broken the fountain. After pulling it apart and examining it, I discovered the problem. There is a 'vent' between the front and back reservoirs that allows them to maintain the balance of water and tells the fountain when more water is needed. This had become clogged with cat hair, so no water could get through, making it so the front reservoir kept filling up from the running water and the back had not enough water so it kept pulling more water in to try to fill itself back up. This is a super simple problem to fix. Slide the vent up and it comes out easily and you and rinse off the cat hair, and voila! fixed. 2a. I have seen some complain about the fountain being noisy or making gurgling sounds. I find mine only does this when I accidentally let the water container on the back empty itself completely and then the fountain is still trying (unsuccessfully) to draw water from it. This (according to the manual) can damage the motor, so I try not to let that happen. If you have let it get to this point, it can sometimes take 20 to 30 minutes for it to sort itself out and stop making strange noises and for the flow to start back up again. 2b. There are two different flow settings on the fountain. The lower one, to my surprise, is absolutely silent. The design of the fountain was made so as to reduce the sound of the water as it enters the reservoir. When I put the flow on the higher setting, I can definitely hear the trickle of water. I absolutely expected to be able to hear the sound of water before I bought it, so I wasn't surprised to be able hear it. Honestly, who is surprised to be able to hear the sound of running water when they buy a fountain? 3. The fountain should be cleaned about once a week. The way I do this is to intentionally let the water get low (but not out completely) because I find it easier that way. I usually take off the water tank, then disassemble it where it is. This is just my personal preference. I find that I slosh less water getting it to the bathroom if I take it apart before I move it. Once it's in the bathroom, it's pretty easy to clean everything out and reassemble it. I also take the opportunity to rinse out the filter while I'm at it. I usually reassemble it without putting any water in it and put it back in its place, then refill it. This is just what works best for me. 4. When you first buy it, you will probably see charcoal in the water from the filter. This went away for me after about a week and a half. It's completely harmless and won't injure or hurt your pet in any way. That's all I can think of off the top of my head. My cat loves this fountain. She enjoys sitting by it and watching the stream of water, and she also like to bat at it. She drinks lots of water, which is great, and the continuous stream keeps the water from becoming stale. If you have any questions about the fountain, just let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them.