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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Phoebe Had a Drinking Problem



Image courtesy of vetventures.com

Phoebe had a drinking problem. For real. For years we struggled to find a water dish that she couldn't knock against the wall and cause major water spillage. She may be small, but she is strong and determined! We'd tested a wide selection of water bowls and dispensers and finally settled on one (sold as a dispenser for dogs) that, only if we kept completely full at all times, she couldn't budge.  My husband was reluctant to spend the money on a fountain for fear it would become just an expensive challenge for Phoebe.  When Drinkwell® asked me to test their 360 Fountain, my husband laughed.  In fact, I considered declining the offer.  I expressed my concern to my contact and he told me it was ideal that Phoebe likes to tip water dishes -- it would be the perfect test for the Drinkwell® fountain.

A few weeks later, we received the fountain.  It was remarkably easy to assemble and included five interchangeable spout rings -- these allowed for 1-5 streams of water to flow from the top.  We decided we'd start with one stream and, so far, it's worked well for our three cats.  You can also adjust the flow of the water anywhere from a gentle trickle to a stronger stream.  The sound is very peaceful -- it resembles a relaxation fountain!

After we assembled our new water dispenser, the cats were a little apprehensive.  Saffy and Cosmo steered clear of it for the first day, but Phoebe stayed close-by, keeping an eye on the alien intruder.  Within a few hours, she approached the magical waterfall, cocked her head in interest, and placed her paw underneath the water flow.  After licking her paw for a few minutes, she decided it was safe and started enjoyed the fresh, delicious filtered water.  The other two followed suit and now all the cats regularly drink from the fountain.

The fountain comes with one filter and Drinkwell® suggests, for optimal performance,  the filter be changed every two weeks.  I compared pricing online and found the price for a 3-pack of filters runs anywhere from $10-$12.  I like that my cats are enjoying fresh, filtered water and think the price for the filters is more than fair.

The fountain is a little on the large size (13.5" D X 9" H), which is perfect for my three cats (especially the one with a heavy-paw); however, it doesn't fit as tightly against the wall as our previous water dispenser.  To us, that doesn't make a huge difference. The size is also perfect for small dogs.

The BEST news is 1) thanks to the fountain's rubber footings and sturdiness, Phoebe isn't able to move it and she looks ridiculously cute drinking from it and 2) my husband loves it -- in fact, he told me that he is super-impressed with the solid, quality construction of the fountain.  The fact that Drinkwell® won over my skeptical husband is stamp-of-approval enough!






Whether or not your cat has a "drinking problem," I think they -- and you -- will really enjoy the Drinkwell® 360.  Get your cat in the flow with fresh H20!

And be sure to check out Drinkwell®'s Facebook page -- this is a great place to keep up with the latest news, updates and giveaways!

18 comments:

  1. WANT!! WANT!!!

    I don't think we can get these in NZ :( Rumbleparents have been getting the Cat-it ones.

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  2. Woohoo! A fine solution to Phoebe's drinking problem. purrr....meow!

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  3. Carol's Critter Corner
    I have a cat that likes to move or tip over his water dish too. I did get one with a rubber bottom so he doesn't move it over. If it's on a ledge however he does tip it over so this drinking fountain looks and sounds fab.

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  4. That is such a cool fountain! We're glad that you found one that Phoebe can't tip--those ladycats can be so determined!

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  5. That's a terrific fountain isn't it? Banjo had this one and it lasted a pretty long time. Indeed very sturdy. Unfortunately, because of our very hard water, it eventually scaled all up to where I could no longer get it clean. But of course, totally not the products fault.

    I would recommend this fountain too ~ very worth the money. One of Banjo's favorites. And he has had many! :)

    Enjoy the fun fountain!
    xo Catherine

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  6. I love these fountains. Some of my cat-sitting clients have them and they work great. The only reason I have not purchased one is because I have cats on both floors and I have chosen to use smaller bowls with filtered water . I do recommend these, though. My clients love them.

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  7. Hmm, we've tried two different kinds of fountains and steered clear of both. Wonder if the mom could be persuaded to try another!

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  8. My cat definitely has a drinking problem and moves her dishes everywhere on the floor. She was afraid of the hum of the Drinkwell, but we don't have one like this..I wish we did. I will try the Drinkwell again if I can find a place near an electrical outlet that's more convenient for her and for me. Small house and every sq.ft. is spoken for.

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  9. Glad to hear you like this fountain. I have looked at fountains but not purchased. I will check this one out.

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  10. Good idea! My cat doesn't have a drink problem, thankfully, so won't need to splash out! - sorry for the pun :)

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  11. Wow - that looks impressive. Maestro has a similar drinking problem and mom resorted to large ceramic dog bowls. Something to make her think about though....

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  12. Oh I like the look of that fountain! It's a bit too big for our small space, but if/when we have more room, I'd love to get one for our boys! And you're right - Phoebe looks adorable drinking from it! :) --Tammy

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  13. We have one and we LOVE it! Mommy enjoys the fountain noise, too.

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  14. I have had 2 other Drinkwell fountains (1 was ruined in the dishwasher - it said it wasn't dishwasher safe, but I am d-u-m-b). I can only say for a fact that 1 of the 4 cats I have had drinks from it - the others may have, but I never saw it. The fountain I have now is unplugged. It was a bit of a pain to clean, so I've just quit using it. How is this 360 to clean? It looks really nice!

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  15. Wow, what a great offer you got and it looks like it solved the problem! If only it could also prevent Ellie's messy splashing while she drinks...

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  16. that thing is much bigger then I thought it would be.

    Glad they like it

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  17. Sammy-Joe would love that! Not just for drinking, but also for sticking his paws into! He loves to sit on the edge of the sink and put his paws under the water. This would be like his own, personal sink!

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  18. that was a fabulous review! I have been wondering about this fountain...I think it is great for your 3 kitties but do they have smaller ones for one cat?

    Phoebe looks like she is bathing in the fountains of Rome! lol

    Cody will ONLY drink out of Dakota's bowl which aggravates me quite a bit. I am always worried about if he is drinking enough water.

    Thanks so much for this fantastic review...I may have to check this out.

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