A Cat Fountain Doesn't Guarantee More Drinking

A fountain reservoir can need topping up even when you haven't seen the cat drink. Some of that water may have evaporated or spilled. Refill frequency alone can't tell you how much the cat swallowed, and moving water doesn't make every cat drink more.

What the research actually found

In a study first published online in 2018, Michael Robbins and colleagues compared still, circulating and free-falling water. Fourteen healthy laboratory cats completed the trial while eating a dry diet. Average drinking-water intake and urine volume didn't differ significantly between the bowl systems. Some individual cats preferred a particular type.

This was a controlled trial in healthy cats. It doesn't tell you which fountain your own cat will accept, or establish a treatment for dehydration or urinary disease. The result gives you a reason to question a promise that flowing water automatically increases intake.

A falling water level isn't a drinking record

The researchers accounted for water lost through evaporation and spillage when measuring intake. At home, simply subtracting what's left from what you poured in misses those losses. If several pets share the fountain, the total also won't tell you what one cat drank.

Watch for actual drinking rather than a paw in the stream. Keep a familiar water bowl available while introducing the fountain, so a cat that avoids the new device still has somewhere to drink. International Cat Care recommends letting the cat investigate the fountain with no water or motor running, then adding water once the cat is comfortable, and switching on the motor last.

Put fresh water out daily and check that the familiar bowl remains available. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for taking the fountain apart and cleaning it, including filter changes. Circulation doesn't remove those jobs.

Include food in the picture

Cornell's Feline Health Center explains that cats get water from food as well as drinking. A cat eating wet food may drink less from a bowl than one eating dry food. Seeing fewer visits to the fountain therefore doesn't, by itself, show that total water intake has fallen.

Keep water easy to reach in quiet places where another pet can't block access. International Cat Care advises placing water away from litter trays and not directly beside the food bowl. Check the location before deciding that a cat dislikes still water or needs a different pump.

Compare your cat's habits with its own usual pattern, taking any food change into account. If drinking increases noticeably, speak to your veterinary team. If you suspect dehydration, contact them promptly. A new fountain won't establish the cause of a change in thirst.

References

Robbins, M. T., et al. (2018, first published online; 2019 journal issue). Quantified water intake in laboratory cats from still, free-falling and circulating water bowls, and its effects on selected urinary parameters. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.

Cornell Feline Health Center (2021). Hydration.

International Cat Care (2024). Encouraging your cat to drink: a guide for caregivers.