Turn hydration into a game for your dog by connecting this step-on water dispenser to an outdoor hose in your yard or on a patio. Basically, you are letting your dog call the shots; whenever they press a foot on the pedal, there's a squirt of water. Similar to our Cepheus, the PetSafe Drinkwell 360 is designed to fill a round reservoir that can be approached from any direction. Unlike the Cepheus, however, the Drinkwell is strictly utilitarian in its design, with plastic clips that distract somewhat from its clean, stainless steel lines. Size: Consider the size of the fountain, ensuring it's appropriate for the number of cats you have and their tendency to drink more or less water. Additionally, make sure it fits well within the available space. The best cat water fountains provide fresh running water for a week or more, employ smart filtration systems, don’t have a lot of fiddly parts, and are a cinch to clean. How We Tested:

Not every cat will take to a water fountain. "Although many cats prefer water fountains, there are also cats that will not use them," says Bradley Krohn, a veterinarian with The Vets. Read a tip in the box below for finding out if your cat will like using one. Then follow this advice for setting up a cat water fountain: It’s made from BPA-free plastic but doesn’t have the robust feel of the Eversweet 2 or the Catit Flower Fountain. Instead, the plastic is lightweight and slightly flexible.

Of the fountains on this list, the Pioneer Pet Raindrop is one of the most streamlined and easiest to assemble. The carbon filter and pump are built into a single compact unit that sits on the floor of the fountain. Suction cups hold the unit to the bottom and help to ensure that the pump lines up with the top of the fountain. But reservations aside, we highly recommend the Cepheus 360, and we especially liked that it was available in a bunch of fun colors and patterns. In addition to gray and white models that could fit in with any kitchen decor, there are also two cheerful pattern designs and a gradient "Gradual Purple" version. For one, it contains a premium activated carbon filter that removes all dirt and impurities from the water. This ensures your cat has cleaner and safer drinking water while simultaneously preventing the buildup of dirt elsewhere.

My next recommended product you might be interested in is the Kastty Battery Operated Cat Water Fountain. Finally, our testers looked up the price of the fountain they were testing and gave us their impressions of the product's overall value. The setup is a bit tedious and includes the need to connect several small parts in a formation we felt was unintuitive. Still, the instructions were decent, and after 15 minutes, we had the fountain up and running without issue. A: Yes, generally cats prefer drinking from water fountains as it is instinctive of them to avoid standing water, as in the wild this could be dirty and make them ill. However, it does depend on your cat! Q: Will cat water fountains increase my cat’s water consumption? Nevertheless, this is still a great option. Other impressive features include an LED low water level reminder and its super quiet pump. As it is made from BPA-free plastic it is durable as well, and has a great capacity of 2.5 liters.

Best cat water fountains at a glance:

You will have to train your pup on how to use it, and set the water pressure to low or high depending on how big your dog is and how high you want the water to spurt upwards. But then offering them water outside is easy and in their control! My two cats don't drink out of this at the same time but they both go over to it multiple times a day," our tester said. We read comments online about this sometimes not working, but we know a senior cat who has used this model for nearly 10 years straight with no problem. We did buy the latest version to test and as of this review, the new model has been running for more than a month with no troubles. When it comes to kittens, senior pets and toy dog breeds, most have the easiest time reaching a low-profile water fountain that's less than four inches tall. Regular cats and small dog breeds can use most standard pet fountains that have a bowl that's three to six inches off the ground. Larger dogs won't have to stoop so much if their fountain is six or more more inches from the ground. The advanced filtration system helps to avoid the accumulation of dirt, so cleaning is easy. You’ll also love the scratch-resistant stainless steel top which is much more hygienic and easy to clean than a plastic top. You can even pop the top straight into the dishwasher!

When the tank is full of water, this fountain is virtually silent. As soon as the level starts to go down, you begin to hear noise from the pump, which prompts you to do a refill. There's no visual water gauge, so we came to appreciate knowing that when we heard the pump, some water was needed. Cats that are attracted to running water sources are likely expressing an evolved trait that is part of the natural evolution of the species," says Mieshelle Nagelschneder, owner of the Cat Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon. "Cats instinctually like moving water because it’s likely more clean than standing water when encountered in the wild." The fountain’s easy assembly, whimsical design, and low price have made the Catit Flower Fountain a perennial favorite among cat guardians. You may be looking to buy a cat water fountain to help with one, two, or all three of these problems! Now, I could end the list here and send you on your merry way, but I have a few other ideas that may work if you really want a cordless cat water fountain. Other cordless alternatives for cat water fountainsBut it’s not the best option for everyone. We bought and tested five water fountains and identified where each one’s strengths and weaknesses lie. Whether you’re focused on budget, need a stainless-steel fountain to fight acne, or have both dogs and cats in the home, there’s something here for you. Why Buy a Cat Water Fountain? Although this pet fountain is fairly simple in design, it does offer one unique feature which sets it apart from the others on this list – it comes with three flow modes. Choose from a standard waterfall, a bubbling fountain, or a three-way leaf design that produces separate streams. With all of these options, you can customize the NPET fountain according to your cat’s preferences. The unique ergonomic design stimulates the natural flow of water to ease cats’ anxiety and tempt them to drink more. Convenience: With a battery-operated water fountain, you don't need to worry about finding a power outlet nearby. You can place it anywhere, making it ideal for households with limited electrical outlets or for use outdoors. The obvious major downfall of this cordless water fountain is that it doesn’t bubble or splash or move the water. Therefore, it will not encourage cats who don’t like drinking from their water bowls to consume more liquids. That being said, if your cat does drink from their bowl and you’re just fed up with constantly refilling it, this is a convenient solution.