Water Bowl vs Drinking Fountain for Cats

cat bowl vs cat fountain

Tabby cat drinks (eating) from the bowl

Water Bowl vs Drinking Fountain for Cats

Water is water, right? Not necessarily. Running water doesn’t just provide a pleasant atmosphere in the home, but also encourages cats to drink more water. Even the classic water bowl has its advantages!

Why cats need to drink

Cats are desert animals by nature, with their ancestors having roamed the deserts of northern Africa. The African wildcat, their closest living relative, also lives in an environment in which drinking water is only available rarely. Like our cats’ ancestors, they absorb a large proportion of the fluids they need through food. After all, mice, the cat’s natural prey, contain up to 70 percent water! In contrast, dry food has too little moisture, so the cat must offset the maximum 10% moisture content by drinking more. If the cat drinks too little, the urine becomes concentrated, which can lead to urinary stones and gravel and kidney diseases. Sufficient fluid intake is the best precaution! But how do you encourage your cat to drink more water?

Purchase

Whilst the classic water bowl right alongside the cat’s food bowl was still the norm a few years ago, special drinking fountains for cats have now conquered the market. In contrast to indoor fountains, they are produced from non-toxic materials, are easy to clean and enrich the cat’s daily drinking experience. Drinking fountains come in many sizes, different designs and price brackets – there’s something for everyone.

 

Generally though, good drinking fountains are more expensive than mere water bowls. Most fountains require simple installation and have to be connected to the power supply, but they are worth the expense.

Aesthetic appeal

As desert animals, cats only rarely seek out their water bowl. However, water in motion attracts most felines. Curiously sniffing at the drinking fountain quickly leads to them taking a few essential gulps of the cool water.

 

In contrast, cats happily ignore the classic water bowl. This is especially the case when it is positioned right next to the food bowl.

Freshness

Moving water in a drinking fountain is constantly fortified with oxygen and tastes fresher than water in a bowl that has often gone stale.

 

However, you can make a classic water bowl attractive by providing clean, fresh water on a daily basis. Several bowls distributed across the home also ensure that your cat can take a little sip every now and then.

Climate

Dry heating air damages our skin and lungs. An indoor fountain provides healthy room air as a result of evaporation – even better if your cat can also use it as a drinking facility! Before you order a decorative indoor fountain, you should look for a special drinking fountain for cats. In this way, you’re doing something to benefit both for your cat and the air you breathe!

Hygiene

Water bowls and drinking fountains are only hygienic if cleaned regularly. Stale water and algae can soon become health risks and deteriorate the taste of the water… The classic water bowl scores points in this regard, because depending on the material, it can be quickly washed by hand or in a dishwasher. Cleaning a drinking fountain is often a bit more complicated and protracted.

Whatever decision you make is a question of personal preference. Especially during the warmer summer months, it’s important that your cat consumes enough water. You can enrich your cat’s drinking experience even with a simple water bowl: fresh water on a daily basis is essential. Several drinking bowls spread across the home are better. In this way you aren’t just benefitting your cat, but your interior climate too.

 

We wish you and your cat all the best!

Whatever decision you make is a question of personal preference. Especially during the warmer summer months, it’s important that your cat consumes enough water. You can enrich your cat’s drinking experience even with a simple water bowl: fresh water on a daily basis is essential. Several drinking bowls spread across the home are better. In this way you aren’t just benefitting your cat, but your interior climate too.

We wish you and your cat all the best!

Our most helpful articles
4 min

Cat litter: Clumping or Silica Litter?

It’s not just the right type of litter tray that will make your cat happy, but also the right type of cat litter. The best litters are ones that are very absorbent and ideally neutralise odours too, but finding the perfect cat litter can be no easy task with so many varieties on offer from natural clumping litter made of clay, non-clumping litter, litter made of wood or silica. Silica cat litter and clumping natural clay litter are the most popular choices among cat owners and their cats. But which litter is better for the cat, the owner or the environment?
5 min

Sharing a Home: Cats and Birds

46% of UK households own a pet, with a total pet population of 58 million, including 7 million cats and 0.5 million indoor birds. Many pet owners provide a home for more than one type of pet, with cats sometimes sharing a home with a budgie, parakeet or other bird, but what happens when you have a cat and a small pet?