In nature, animals tend to be attracted to moving water because they associate it with clean water. Hence, the need for a water fountain like the Drinkwell 360! It is a pet fountain that filters and aerates continuously moving water to keep it much fresher than a standing bowl of water.
The fountain satisfies the urge for running water and so helps eliminate jumping on counters in search of dripping faucets. It is Veterinarian designed and it encourages water intake and proper hydration in healthy cats, and is especially beneficial in cats with kidney or urinary tract disease. Increasing your cat’s water intake helps speed recovery time if they are sick or injured and it also helps the body with temperature regulation. Just to name a few benefits of increased water intake. In fact, our own clinic cat Carrots drinks out of one of these because he tends to drink very little and usually only out of the tap (And the toilet but we’ll ignore that bad habit). He was a little scared of it at first but now it is his main water dish!
The Drinkwell 360 comes with an activated carbon filter that removes bad tastes and odors from the water and the foam pre-filter captures debris and hair. It also comes with 5 different water spout options. Your pet won’t have to wait for its turn to drink as there is more than one stream of water with the spout options. The fountain itself holds 128 Oz of water and has an adjustable flow stream for a stronger or softer stream of water. It comes in a plastic (BPA free) or stainless steel version. It is ideal for multiple pets under 60 pounds. The Drinkwell 360 is a good solution for people who want to avoid the daily task of pouring water into the bowl or for people whom their feline friends are always jumping onto the counter for water.
Some Pros to consider:
• It is easy to assemble and easy to fill and clean
• It is quiet when running (Unless low in water)
• Pre-filter to protect pump and charcoal filter to keep water fresh and clean
• Interchangeable spout rings to customize with 1 up to 5 water streams
• Adjustable water flow
• It cannot be knocked over and has a nice design.
• Encourages pets to drink more
Some Cons to consider:
• Often cleaning maintenance and you have to fully dissemble the unit in order to properly clean it
• The fountain gets noisy (Which can also be considered a pro in the sense that it reminds you to fill the fountain so you don’t burn out the pump)
• Filters have to be changed often
• Splashing noises may scare some cats
• The pump can clog up- especially if you have long haired cats.
If you don’t mind the water noises, the cleaning maintenance, and purchasing new filters, your feline and doggy friends will love the constantly moving fresh water option. Keep in mind that as any automatic pet fountain the pump has not been made to last forever so don’t expect the fountain to last for several years. However, this is a very good system to encourage your pets to drink more water so the price you pay is worth it if your pet really needs to increase its water intake.
By Jill Thiessen, Clinic Manager
