5 Ways to Get Your Cat to Drink More Water (Raindrop Fountain Review) | Lola The Rescued Cat
Wednesday, May 30, 2018

5 Ways to Get Your Cat to Drink More Water (Raindrop Fountain Review)

A few months ago Lola had her annual wellness checkup, which included blood work and a urinalysis. The results of her blood work were perfect, but she had some crystals in her urine. The protein level was also a little high, and the Ph was on the acidic side. The vet advised me to encourage her to drink more water and come back for a recheck. 

Encourage my cat to drink water? I was stumped. I was worried that the results could lead to bigger issues, but I didn’t know how to get more water into her. After doing some research I discovered some helpful hints to get a cat to drink more water, which I’m sharing with you today. 

pioneer pet|cat hydration






Pioneer Pet|raindrop fountain


Five Ways to Get Your Cat to Drink More Water



1. Place bowls in different areas around your house. 

Pioneer Pet|raindrop fountain

Having several water stations makes getting a drink more appealing and super easy for your cat. If your cat likes to drink from a cup, leave one or two (non-breakable) cups strategically placed around the house to entice her to drink.  Try using wide bowls to limit whisker stress. Another tip is to make sure the bowl is filled to the brim. 


2.  Use filtered water

Pioneer Pet|raindrop fountain

Some cats don’t like tap water (unless they’re drinking it from the faucet like Lexy loves to do.) If your finicky feline is not drinking as much as she should, try filling their bowl from a filtered water pitcher or use bottled water. 


3.  Feed your cat wet food and add some water to it.

Pioneer Pet|raindrop fountain

You should consult with your veterinarian before starting any diet change, but if they agree, canned food has a high moisture content and is a good way to get more water into your cat’s diet. You can also add a splash of water to the food for added moisture, and if your cat is a little picky, try some low sodium chicken broth or a bit of tuna water. 


4.  Change the water often.

Pioneer Pet|raindrop fountain

Cats like fresh water, which can start to taste stale after sitting for a while, and biofilm can form on the bottom of the bowl. Not very appealing. Clean and refresh the water at least once daily, preferably more. 


5.  Use fountains.

Pioneer Pet|raindrop fountain

Lola and Lexy love fountains! Fountains entice cats to drink more because many love moving water. (If I have a bowl out Lexy will move it with her paw so the water moves before she starts to drink.) If your cat loves drinking from the faucet, a fountain is a great way to replicate that. 


Benefits of Using a Fountain

  1. Runner water stays cooler and tastes fresher
  2. The water runs through a charcoal filter so water is clean and healthy
  3. Most fountains have a well, so it appeals to cats who like running water and those who like drinking from a bowl. 
  4. Your cat will drink more, which will benefit their health in many ways. 

The folks at Pioneer Pet were so thoughtful to send us their 60-ounce Raindrop Premium Stainless Steel Fountain to help Lola increase her water intake. The Raindrop is perfect for both girls because Lexy loves running water and Lola likes a bowl. Since the water is constantly running through the filter, I don’t’ have to worry about Lola’s water bowl getting stale and slimy, and they’re both constantly getting clean, fresh water.


Pioneer Pet|raindrop fountain


Lola takes a little time to get used to a fountain, so when we get a new one I always leave a bowl of water next to it. She usually transitions over to the fountain fairly quickly. 

The fountain is made up of three parts: the pump, the pump housing, and the top and bottom of the fountain (okay, I guess technically it’s four parts.) 


Pioneer Pet|raindrop fountain


In the past I’ve struggled with putting a fountain together, but the Raindrop is very easy to assemble. Just pop the pump into the housing, place the housing in the bottom of the fountain and then pop on the top. “Easy peasy”, to quote Lola. 


Features of the Pioneer Pet Rainbow Fountain

  • Dishwasher safe
  • 60-ounce capacity
  • Dimensions: 4 ¼”H x 9 ¾”W x 11 ¾” L
  • Weight: 1.7 pounds
  • Replaceable charcoal filter
  • Safe and low voltage UL listed power system
  • Six foot long power cord
  • Premium Stainless Steel

Pioneer Pet|raindrop fountain

Benefits of the Pioneer Pet Rainbow Fountain 

  • Circulating drinking water is naturally appealing to your pet
  • The replaceable charcoal filter ensures clean and pure, healthy water
  • Stainless steel construction allows for easy cleaning
  • Water stream continuously washes the bowl for cleanliness
  • Using stainless steel bowls help to protect your pets from bacterial infection
  • 60 oz. capacity reduces the number of times you need to refill each day
  • Moving and circulating water entices cats to drink more
  • The sleek, pretty design compliments any decor. 


Cleaning the Pioneer Pet Raindrop Fountain

To keep your fountain operating well, it is recommended to clean it weekly and to disassemble and clean the pump monthly. Here’s a video explaining how to clean the pump: 



The feature I love most is that it’s quiet! Lola has been skittish of other fountains because of the noise, but the Raindrop is nearly silent. Now I don’t have to worry about her being frightened of the fountain and refusing to drink. She gives it two paws up! It gets another two paws up from Lexy because she has fresh, flowing water any time she wants it and doesn’t have to wait for me to turn on the faucet. 


Pioneer Pet|raindrop fountain

Pioneer Pet|raindrop fountain

The 60-ounce Raindrop Fountain also comes in Rose Gold stainless steel, black or white ceramic. There is also a larger 96-ounce stainless steel model. 

For more information, visit the Pioneer Pet website. And don't forget to follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

You can have a Raindrop fountain of your very own! The nice folks at Pioneer Pet are giving one to one of our lucky readers. Just enter via the Rafflecopter below. The giveaway is open to residents in the 48 contiguous states, 18+ years of age, except where prohibited by law. The winner will be selected randomly by Rafflecopter and contacted via email. The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the prize, and a new winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter. The giveaway closes on Saturday, June 16 at 12 Midnight Eastern. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck to all who enter! 

I"m happy to report that Lola's repeat urinalysis was much better. The protein level was normal and crystals were not an issue. Her urine was still somewhat acidic, but nothing to worry about. Thanks to our new fountain, and the generosity of Pioneer Pet, she has plenty of fresh water right at her paws. Do you have any other tips on how to get your cat to drink more water? 

Dawn 
References: 

Catster
Pet Health Network
Petfinder

Would you like to comment?

  1. We love our fountain lots! And we could totally use another one!

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  2. This is a great fountain, and I love the other ideas!

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  3. What a great post! I've recently started adding water do the cats' wet food. We also have several water bowls throughout the house. This looks like a great fountain, very stylish! Great review as well.

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  4. Hooray for Lola! We are all pretty good at drinking water here and we have a couple of those raindrop fountains that we love!

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  5. Our cats love drinking running water from the sink and from fountains. Currently we have two additional cats at our house, since my daughter's boyfriend is staying with us until they find the right place (he had moved into an apartment not far from us only to find it was infested with bedbugs so he moved out immediately). Anyway, he has two cats who have smushie faces (like Persian cats) so they do best from a fountain. We have one small fountain that just isn't enough to handle five cats so I'd love to win this!

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  6. You gave wonderpurr ideas to get us cats to drink more water. At my house Mom has umpteen water bowls throughout the house. She has also started adding water to our wet noms. She's been using filtered water...now all she has to do is get Dad on board since he usually beats her to refilling our water dishes. Great report, Lola!

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  7. We have a finicky senior and a fountain may help to get her to drink more. I will have to get one ASAP.

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  8. WANT! We can never get the kitties to drink enough, so we mix it into their food. But it's been very hot, and I know they would drink from a fountain. We had a really old one...made of plastic...that scared the cats away, and The Hubby hated cleaning it; too difficult. I like the look of the Raindrop Premium Stainless Steel Fountain!

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  9. wavez two ewe L & L.....N thanx for sharin thiz post....sum oh uz in trout towne iz good drinkerz but otherz cuzin daiz noe namez ta menshun iz bad at drinkin her waterz ...best fishez two everee one in thiz contest; de fountin lookz amazin...N we lovez fish water two ~~~~~~~~ ♥♥

    dai$y: it's FRESH water tuna...not... FISH water { you both see what I have to put up with right ~~~~ hugs =^..*= ♥♥

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  10. Thank you for the great tips. We are going to pass this along to a lot of cat owners that we see on a daily basis. We really like that drinking fountain and your little ones seem to also. Have a great day.
    World of Animals

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  11. I like the design of this fountain....no splashing of the water coming out either which was the main reason my husband didn't like the first fountain we got for Teddy. Teddy only drinks from the faucet so it's very important he have fresh water. This might do the trick - he'd be happy and his Dad would too. What a nice giveaway.

    Hugs, Teddy and Mom Pam

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  12. Great review, and great advice ! Purrs

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  13. we've tried a couple of fountains and can't seem to find one that doesn't break or require a ton of maintenance. Daiquiri misses having one. That said, mom shudders thinking about how much of a mess Chanel could make with a fountain.

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  14. I bet my cat would love drinking from this! She likes running water so I bet she would love this!

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  15. We have a fountain but the only one who will drink from it is Wally.

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  16. We have a fountain, but Ashton is afraid of it. We think a fountain like the Pioneer Pet raindrop fountain could be quiet enough that it would not be too scary for her to drink out of.

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  17. Just recently I've started drinking water out of my fountain. TW is very happy but monitors to see that I'm not drinking excessively cos that wouldn't be good either. Concats to the cat who wins this.

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  18. We're not entering because we have a fountain, but we wanted to tell you what a fantastic, informative post this is! I'm very happy that Mudpie is really good about drinking, especially since she's such a kibble fanatic!

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  19. I think my babies would like to drink from a fountain but I am not sure since we don’t have one!

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  20. Great post, water is so important.

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  21. We are super glad that Lola's urinalysis was so much better. Yay for fountains and other ways of helping her and Lexy get more water. :)

    Gracie and Ava have a fountain ... and both love drinking from it!

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  22. We are always adding fresh water to our fountain The cats love it!

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  23. We don’t have a fountain but I assume they would love one as they love to drink from the tap when it is running

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  24. The Samoyed doggie Mom and Dad had awhile back got those crystals. It caused him to have pee dee accidents in the house at times. I think having a fountain is a grr-eat idea. Mom has thought about getting me one. Purrs and wink cute ladies!

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  25. Mr. N doesn't use a fountain at our house but there's several at his former foster home he used to use. Glad Lola is better!

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  26. i dont really know since i have never had one. i have a water bowl that i change during the day.

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  27. We love fountains here and personally think we EACH should have our own fountain. It's so annoying having to wait in line to drink and even the DOGS drink out of our fountains. ~The CATS

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  28. I'm sure that our cat, Moshi, would love a fountain!

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  29. My cats have never tried a fountain but they like the drips from a faucet so I think they would :) haha! Thanks for the chance

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  30. OMG that is awesome, I would love to win one for Layla to get her to drink more although living in a studio with the sound of running water I most probably will be peeing more LOL - am going to enter

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  31. I don't know if Yoshi likes drinking from a fountain but he likes it from the tap, not the bowl.

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  32. I am not sure but he likes to drink out of the faucet so I would guess he would be good with it.

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  33. I don't know we have never tried a fountain with him.I bet he would love it!

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  34. The fountain seems so appealing - I am sure it's the combination of fresher water and maybe the sound that draws them in? Either way, it will certainly promote kidney health!

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  35. Great tips!! I always have more than one water bowl so they never have to walk too far to find some. Cleaning the bowl and adding fresh water regularly is also a great tip. I've never tried filtered water though, sounds like it's worth a go. I love the look of that fountain, and although I don't have any cats at the moment I know mine would have loved it. One of them used to sit in the sink and drink from the faucet, so anything with running water she would have had a field day with.

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  36. I'm lucky. Both my cats drink quite a bit on their own - but the vet wants Ellie to drink even more. She LOVES our fountain - but Bear only uses it when it's off. I've never cleaned out the motor though - I'll do that this weekend!

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  37. this is really cool! the photos are also funny... in the first one and a couple others your kitty looks so SURPRISED... what a cutie! ~ Dear Mishu

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  38. He probably likes to drink from a fountain, never tried yet

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  39. First, GREAT tips!!! I was worried my cats were not drinking enough because I rarely SEE them drink and they seem to prefer the dogs water bowl over their own. So with 2 cats and 2 dogs it can be hard to tell who is doing what. Except my dog Lyla I always see her drinking.
    My Tibet LOVES to drink from the water faucet and I often let it run slowly for her to do that.
    I have been eyeballing these fountains for ages but have not pulled the trigger yet. Waiting to have some "extra" income but you know how that goes lol.
    I love your tips!
    I sometimes treat my pets with really cold bottled water and they love it.
    I never thought about moving their water bowls though!
    Thats a good idea!
    I do wash their bowls often though as they can easily develop a slime on the bottom ... YUCK!

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  40. I had the smaller cheaper plastic version of this fountain and Midnight learned in two days how to completely disassemble it (he's smart - and a jerk about taking stuff apart.) This one looks so much better, the pump housing and filter set up is a complete upgrade. I still think he could take the top piece off though. Fountains are awesome unless you have a Midnight, then they are a mess lol. I think he likes to play in the water, and the covers confound him. He doesn't tip over bowls but he does play in the water.

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  41. That is a beautiful fountain, it's like a piece of art! Great tips for getting cats - and dogs too - to drink more H2O. I always add some warm water to my dogs' dry food as well, they love the tasty "juice" it creates!
    Love & Biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

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  42. That looks like a nice fountain! I don't know if my cat would have liked one or not. I think my dogs might.

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  43. To me, including enough water in the food makes most sense as that is the way cats would naturally get their water from. When I want Cookie to drink more than she would on her own, I lace her water with goat's milk.

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  44. We're having the same issue with Truffle needing to drink more water. Mom Paula already has three fountains throughout the house. She's thinking about adding some more.

    Truffle and Brulee drank from this fountain when they were kittens.

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  45. My cat loves to drink from running water

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  46. We have never tried a fountain

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  47. Both of them love fountains :) It is so so sweet. I love to watch them play and drink at one. However it is broken now. :( They didnt do it. It was just its time.

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  48. He has done it before. He also loves to lick the outside of our cups LOL

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  49. My cats haven’t but I think they would LOVE TO!!!

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  50. One of my cats likes drinking from the sink. The other two prefer bowls. But I'm sure all three would LOVE a fountain!

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  51. My cats have never tried a fountain but they do like drinking from the sink.

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  52. Yes, my cat likes drinking from a fountain.

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  53. My cat would love this. He hates still water.

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  54. My Cat has never drunk from a fountain but i bet she would love it

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  55. We haven't tried a fountain out yet

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  56. For some cats, drinking from the fountain is intimidating. I had one take to it immediately. The other never did.

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