# Scary drinking fountain



## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

Since I've read that drinking fountains helped encourage cats to drink water, and in light of our recent heat wave (thank goodness thats over for now)..I finally invested in a stainless Pioneer Pet drinking fountain. I set it up where the usual water bowl was in the dining room, filled it with water, and turned it on. 

Not only were they not drinking, they started avoiding it altogether, esp Lickorish. I watched her go 5 feet out of her way as she walked thru the dining room, just to keep her distance from that scary thing. 

So then I decided to turn it off yesterday, just so they would get used to it. Finally today, Lickorish took a little sip. So maybe I'll leave it off a couple more days, and then try turning it on again and see what happens...

We do have another water bowl upstairs that I've left the same. No sense making too many changes at once. If they still refuse to use the fountain, I'll send it to my brother. His cats like to drink from the faucet, so he may have more success.


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## cat face (Apr 4, 2013)

LOL I'm sorry to laugh but I know how annoying that kind of thing is! 

I bought everyone new bedding/beds recently. An overly stuffed and posh bed I bought for my oldest, to keep her warm in the winter, was totally 'poo poo-ed' (ostracized) when I set it on the shallow platform to raise it just enough to have the radiator heat at her level.

Oh what a mistake that was. 

Because it was so poofy and new _and_ because of all that it had a slightly rounded bottom. 
Well, when she jumped out of it, the first and only night, to to go the toilet, it rolled off the platform and flipped upside down.
<sighs>
So, there it sits... no platform, on the floor but completely ignored because it's too scary


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

hah..I thought ET being so timid would avoid or stay away from most new things I bought, but no, he is ok with most things though initially its with lots and lots of hissing, then investigation, then days later, he was ok with it and he took to the fountain quite immediately. It took him one day to now being crazy about Da-bird, approx 5days to start sleeping on his cat tree.

Hope its just a matter of TIME, your kitty will like the fountain.


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

I've thought about buying one too...I just don't want to throw out another toy or gadget after paying for it...but I am very intrigued

And for the record my cats never slept in pet beds...grrrs they preferred cardbpard boxes. Gizmo is the first cat that slept in a bed..when it wasn't this hot


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## ownedby4cats (Jan 23, 2012)

CJinCA-I have the same fountain and there are different settings on the pump for the flow of water, I have mine set on low and I think I did leave it unplugged for a few days. That fountain has at least doubled the water drinking. And our cats are fed a mainly wet diet. In fact when I'm cleaning it Bubba will sit and wait for me to get done and put his water back.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

how annoying. I got the black raindrop one and I love it.

I also have it turned down to the lowest flow setting and there's no independent stream of water. the other day I took the top off (I was having a hard time aligning the filter spout with the top hole) and one of my cats was immediately attracted to the little spout of water. she kept getting water up her nose but she kept doing it. lol

you might leave it unplugged and pick up their other water bowls for awhile and see if they go over there to drink. if you can get them to start drinking from it first, after you plug it in it really shouldn't be too much of a problem. if you have it on the lowest pump setting it's almost silent and only a trickle, really. (but I know how cats are. they have no idea what "should" means )


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

I have two expensive fountains in the attic. Money well wasted. 3 out of 5 of the cats are afraid of them for some inexplicable reason. One of them is so shallow and unwieldy that I can't pick it up to change the water and not spill half of it on the floor. I have found pyrex bowls work best at this chateau. Last night we but ice cubes in the water and Jack was afraid of THEM!!!


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## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

Is it the noise that scares them? I see a lot of them advertise their quietness, so I assume that noise has been a factor.

I have a question, if I may go slightly off-topic: are they all corded? I haven't really noticed any battery powered fountains. My kitchen doesn't have any floor outlets so I would have to run a cord from above the counter to the floor, which would be cumbersome, in the way, and possibly unsafe. I suppose I could put the fountain on the countertop.


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## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

I'm not sure if they're scared of the running water or the noise - or both, although it is very quiet, but not silent.

Mine has a cord, didn't see any battery operated ones. Fortunately there is a plug very near where I had the water bowl.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I would try setting it up and NOT plugging it in at first. Put their old bowl next to it and once you see them using it take the bowl away. Once they seem comfortable, try turning it on for a few hours every day. They may learn to just ignore the noise.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

NebraskaCat said:


> Is it the noise that scares them? I see a lot of them advertise their quietness, so I assume that noise has been a factor.
> 
> I have a question, if I may go slightly off-topic: are they all corded? I haven't really noticed any battery powered fountains. My kitchen doesn't have any floor outlets so I would have to run a cord from above the counter to the floor, which would be cumbersome, in the way, and possibly unsafe. I suppose I could put the fountain on the countertop.


They are all corded. You would go through dozens and dozens of batteries each week to keep the pump going IMHO. It's not the noise, you can hardly hear them.


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## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

quick update: I just put in fresh water and turned it on again, on the lowest setting. I then went into the kitchen for a minute, and when I came out, Lickorish was sniffing around it. She started to drink I think, but changed her mind. She even sniffed at the small stream of water dripping down the mound. Then she walked away.

I have yet to see Squeek drink from it, even when it was off, but she's not afraid to go near it. I should say its not unusual for us to go several days and not see Squeek drinking at all, but then I have seen her drink a little upstairs.


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## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

I got my cat to drink from his fountain by dropping cat treats in it. He was too scared to actually eat the treats but he would bat them around and TRY to get it with his mouth. Then I'd take the wet treat out and give it to him. Eventually he just drank from it by himself.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

auroraei, that cracked me up. bobbing for cat treats.



Marcia said:


> They are all corded. You would go through dozens and dozens of batteries each week to keep the pump going IMHO. It's not the noise, you can hardly hear them.


I use rechargeable batteries and I would really like to see one without a cord.


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## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

> I got my cat to drink from his fountain by dropping cat treats in it.


I just tried this while the fountain was running and it worked! Squeek tried to get the treats out, failed, but she ended up drinking some water, just to save face I think.

Lickorish managed to get 2 of the 4 treats out and ate them, then drank some water. I gave the remaining 2 wet treats to Squeek.

Yaaay!


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

That is good news, $ not wasted, lol.


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## Auroraei (Jun 18, 2013)

CJinCA said:


> I just tried this while the fountain was running and it worked! Squeek tried to get the treats out, failed, but she ended up drinking some water, just to save face I think.
> 
> Lickorish managed to get 2 of the 4 treats out and ate them, then drank some water. I gave the remaining 2 wet treats to Squeek.
> 
> Yaaay!


Yay I'm so glad it worked for you!!! :yellbounce


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