Is it necessary to buy a water fountain?

[Olive42]

Am looking to buy our one year old cat a Christmas present and was wondering about a fountain. I looked it up and am now inundated on social media with how important it is! (Thanks, cookies!) stainless steel one for £70 is coming up the most. They make you feel like your car is slowly dying from dehydration!! He does drink from a bowl that is refilled every day and placed away from food bowl but not much and he does drink from My glass on the bedside table!!

Any experience or knowledge abd recommendations most appreciated. He has a vet check up and vaccinations coming up in a week so will ask and report back if useful.

Cat tax! 😊

I would buy one if I had somewhere to put it as they do prefer them but they have some downsides. Can be noisy. Need filters. Expensive. I managed to bring several cats to healthy old age with their ceramic bowls full of tap water

He is very beautiful 🥰

Some cats love running water, or need to up their fluid intake for health reasons - otherwise from that I wouldn’t say fountains are essential (whatever gift you get, your cat may hate it, because, cat.)
My cat drinks out of a pint glass. If she gets offered a bowl (or the bottom of the Christmas tree) she dips her foot in and drinks out of her toe fur!

Our cat seemed to prefer drinking puddles and from the recesses in drain covers to fresh water (perhaps it's was flouride he didn't like?).

One of my cats drinks out of a ceramic bowl and the other drinks out the pond! Have never had a fountain

Mine loves his fountain

Our fountain’s boxed up in the cupboard.

My cat used it for a while but prefers her ceramic bowl / a plastic jug / watering can / the drips off the shower mat.

Your car absolutely does not need one! The sellers just want your money so tell you it’s important!

I did read somewhere once that cats like them as they would drink out of streams etc in the wild. Honestly though l'd only get one if you can be bothered with the faff. As long as they have fresh water everyday that's fine. I think my cat has a very pampered life so don't feel bad. Your cat is gorgeous.

I don't think they are necessary. If your cat is drinking out of a bowl it seems a waste of money.

I have never put water out for my cats. Never. If they are outdoor cats it's pointless. They get moisture from their food, puddles, ponds, who knows. So I would say complete waste of your money.

If he drinks out of bowl ready then no he doesn't need one. Least I always thought they are a hope-option for cats who don't - and only drink flowing water. Especially if they are on dry food only.

Nope. Got one. Cat completely ignored it. Never used it once, and yes they are noisy.
Her preference is rain water followed by bathroom water (bowl upstairs at all times). Worst case scenario she will drink kitchen water from her downstairs bowl.
The fountain ended up at the charity shop after taking up cupboard space.

No! Don’t be conned! Mind you- if you will find it fun, go for it.

Thank you very much! Consensus is no. He certainly seems healthy. Xx

I wouldn't. I bought one for my cats and they both chose the dog water bowl and a low bird water bath in the garden over the (scrupulously clean) fountain! So I got rid of it.

If anyone does want one - this is wireless, and it comes with a tiny (look for it!) leaflet for a box of free filters in the box, you just email them and they post them to you
it’s pretty quiet and goes on sensor or timed settings
i am pleased with it

https://amzn.eu/d/gRpNir7

We've switched to a fountain and ours seem to prefer it.

One of ours (the youngest) loves water - when you go into the bathroom, he runs in, jumps in the bath and waits for the tap to be turned on. He sees the fountain as some sort of challenge and tries to take the lid off. He worked out if he stood behind the spout, put mouth over spout and took big step backwards he could pull it off.
We've then put sellotape round the seal to try to keep the lid in place. He patiently picks at the sellotape to see if he can pull it all off...

Surely several thousand years of domesticated cats is evidence enough that a water fountain is not an essential!

Ours has 2 Catit fountains , one on each floor the downstairs one is mains powered , upstairs is rechargeable. They both get well used particularly as until a few weeks ago she predominantly ate dry food .

Dsds cat preferred the bucket kept in the garden (due to lack of space) as did ddog to bowls of fresh water, go figure

Our cats drink much more from a fountain. Well worth it if you have the space especially if they are on dried food. But I take the filter out because it soon gets disgusting.

Not essential but it stopped ours drinking from any random cups with water in, even the one I was currently trying to drink. I had to stop having a glass of water on the bedside table and use a water bottle.

We did try them with their own cups for a while, but girl cat used to tip them over constantly. Prior to this there was a ceramic bowl of water that was ignored.

What it comes down to is that it completely depends on the cat.