Water hydration is crucial for cat’s healthy life and their way of water drinking is evoking along with the advancement of technology. The advent of cat water fountains is gradually favored by relentless pet owners. But such modern marvels don’t overwhelm in all respects and classic water bowls still have their position. If you are considering changing your cat’s bowl or fountain, look through this blog to figure out a host of important considering factors and make an insightful choice for your cats.
1. Cat Water Fountains vs Cat Water Bowls
Let’s have a comparison and probe into their respective benefits and defects of cat fountains and water bowls from the next six aspects: hygiene. maintenance, hydration, versatility, cost, aesthetics.
| Aspect | Cat water fountains | Cat water bowls |
| Hygiene | Filtered fresh water | Freshwater by changing water |
| Maintenance | Clean once for a long time | Daily simply cleaning |
| Hydration | Flowing water encourages drinking | Static water |
| Versatility | Heavy and limited | light and portable |
| Cost | Initial and ongoing cost | Cost-effective |
| Aesthetics | Modern and advanced | Versatile and personalized |
Hygiene
Fresher, cooler, and better-tasting water is one of the key features of cat water fountains. The smart cat water fountain contains a filtration system and a powerful pump. Enduring water circulation empowered by the pump makes the water flow through multi-stage filters constantly, leaching those impurities and improving water quality. Water movement also stems from the buildup of scaling deposits, improving water taste and smell.
For pet families with a common classical water bowl, pet owners have to change the water in time to provide fresh water to their feline kids. Most cats are used to drinking water from their hands by dipping water from the bowl which easily contaminates water. Those impurities such as hairs and dirt can only be cleaned when washing the water bowl.
Cats are fastidious to their water and good water quality is significant to cat health. Cat water fountains with filtered fresh water keep water clean and enhance water taste and smell. Nevertheless, the traditional cat water bowl doesn’t have those features.
Maintenance
Pet owners with cat water fountains only need to clean them once for about 1-3 weeks. Most cat water fountains have a large capacity to meet multi-day supply and a water filtration system to purify water.
On the other hand, the cat water fountains are relatively arduous to clean. With various components, pet parents need to disassemble those units and it is easy to hide dirt on the corners of the fountain. Notably, the plastic cat water fountain is liable to be a breeding ground for bacteria and needs to be cleaned more frequently.
Regarding the cat water bowl, it requires daily cleaning and water changes, but the work is easy to do. Stagnant water is easier to contaminate and harbor germs if not refreshed, so pet owners had better change water in diligence.
The cat water fountain doesn’t need daily maintenance, but the cleanness is more complex; on the contrary, the cat water bowl is simple to clean but needs daily maintenance.
Hydration
The cat water feeder engages your cats to encourage them to drink more water. Cats prefer moving water for their natural instinct of being curious about movement. In the wild, cats are more likely to drink water in the stream for they believe that flowing water prevents them from getting sick. Moreover, fountains with sensors that evoke water circulation as long as cats approach play a role in entertaining cats.
In contrast, cat water bowls are very simple and don’t have those electronic features. Static water is not as appealing as flowing water and is only committed to supplying water for cats.
Positive hydration is conducive to the cat’s health. Particularly for those cats with kidney, and diabetes problems, pet owners should exceptionally pay attention to the cat’s water intake. Besides, cat dehydration is not easy to notice as they have a low thirst dive until they develop a problem.
Versatility
When it comes to versatility, the cat water dispenser is a relatively limited placement option. Cat fountains rely on the electrical outlet. Though fountains powered by the battery allow owners to move them around, large-sized pet fountains are heavier and more cumbersome, which is only suitable for household uses. Besides, though the operation of the water flow is often quiet and the light of the power source is weak, it may bother sensitive pets and pet owners.
However, cat water bowls are versatile in various places without any limitations. Normal cat bowls are light and small and take up little space, so it is portable to take along on the trip. The collapsible water bowl is just the type.
Compared with the cat water fountain, the cat water bowl has better versatility and is feasible in more states.
Cost
The cat water fountain is usually more expensive. The most expensive fountains cost over $200, but you can also find many are priced at about $30. With more automatic features, the fountain will be more valuable, such as the wireless cat water fountain values more than the wired cat water fountain. There are also ongoing costs in filter replacement and fountain upkeep.
However, the traditional cat water bowl is budget-friendly, low to even $5. The price fluctuation mainly depends on their design and size. Pet owners can even make use of their own bowls for cats. It also doesn’t have any ongoing cost.
The cat water bowl definitely holds a higher cost performance than the cat water fountain, prioritizing cost-effectiveness and offering wallet ease.
Aesthetics
The fountain and the bowl have their different styles. Cat water fountains are designed with more modern, advanced, and technological elements, while cat water bowls have more versatile, novel, and personalized designs, such as a bowl decorated with cat ears. No matter which style you prefer, the performance doesn’t affect their operation.
Now, we have a full understanding of the pros and cons of cat water fountains and cat water bowls. We can conclude that cat water fountains trump for water hygiene, better water hydration, and convenience. While water bowls prevail for their simplicity and lower cost.
2. Make a Proper Choice for Your Cats
Which one is better? It is hard to answer. Both have their pros and cons, and the final selection radically depends on pet owners’ budget and lifestyle, the cat’s preference, and the consideration for cat’s health.
1. Budget
Budget must be an important premise for an ideal fountain or bowl. If your budget is abundant and you don’t care about the subsequent costs, the cat water fountain is a good choice; if your budget is limited, you can also have a look at low-priced water fountains or cat water bowls.
2. Lifestyle
Beyond all doubt, the pet owner’s lifestyle is a paramount factor. If you don’t have enough time to take care of your cats, the cat water bowl will be a burden for it needs daily cleaning and water changes; If you are known for your carelessness and forgetness, your cat may complain about their empty, and dirty bowl; if you have multiple cats, your cats may struggle for water source.
As we can see, for those busy, careless, or multi-cat pet owners, the cat water feeder must be their premium choice. As for those who have much time to accompany their cats, cat water bowl may be enough for them.
3. Cat preference
Individual preferences vary by different cats. Some may love those simple bowls, the other may prefer the bubbling fountain. Most cats may be more interested in flowing cat fountains unless they are not accustomed to the fountain, and cat owners can try to train their cats to use it.
4. Consideration for cat’s health
If your cats don’t spend much time around their water bowl or you have a sick cat that needs enough water, you may try your utmost to feed them more fresh water to improve their bodily hydration.
From the perspective of cat’s health, the cat water dispenser will be an appropriate candidate for pet owners. Though it is not definite that the water cat fountain will increase the possibility of cat drinking, its flowing water truly entices cats and the filtration system gives them a clean water source.
So we can have an estimation of the possible groups. The audience of cat water bowls may be those who have much spare time to take care of their cats, those who have a limited budget, or those who are always on a trip with their cats. For cat water fountains, those who have an affluent budget and busy life pace, or those who value their cat’s health are very likely to be the potential consumer. Most young pet parents may on behalf of such a group. Young generations readily spend more for their pets and highlight their pet’s health and welfare, in that they regard their pets as a family member. More importantly, water fountains truly provide great convenience for their busy life.
3. Conclusion
Cat water fountains and cat water bowls have their respective benefits and defects. However, the final selection depends on your actual considerations and scruples. If you have some interest in cat water fountains and want to learn more about them, Beardpet may give you some hints. Home to four types of smart water fountains with good quality and diverse features, Beardpet is an emerging pet electronic enterprise that endeavors to develop more innovative pet products. If you have any queries, welcome to contact us.
