Fountain for the cat: just another trap of consumer society or can it really help them?

Kitties can last about 1 day without water. However, the irony is that they are not very good drinkers. And this is due to the fact that they developed in the desert, where their water needs were largely provided by their food source. And thanks to dry foods, they don't get nearly the amount of liquid they need from their food.

But everyone is aware that a bubbling jet of water completely mesmerizes even cats who hate water so much. We can take advantage of this to help our pets who struggle with drinking. A water fountain for the cat can change the drinking game completely.

Health problems can occur if they do not drink enough

If a cat doesn’t drink enough, the result is more than just being a bit thirsty. If there is a lack of water in the animal’s body, its urine will be more concentrated, which predisposes it to many diseases related to the urinary system.

Urinary or kidney stones are caused by various crystalline compounds, which can prevent the normal outflow of urine from the body. If urination is obstructed, urine can back up from the bladder into the kidneys, causing kidney damage. In case of kidney damage, waste products in the body are not properly filtered out of the blood. These toxic substances can damage many organs and lead to death.

Stagnant water is not considered safe

Cats are really picky. In everything. But when it comes to water, they really don’t know any compromise. They also inherited this attitude from their ancestors. In the wilderness, running water is fresher and cleaner than standing water. Therefore, cats that drank from moving water sources had a better chance of survival than those that might have quenched their thirst from polluted stagnant water.

Their ears play an important role here too

Our pets can’t see well up close, so they can’t necessarily judge the amount of water in the drinking bowl correctly either. A bubbling water, which they used to look for in nature, is more likely to attract their attention to replenish their water needs.

Cats don’t like their whiskers to be touched

Their whiskers are incredibly sensitive that provides them with information about the space around them. Some cats become stressed when their whiskers touch something for no good reason, such as when they drink or eat from a bowl that is too deep. This condition is called whisker stress. With a fountain, they don’t have to deal with that.

No more dripping tap

We see this useful little device as an investment in your kitty’s health. The fountain, and thus the running water, encourages the cat to drink in many ways. For example the cats’ predatory instincts do not suffer any damage while drinking, because neither their hearing nor their peripheral vision is limited in this way.

The sound of flowing water is attractive to them; especially for more curious and playful cats. So you bought not only a watering-trough for your pet, but also a toy. And besides, their noses and whiskers will only get wet if they want them to.

A huge plus is that the fountain circulates the water, and the movement adds oxygen to it, removes odours, and keeps it cool so it tastes better. What’s more, if you’ve encouraged your pet by leaving the tap open from time to time, from now on you won’t need to do that, which earned you not only the mug with the inscription for ‘“the best owner”, but also “the best environmentally friendly owner”.