trying out a water fountain for my senior cat

Hi everyone. Cleo is turning nine soon and the arthritis is making it hard for her to bend down to her bowl. I know I should talk to the vet about joint support, but I wanted to try a water fountain first to see if she drinks more when the water is moving. I have a 5-year-old brown tabby named Max who ignores them completely, so I am worried about Cleo. Has anyone found a specific type that actually works for a senior cat with mobility issues? I am looking for something low to the ground.

Honestly, if Cleo is on the older side, I would skip the gravity ones. I tried that with Gizmo when he was younger and he just looked at it like it was a broken toy. I went with an electric one that has a wide, shallow basin. It kept the water moving without needing her to reach deep. Check out this thread for ideas on electric models electric fountains for cats with kidney issues because the vet tech over there explains why the flow rate matters for hydration. Gizmo is a Maine Coon so he is big, but the principle is the same: make it easy to access.

Val is right about the electric units, but don't ignore the noise factor. I have a gray cat with CKD stage 2 and a healthy orange tab. The healthy one hates the hum of the pump. If Cleo is sensitive, you need a quiet model. I wrote up a comparison of the quietest pumps we see in clinic quiet fountains that dont scare cats. Also, if she is not drinking enough, a fountain is not a cure-all. You need to monitor her weight weekly. If she loses weight, call the vet today. Do not wait.

I have an 8-year-old Siamese with CKD stage 1 and a 4-year-old calico who is perfectly healthy. My Siamese drinks from a gravity-fed fountain because she is picky about the temperature of the water. The electric ones get warm in my apartment. I found this thread helpful for finding a gravity unit that doesn't leak gravity fed fountain recommendations. It depends on the cat. If Cleo is arthritic, a gravity unit might be better if it is wide enough, but you have to be ready to clean it more often since the pump isn't moving the water as vigorously.