5 Ways to Get Your Cat to Drink More Water (Raindrop Fountain Review)

A few months ago Lola had her annual wellness checkup, which included blood work and a urinalysis. The results of her blood work were perfect, but she had some crystals in her urine. The protein level was also a little high, and the Ph was on the acidic side. The vet advised me to encourage her to drink more water and come back for a recheck. 

Encourage my cat to drink water? I was stumped. I was worried that the results could lead to bigger issues, but I didn’t know how to get more water into her. After doing some research I discovered some helpful hints to get a cat to drink more water, which I’m sharing with you today. 

Five Ways to Get Your Cat to Drink More Water

1. Place bowls in different areas around your house. 

Having several water stations makes getting a drink more appealing and super easy for your cat. If your cat likes to drink from a cup, leave one or two (non-breakable) cups strategically placed around the house to entice her to drink.  Try using wide bowls to limit whisker stress. Another tip is to make sure the bowl is filled to the brim. 

2.  Use filtered water

Some cats don’t like tap water (unless they’re drinking it from the faucet like Lexy loves to do.) If your finicky feline is not drinking as much as she should, try filling their bowl from a filtered water pitcher or use bottled water. 

3.  Feed your cat wet food and add some water to it.

You should consult with your veterinarian before starting any diet change, but if they agree, canned food has a high moisture content and is a good way to get more water into your cat’s diet. You can also add a splash of water to the food for added moisture, and if your cat is a little picky, try some low sodium chicken broth or a bit of tuna water. 

4.  Change the water often.

Cats like fresh water, which can start to taste stale after sitting for a while, and biofilm can form on the bottom of the bowl. Not very appealing. Clean and refresh the water at least once daily, preferably more. 

5.  Use fountains.

Lola and Lexy love fountains! Fountains entice cats to drink more because many love moving water. (If I have a bowl out Lexy will move it with her paw so the water moves before she starts to drink.) If your cat loves drinking from the faucet, a fountain is a great way to replicate that. 

Benefits of Using a Fountain

1. Runner water stays cooler and tastes fresher
2. The water runs through a charcoal filter so water is clean and healthy
3. Most fountains have a well, so it appeals to cats who like running water and those who like drinking from a bowl. 
4. Your cat will drink more, which will benefit their health in many ways. 

The folks at Pioneer Pet were so thoughtful to send us their 60-ounce Raindrop Premium Stainless Steel Fountain to help Lola increase her water intake. The Raindrop is perfect for both girls because Lexy loves running water and Lola likes a bowl. Since the water is constantly running through the filter, I don’t’ have to worry about Lola’s water bowl getting stale and slimy, and they’re both constantly getting clean, fresh water.

Lola takes a little time to get used to a fountain, so when we get a new one I always leave a bowl of water next to it. She usually transitions over to the fountain fairly quickly. 

The fountain is made up of three parts: the pump, the pump housing, and the top and bottom of the fountain (okay, I guess technically it’s four parts.) 

In the past I’ve struggled with putting a fountain together, but the Raindrop is very easy to assemble. Just pop the pump into the housing, place the housing in the bottom of the fountain and then pop on the top. “Easy peasy”, to quote Lola. 

Features of the Pioneer Pet Rainbow Fountain

• Dishwasher safe
• 60-ounce capacity
• Dimensions: 4 ¼”H x 9 ¾”W x 11 ¾” L
• Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Replaceable charcoal filter
• Safe and low voltage UL listed power system
• Six foot long power cord
• Premium Stainless Steel

Benefits of the Pioneer Pet Rainbow Fountain 

• Circulating drinking water is naturally appealing to your pet
• The replaceable charcoal filter ensures clean and pure, healthy water
• Stainless steel construction allows for easy cleaning
• Water stream continuously washes the bowl for cleanliness
• Using stainless steel bowls help to protect your pets from bacterial infection
• 60 oz. capacity reduces the number of times you need to refill each day
• Moving and circulating water entices cats to drink more
• The sleek, pretty design compliments any decor. 

Cleaning the Pioneer Pet Raindrop Fountain

To keep your fountain operating well, it is recommended to clean it weekly and to disassemble and clean the pump monthly. Here’s a video explaining how to clean the pump: 



The feature I love most is that it’s quiet! Lola has been skittish of other fountains because of the noise, but the Raindrop is nearly silent. Now I don’t have to worry about her being frightened of the fountain and refusing to drink. She gives it two paws up! It gets another two paws up from Lexy because she has fresh, flowing water any time she wants it and doesn’t have to wait for me to turn on the faucet. 

The 60-ounce Raindrop Fountain also comes in Rose Gold stainless steel, black or white ceramic. There is also a larger 96-ounce stainless steel model. 

For more information, visit the Pioneer Pet website. And don't forget to follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

You can have a Raindrop fountain of your very own! The nice folks at Pioneer Pet are giving one to one of our lucky readers. Just enter via the Rafflecopter below. The giveaway is open to residents in the 48 contiguous states, 18+ years of age, except where prohibited by law. The winner will be selected randomly by Rafflecopter and contacted via email. The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the prize, and a new winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter. The giveaway closes on Saturday, June 16 at 12 Midnight Eastern. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck to all who enter! 

I"m happy to report that Lola's repeat urinalysis was much better. The protein level was normal and crystals were not an issue. Her urine was still somewhat acidic, but nothing to worry about. Thanks to our new fountain, and the generosity of Pioneer Pet, she has plenty of fresh water right at her paws. Do you have any other tips on how to get your cat to drink more water? 
Dawn 
References: 

Catster
Pet Health Network
Petfinder