The 7 Best Cat Water Fountains, Based On Extensive Testing

Just like all animals, cats need water to live—they just don’t always act like it. Designed to make hydrating more enticing, the best cat water fountains provide fresh, flowing water around the clock, helping your pets stay healthy and hydrated. After testing 10 popular models over the course of two months—with crucial help from my three cats—I named the Petkit Eversweet Solo SE the best cat water fountain overall, thanks to its wireless pump and ultra-quiet operation. For cat owners who want a sleek, stainless-steel option, I recommend Rellaty’s Pet Water Fountain for its large capacity, ease of cleaning and durability.

Here are all seven winners from my testing process:

There’s a reason cats have a low thirst drive. Domestic felines are descendants of desert-dwelling animals that relied on prey for hydration: “They weren’t necessarily always seeking out water sources,” says Dr. Deborah Linder, associate clinical professor at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. That said, cats are instinctively drawn to moving water, which is why pet-specific water fountains exist. While cats don’t need quite as much H2O as dogs to stay hydrated, it’s essential they drink about 4 ounces of water per 5 pounds of body weight per day, because dehydration can cause digestive, kidney and urinary issues. Below are the very best cat water fountains, based on my months-long testing.

The Petkit Eversweet Solo SE earned the highest marks during testing. Featuring an ultra-quiet bubbling fountain, this pick immediately attracted my three cats and won me over with its unique, easy-to-clean design and long filter lifespan.

Highly Effective Filtering

Whereas most cat water fountains have wires that connect the entire device to the wall, the Eversweet Solo has a separate reservoir and base, which makes the fountain a breeze to refill and clean—you can take the tank off the base and bring it to your sink to add fresh water or clean the interior parts. And while most fountains have wiring throughout, the main body of this one has none inside; the pump is wireless, so you don’t have to worry about electrical cords making contact with water.

I was also impressed by the filter, which contains a mix of coconut-shell activated charcoal and ion-exchange resin to reduce heavy metals and odors. Just as importantly, it was effective at capturing small pieces of dry food and hair, and it has a relatively long lifespan. (The fountain comes with one filter, and a pack of five costs just under $20. Because the filter needs to be changed only every 30 days or so, you shouldn’t have to spend much more than $50 a year on replacement filters.)

Another noteworthy feature is that the Petkit Eversweet can sense when water levels are low, at which point it automatically powers down to prevent the model’s motor from burning out. The indicator light also flashes blue to help notify you of the fountain’s status.

Things To Note

Just keep in mind that the fountain’s capacity is on the smaller side, so you need to stay on top of refilling it more than you would with most other models. That said, I had to add more water only once a week for my three cats. The only annoying thing about this model is what’s missing: a USB power adapter. Additionally, it doesn’t come with the most detailed paper instruction manual (to get more information regarding use and cleaning, you have to use a QR code). To get more testing details on this product, check out my full review of the Petkit Eversweet Solo SE.

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Stainless steel cat water fountains are popular for a few reasons: They’re durable, easy to clean and resistant to bacterial growth. If you’re drawn to those strengths, the Rellaty is a sleek, large-capacity pick that’s a breeze to set up and almost as quiet as the Petkit. My cats seemed to like it, too—they all drank from it during testing.

Easy Refilling And Cleaning

In this model, water cycles up from the base and out both sides of a T-shaped faucet in the middle of the reservoir, where cats can drink from the spout or the basin. It also comes equipped with an activated carbon filter and pre-filter layer; a pack of eight replacements costs just under $20. (One small drawback: The filters have a life span of two to four weeks.)

While many cat owners report few issues with the filter, during testing, I found that debris gathered around the small slit at the top of the drinking area. Thankfully, the fountain is easy to clean. Save for the pump and filter, all the stainless steel parts can go in the dishwasher, and the fountain comes with a small brush for cleaning the T-shaped faucet and motor.

A Note For Mischievous Cats

Like many stainless steel fountains, the Rellaty—which weighs in at 1.5 pounds—is relatively light. While you might appreciate that light weight when carrying it over to the sink to fill it up, it can cause problems if you have a mischievous cat who’s prone to playing in their water.

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No-Frills Setup

The setup was pretty easy: I simply rinsed the fountain and the filter and followed instructions for putting the wire from inside to outside. While I did find it heavy when filled with water (there are no handles and the matte plastic was a bit slippery), I liked that holds a good amount at 2.8 liters. For context, I left the cats for a few days, and the Veken provided a good amount of water for them. I also liked the design, particularly the interior light that allows you to see how much water remains, even at night. Bonus: This fountain isn’t an eyesore.

In terms of performance, my cats liked it—I observed at least one of the kittens pawing at the water in it, and they drank a good amount. You can hear water trickling a little and a slight motor sound, but nothing off-putting. It’s also sturdy and withstood pawing from my cats.

A Few Things To Keep In Mind

Cleaning was also quite easy, and it’s nice that it came with instructions on how to clean the filter and pump (the latter had illustrations, too). Note that the latter’s illustrations suggest using a little brush to clean the filter, but a brush was not provided, which was a slight nuisance. In addition to its slipperiness when full, the Veken also faltered a bit in terms of filtration. After I added fur and crushed-up kibble for my tests, I opened the fountain and found a lot of the debris was sitting on the filter, which was good. However, I did find that there was a good amount of debris that slipped through the filter.

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Ceramic water fountains are a great option if you want something premium that your strongest cat won’t be able to tip over. My recommendation is the high-end Cepheus 360 Ceramic Pet Fountain, which proved itself during testing.

An Effective Pet Pleaser

While I had some difficulty setting it up due to the unclear directions (YouTube helped), the fountain impressed me once I got all the parts together. For starters, my cats liked drinking from the Cepheus 360 immediately—my two kittens were especially drawn to the bubbling center—and all three of them were able to drink from it without feeling crowded.

I also liked that the Cepheus 360 comes equipped with an activated-carbon filter (most ceramic models are filterless), though I noted it wasn’t able to capture all of the debris and fur I placed in the fountain. Further, I found this fountain’s hefty weight of 6 pounds more helpful than not: Especially when filled, it definitely won’t go anywhere if your cat gets up to no good.

Two Caveats

It’s worth noting that this heft isn’t necessarily something everyone wants in a fountain; if you’d rather not deal with the challenge of trying not to drop a heavy ceramic fountain while it’s full, consider one of our other recommendations. Also, while I didn’t find this machine difficult to clean, I did have to use a pair of pliers to open the motor, per the brand’s instructions.

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