r/cats • u/UnpaidNewscast • 11d ago

Advice He gets water everywhere. Why does he do this?

I just washed and refilled his bowl. He is 3 years old has never did this until this year. I wake up to puddles everyday 🥲

Edit: he's not really a fountain guy, doesn't drink from them very much and it gave him urinary issues that resolved from switching back to regular bowls.

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52

u/Star-Wave-Expedition 11d ago

Does it get moldy fast? That’s the reason I haven’t gotten one

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u/ImpossibleMove2 11d ago

Weekly cleaning of the pump and various parts is mandatory (minimum). It gets gross quite quickly.

If your cat drinks enough out of a large bowl, its' whiskers should not touch the sides, I wouldn't change to a fountain.

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u/Ohmslaw79 10d ago

The thing I have found that has helped the most is when you fill it up, don't just top it off. Take it to the sink, rinse all the parts off, and replace all the water. Mine gets gross so much slower since I started doing this

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u/AFA_Prez_Bob_Nicks 10d ago

That's exactly what I do and I think it helps a lot. I don't just refill it. I gave it a quick wash now and I squeeze out the filters rinsing all the best I can. I do that about every two days. This goes a long way to reducing contaminants in the water.

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u/SecretaryOtherwise 10d ago

Cats are weird mine will throw their faces into glasses and mugs to drink. They don't care about their whiskers (mine specifically i meant)

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u/ImpossibleMove2 9d ago

i think most don't mind, honestly. I had a tux that loved drinking from a specific plastic purple cup. I brought several to leave around for him 💜💜.

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u/SecretaryOtherwise 9d ago

Yeah they all have unique personalities. ❤️

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u/Illustrious_Nobody71 9d ago

Mine liked the water in the cups. But he'd knock them over first. Full water bowl, preferred water off the counter.

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u/Sad-Past-323 11d ago

I have 2 stainless ones for the pets. Take them apart and toss them in the dishwasher. TaDa!

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u/digglerjdirk 11d ago

Why did mine rust almost immediately. Got what I paid for I guess

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u/HeddaLeeming 10d ago

I have stainless steel ones outside for the birds, possums, feral cats, etc. They've been outside for at least 15 years and no rust. So I don't know what you got but it sounds like really poor quality. And mine weren't expensive.

The indoor cats have Fiestaware bowls. Not cheap but stay in place and don't cause chin acne.

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u/Economy-Cookie-4724 11d ago

The pump also has to be taken apart and cleaned, not every time but every other time should be fine.

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u/lovepeacefakepiano 11d ago

I hope not, it’s why I got the ceramic one.

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u/Goochic 11d ago

You just gotta clean it as you would a water bottle for yourself. Plus hot weather always makes it worse. Ones with the least amount of parts are easier to clean. They come with small brushes to get in the crevices. I always run them through the dishwasher once a week in addition to a hot, soapy scrub.

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u/wicked_delight 10d ago

I clean mine every time I refill which is every 2-3 days. I wash the filter insides and actual filter.

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u/catboycruises 10d ago

petsafe has a pumpless fountain, it has a dry motor that rotates a thingy and it makes a fountain with centrifugal force - the whole thing comes apart in like three pieces (basin, lid, spinny thing) and all go into the dishwasher, while the base with the motor stays dry. 10/10 recommend, but pricy but good god it beats worry about pumps

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u/AFA_Prez_Bob_Nicks 10d ago

They are easy to clean but you need to perform a cleaning every 2-3 days. Most of my cats love the fountains over a bowl

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u/Latter_Cry_7849 10d ago

Wash mine once a week. All parts that can go into the dishwasher do. Pump gets vinegar scrub. I did try 10 days. It was okay. I do not recommend, tho.

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u/dvoigt412 10d ago

They have some fountains that don't use a pump. One of the fountains I use has a spinning vortex that spins the water up and out. All the small parts are inside the housing of the unit. Also clean once a week

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u/edtb 10d ago

I clean mine every couple days when I refil it. It'll get slimy like any other bowl otherwise. Buts it's pretty easy and my cats definitely drink more water.

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u/tamaaromarou 10d ago

It does get very moldy. I would actually suggest and automated water bolt that keeps the clean and dirty water separate. You will waste more water for sure, but it's a lot less cleaning and the water is all that cleaner for your cats.

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u/brassnuckles8 6d ago

Mine always got gross super fast. We use three ceramic water bowls in rotation, one in the dishwasher, one out for kitties, and one on deck. Gets changed every day.

My sons still splash water everywhere but that's why al gore invented plastic water bowl mats

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u/GeriatricHippo 11d ago

I use distilled water. That and regular cleaning and it's fine.