Drinkwell Original Plastic Dog & Cat Fountain, 50-oz

The bowl is too shallow to keep a even flow of water to the pump. When the water level drops, the pump whines because it doesn't get enough water. Ultimately this leads to pump failure. I had to replace the pump. If you can't get exactly the same pump you're in a world of hurt because it has to match up to the molded plastic. Little Joe thinks he has to wash his feet in this bowl, removing water means the water level gets too low immediately. When the bowl is full it is just enough water to cover the pump intake so a lower level means it starts to starve the pump of water. Also the water easily escapes the filter so the dirt is recirculated also harming the pump.

Asura LOVES to drink out of the sink. So, to save on the water bill, I thought I'd try an automatic bowl. Not only is he using it, but my blind child, Elliott is drinking more water. It does have a white noise type sound, but you hardly notice it. Plus, the price is nice!!!

These are wonderful.I think they last forever. Our pump finally died, bought a new one..but one big problem that no one can answer. Purchased a new pump, but no way to install it. there is a thin wire that strings through the fountain. There is a plug on one end, and a connector on the other end (that goes into the power cord). It appears simple enough, just cut the old one out. OH no...but that is not a solution, because the new pump, has the same wire..no way to remove it from the connector or the pump, so no way to install it. I have written to different places, they always refer me to the video on how to clean the pump. Is there a magic door in one of the ends that would allow me to actually These are wonderful.I think they last forever. Our pump finally died, bought a new one..but one big problem that no one can answer. Purchased a new pump, but no way to install it. there is a thin wire that strings through the fountain. There is a plug on one end, and a connector on the other end (that goes into the power cord). It appears simple enough, just cut the old one out. OH no...but that is not a solution, because the new pump, has the same wire..no way to remove it from the connector or the pump, so no way to install it. I have written to different places, they always refer me to the video on how to clean the pump. Is there a magic door in one of the ends that would allow me to actually remove it without damage? Anyway, had to buy a whole new fountain to solve the problem, my cat was getting impatient. … more

I bought this latest model of the original Petmate fountain to replace one that had seen many years of service. The cord eventually developed cracks where it passes through the housing, and after a lot of electrical tape repairs, the wires broke. The old one was easy to take apart for cleaning, but the new one has replaced the fixed pump with a removable, replaceable submersible pump which requires a knife blade to disassemble for cleaning. The fact that it can be replaced is a definite plus, and they’ve improved the electrical cord setup, while the difficulty of cleaning it, (which isn’t really hard, it just takes longer) is a minus. I would give the fountain a 5 if it were a bit easier to take I bought this latest model of the original Petmate fountain to replace one that had seen many years of service. The cord eventually developed cracks where it passes through the housing, and after a lot of electrical tape repairs, the wires broke. The old one was easy to take apart for cleaning, but the new one has replaced the fixed pump with a removable, replaceable submersible pump which requires a knife blade to disassemble for cleaning. The fact that it can be replaced is a definite plus, and they’ve improved the electrical cord setup, while the difficulty of cleaning it, (which isn’t really hard, it just takes longer) is a minus. I would give the fountain a 5 if it were a bit easier to take apart, but I guess that’s the tradeoff for having the ability to replace the motor. … more

We swear by fountain water feeders. Purchased this for my brothers cat, Parker. He love it as most cats respond to running water better than still water in a bowl.

I've owned several of classic fountains and recently switched to the SafePet model because the classic filter gets clogged easily. When the SafePet model stopped working after less than 9 months I tossed it in the trash and ordered another classic. The flow control on the classic that arrived does not work; regardless of setting, water flow is at a maximum. This happened in the past with an out of the box model as well. I think I've had it with Drinkwell... they had my business for years, but time to find something new

I thought I was upgrading from the Drinkwell Mini to the Original. This device is super loud, super messy. It came to my attention the pump it came with wasn’t working right as there wasn’t an ability to adjust the water flow with the stick that comes out the front. I shoved my old pump in there and it works slightly better, but it’s still super loud. I’ll be going back to the Drinkwell Mini.

My cats just love the Drinkwell Water Fountain! The moving water entices them to drink more frequently and keep their bodies flushed out of toxins. They rarely get sick because of this product, and I rarely have to clean out the pool of water at the bottom, because the carbon filter does a great job of keeping the water fresh and clean. And when the pump motor, that sends the water up to the top of the waterfall, died on me this last time, you could really tell my two cats missed the moving water while we were waiting for the replacement fountain to get delivered. They would mope around a bit and were hesitant to drink from the still water and would sometimes gaze longingly at the spot where My cats just love the Drinkwell Water Fountain! The moving water entices them to drink more frequently and keep their bodies flushed out of toxins. They rarely get sick because of this product, and I rarely have to clean out the pool of water at the bottom, because the carbon filter does a great job of keeping the water fresh and clean. And when the pump motor, that sends the water up to the top of the waterfall, died on me this last time, you could really tell my two cats missed the moving water while we were waiting for the replacement fountain to get delivered. They would mope around a bit and were hesitant to drink from the still water and would sometimes gaze longingly at the spot where the water normally came out, hoping it would magically start up again for them. Then, when I put the new fountain down on the floor and plugged it in for them, you could really see the excitement in their bodies when they heard and saw the water start to flow through the new water fountain. They just couldn’t get there fast enough to enjoy the taste and feel of the fresh, moving water once again. … more

The good: perfect size for one cat household. Easy to assemble and to clean. Looks cute. The bad: Motor is too loud! I tried readjusting it in every way imaginable, adjusted flow rate, added water, moved it to different part of floor - nothing helped. The motor buzzes and she would not go near it. Im going to have to return it.

I had two of the original plastic ones but after years of use one finally gave out. I kept the extra water feeder for the back. I don’t see those listed here. They are WONDERFUL. I then purchased the 2nd one almost like the original plastic one. But it has a much easier to remove motor to clean. I’ve never had any trouble with these. I always use the filter, have never had an issue with them. I’ve had 3 cats who lived 16.5 & 17.5 years, my 9 year old loves it and getting a new kitty soon. All of my cats loved and used them!! I highly recommend them!