Keep your cat hydrated with a designer water fountain

Providing your cat with fresh, clean drinking water is critical for maintaining her health. Dehydration in cats can lead to serious health issues, including kidney failure. In order to prevent dehydration, you’ll want to give kitty multiple sources of water throughout your home.

Some cats prefer a moving water source, so consider trying a pet fountain. There are lots of beautiful fountains that offer different features, plus they add a lovely water feature to your home at the same time. Create a spa-like environment with the sound of gently flowing water!

You’ll need to make sure to clean the fountain regularly, so look for one that is easy to take apart and reassemble. Some fountains can even go in the dishwasher for deep cleaning.

When deciding where to put your cat’s water dish or fountain, keep in mind that in the wild, cats will avoid drinking from a water source that is close to their food source. This is because there is a greater likelihood that the water could be contaminated, so try moving the water away from the food. I actually have water dishes and fountains scattered all over the house, and I find that my cats use all of them regularly.

Raindrop drinking fountain from Pioneer Pet
Pet fountains come in ceramic, stainless steel, and plastic, and in a wide variety of styles. Here are some of my favorites.

These three ceramic fountains all create free-falling waterfalls, so cats can drink from the flowing water or out of the basin. Some have adjustments so you can control the flow of water, increasing or reducing the sound that the fountain makes. This kind of fountain is great for cats who like to drink out of a running faucet. 1) Avalon Fountain, available in red or white, $89.85- 2) Pagoda Fountain, available in red, white, blue, or beige, $99.99- and 3) Lotus Fountain, $39.99.

Here’s another ceramic cat fountain, which has a bubbler on top instead of a free-flowing water stream. This could be a better choice for cats who don’t like the falling-water style fountains. Peaceful Waters Fountain, $59.99.

These lovely handmade ceramic cat fountains from Thirsty Cat Fountains are more like art! Your cat will enjoy drinking from these masterpieces, and you’ll love having them in your home. Each one is unique, and the beautiful glazes are 100-percent food-safe. Handcrafted by ceramic artist Keith Davitt at his studio in upstate New York, these are some of the nicest cat fountains I’ve ever seen. Prices range from $120 to $232 depending on the intricacy of the design. Available from ThirstyCatFountains.com.

For a sleek look that’s easy to clean, here are some options in stainless steel. 1) The Multi-pet Stainless Steel Fountain has a tall center spout that comes with interchangeable spout rings so you can create up to five water streams, $99.99- 2) water flows down a gentle slide on the Raindrop Fountain (also available in ceramic), $69.99- and 3) for large capacity, check out the Big Max Fountain, which holds 128 oz of water, $89.99.

And finally, we have the NatureSPA Fountain, a favorite in our house. This fountain has a few unique features, including an LED light creating a soft glow at night, an automatic shut-off feature if the water level gets low, plus this fountain uses UV light to sanitize the water. $69.99, but you can get $30 off the NatureSPA Fountain with discount code hauspanthersave30. Available at avppet.com.

Read more of Kate’s cat style tips:

• Save Space in Style with These Wall-mounted Cat Scratchers
• Stylish Cat Jewelry for Cool Cat Ladies
• Cat Style Trend Alert: Amazing Felted Wool Cat Cocoons
• Cat-Themed Kitchen Gadgets to Help You Cook In Style
• Banish the Ugly Beige Carpet

About the author: Kate Benjamin is the founder of the popular cat style blog Hauspanther.com. She specializes in helping people live stylishly with cats. You may have seen her on Jackson Galaxy’s show My Cat From Hell. Make sure to check out Kate and Jackson’s new book, Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!).