Last Updated: 11 months ago
Recently, we’ve come across a lot of questions in forums about the safety of running water fountains.
We thought now was a good time to clear up any misconceptions about the safety of using cat water fountains.
Read on to find out why cat fountains aren’t just safe, but also a fabulous option!
The Truth About Cat Fountains

Cat fountains are fantastic. In fact, I would say they’re one of the best inventions for cats since the litter box.
Many people have switched to cat fountains because a lot of cats actually won’t drink from bowls, or they drink very little. File it under more ways that cats are demanding.
Seriously, though, there are some cats that almost refuse to drink from water bowls. That’s because cats have a natural instinct to drink from running water sources.
In the wild, running water is more likely to be fresh and safe. When I worked at the vet, we had an office cat that would only drink from a running faucet.
We finally got a cat fountain, and we no longer had to keep the sink on a constant drip.
While these fountains are amazing, as we mentioned above, some people worry about the safety of these bowls.
We have seen several questions about the safety of these fountains in cat forums. People are afraid that maybe the fountain will shorten or perhaps the cat will get water up its nose.
Let us reassure everyone now: cat fountains are totally safe. But there are some things to keep in mind when getting one of these fountains.
Cat Water Fountains Maintenance

These fountains are safe, but they require some routine, minor maintenance, mainly cleaning.
Like any other water bowl, these fountains need to be regularly cleaned to keep the water fresh and free of bacteria.
Cat mouths are not a clean environment. There’s a reason that cat bites can become so easily infected.
Because of this, it’s important to keep their water source clean and free of any bacteria, food debris, and the like.
In addition, it’s important to use filtered water to reduce the buildup of calcium and line, which will clog up the fountain over time.
Our first recommendation is to avoid plastic cat fountains. I worked at a vet for 7 years, and in my opinion, plastic just doesn’t get as clean as ceramic or stainless steel.
I recommend either ceramic or stainless steel for easier, more thorough cleaning and for longevity. Once you have your fountain, it’s just a matter of keeping it clean.
How often should you clean your cat’s water fountain? We recommend cleaning your cat fountain at least every other week.
At the vet, we cleaned them weekly, but every other week is the absolute minimum.
- To clean your fountain, wash the bowl with soapy water.
- Then remove the housing cover for the pump and thoroughly clean the cover and the inside of the housing.
- Remember, bacteria can grow in the housing as well.
- Don’t neglect the areas you can’t see.
- It may seem too simple, but it actually is. It’s basically just washing a more complicated bowl.
Verdict

If your cat wants to drink from running water, get him one of the many cat fountains available out there.
They are totally safe. In all the years I worked at the vet, I never heard of a cat having any issue with these fountains.
The only thing to remember is that you need to clean cat fountains at least every other week. If you do that, you’ll be sitting pretty, and so will your cat.
Do you use cat fountains to provide fresh water for your kitty? Share your thoughts and tips below!

We do not use one in our home…yet. We plan to get one soon and think that running water is better water!
Sometimes, we use cat fountains. And I bet they are really safe. We are keeping it clean.
Glad to hear that cat fountains are really safe for cats!! I would think they would be cleaner too because of the content flow of water!
Not true with the one I have. I clean it every sat n it’s always got black mold or algae on it esp the pump. I have tried everything to keep it clean even after I put fresh filters in it same thing. I don’t want to hurt my baby. I’m not sure this is safe. Any suggestions is welcome.
I had never heard of a cat fountain. I remember as a kid those pop bottle looking one’s you “made”. I love the idea of a fountain for the hours I am at work!
I’ve been wanting to get one of these for my cats. They would rather drink from the tub than their dish. I always thought one of these would be great for them.
Hubby had a cat fountain for his cats and like you, he said it’s one of the best inventions ever created for cats.
I have never even heard or seen cat fountains. We have been thinking about getting a cat, this is great to learn. I am sure now I will be seeing cat fountains everywhere now that I have heard of them. 🙂
I have heard really neat things about these. I am going to see if I can get one for my neighbors cat!
what a great way to keep pets (cats) hydrated. I’ll recommend my brother and sister in law check these fountains out for their cat that they absolutely adore and spoil ; )
Interesting to say the least. I wonder if they have these for dogs.
Yes they do
Had no idea that fountain is so important for a cat. It`s always cool to read some advices from professional doctor,thansk for sharing.
Can you comment as to the safety risks of having an electrical pump submerged in water? I had two Petsafe 360’s than I alternated cleaning every week (for those that don’t know, the pump is submerged in the water in this fountain). I noticed that the rubber cover over the wire was tearing where the wire entered the pump. After that, I stopped using the two 360’s for fear of an electrical mishap happening. I’ve since been looking for a design that didn’t have the electric motor inside the water.
some fointais have an external AC adapter, with a very low voltage, woldn´t harm yout cat.
The electric pump inside the fountain is only 12 volts not enough to harm anything. It’s no more dangerous than putting your younger on the end of a 9 volt battery. Just a little tingle that is all your pet would feel. If anything it would probably encourage your pet to drink more….lol….
I have just bought a Catilt fountain but the pump is noisy is that how the pump should be
My Daughter has two Cats is a busy nurse, her and husband don’t clean fountain enough, I have watched cats and twice found lots of slime in the motor and fountain when cleaning. One of the Cats has ongoing ear issues, could this have anything to do with the slime? Is drinking out of fountain with this dangerous for the cats? As a mother in-law and mother I get a hard time so don’t like commenting but am worried about the kitties THANKS Pamela
It’s possible that the fountain is causing issues, especially if it’s not being cleaned regularly. That slime is probably algae, but it could be mold, too. Even if it’s not the slime itself, the fact that it’s not being cleaned regularly could cause bacteria to grow and thrive. Honestly, they would be better off just setting out a large bowl of water in the morning and changing it daily. Fountains are great, but they do require more upkeep than just a bowl of water.
Thank you for your article. I recently purchased the ceramic water fountain but the pump in the water is plastic. So my cats will drink the plastic-contained water. Is it also safe? I googled again and again but can not find any non-plastic pump.
Hi there. I purchased the ceramic water fountain. But the pump in the water is plastic. Is it also safe that my cats will drink the plastic-contained water?
I just bought a ceramic cat fountain, I also would like to know if the plastic parts are safe because they are submerged in the water. My cat loves the plastic fountain she uses now, but I wanted to be sure she gets safe water. Thank you.
We got a fountain some time ago and we thought we were cleaning it as we took it apart every week and cleaned like the instructions said. Then we noticed they were not using it like in at first. So we looked a little closer and found a lot of moldy gunk hidden in cracks and crannies in spite of the cleaning. So I am a little skeptical of these devices. Ours was stainless steel and not cheap. Now we keep two bowls out at all times and they are cleaned and filled with fresh water every day. Our cats seem to be at the bowls a lot, so I feel like they are getting plenty of water.
I have a plastic fountain (2 months old) that keeps developing bio film even though I clean it every couple of days and run all the parts through the dish washer weekly. Should i get rid of it?
If a cat gets sick from a fountain due to bacteria or …. what is the treatment? My girls have been throwing up and not eating and I suspect the fountain. It is about 12 years old. Try to keep it really clean but not inside..
I actually purchased a plastic water fountain and clean it every four days. I feel the bowl while I’m cleaning it to make sure there is no slime. I still keep two regular water bowls out as well. Regular water bowls get dirty also in between crevices which is why I clean them with a brush that gets in between the crevices. I will be meticulous at cleaning the fountain also and rotate them out every when needed.
I recently read some reviews on Amazon (with videos to prove the claims) that their fountains had electrical currents in the water and this was causing their cats to vomit. The video shows an electric current test probe being dipped into the water and it measures very high