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  Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain By: Drinkwell Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 180 More Information Not worth the high price  On: 2009-01-07I bought this product so my cat would have cleaner/fresher water to drink instead of the standard bowl of water. I work long hours and not intentional Id forget to change her water bowl everyday. Her water bowl after about 2 days would be dirty with food and slimey. The machine is bulky and noisy. Ive never seen her use it, the equipment still gets slimey, however there isnt any food in it, so I dont think she is using it. Unless Im doing something wrong, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! My cats LOVE this!  On: 2009-01-06We bought this water fountain because one of our two cats got stones and got blocked and had to have surgery. It was recommended that we get something to entice our kitties to drink more water. Our cats have always loved to get water from the sink or bathtub, so we thought this would work wonders.....and it has. They LOVE it. No more jumping up on the counters to get to the sinks! The only negative thing about this fountain is that you definitely should clean it once a week or at least every 2 weeks. And it is not clean friendly with the cord and all. Great fountain  On: 2009-01-01This is a really great fountain for our cats. They were a little unsure at first but they got past the little bit of humming the pump makes. I like the adjustable volume on the amount of water coming out of the fountain. Splashing is very little, I think most of that come when the kitties are drinking. The fountain is super easy to clean. I held back that last star over the filling of the fountain. We only fill it with spring water so pulling out the reservoir and filling it is sort of a pain. The reservoir will not set upright at all so if you plan on setting it down you have to empty all the water out of it. This is what is know as form over function. Good thing is that the reservoir holds plenty of water so you dont have to fill it too often. Overall I am happy with the fountain and would still make the purchase. Awesome fountain! On: 2008-12-16I purchased the Drinkwell Platinum a few months ago and my cats love it. My 3-year old Kadin always drank from the falling stream of water, while my 11-year old Tish drinks from the bowl below. They both drank way more water than they did before, as evidenced in the litter box. I believe the fountain helped Kadin, but alas couldnt stop the blockage building in his bladder- we had to put him down 11/30/08. I think a combination of purchasing this fountain earlier and feeding him different food wouldve prevented this tragedy. The fountain holds a ton of water. With 2 cats drinking from it in a dry apartment in winter, I didnt have to refill it for about 1 1/2 weeks. The filters last about a month if you rinse it thoroughly 2 weeks in. The design of the new filters, where it segmented so the carbon doesnt settle to the bottom, helps their longevity. I take the whole fountain apart once a month and clean it up with a teeny tiny bit of dish soap. Its very easy to disassemble and reassemble, even the pump is easy. The brush kit that is designed for the fountain is a great convenience, it saves a lot of time and hassle fighting with cleaning tools that dont quite fit or bend right. To unplug, disassemble, clean, reassemble, and refill takes at most 10 minutes, and thats if the cats playing with the cord and making things difficult. :) I found that cleaning is even easier if you have soft water. The tap water here is VERY hard (and tastes like a swimming pool), so I use the gallon jugs full of filtered water from the grocery store. Its $.80 for the first jug, and $.25 to refill the jug. Of course, now that were down to one cat I can go a little longer between refills and cleanings. I was so impressed by this product I bought one for my best friend for Christmas. Her kitty had bladder problems too, and he loves to both drink and play in it. She saw the same results in her litter box that I did in mine. I highly recommend this fountain to anyone who owns a cat, and especially anyone who owns a male cat to help avoid bladder and urinary issues. Verry Happy On: 2008-12-12Product was delivered on time and as advertised. My boys are very happy with their new fountain. Both appear to drink more and like to play with the trickle of water as it fills the bowl. Drinkwell vs. Petmate On: 2008-12-08We had a stainless steel and black Petmate Deluxe Fresh Flow for two years before it started leaking. It was always covered in pink goop and fur by the second day, and I just found it very hard to keep it clean and take it apart, so when it was time to replace it, I opted for the Drinkwell. When it arrived, I took it apart and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was easy to take apart and clean. There are way less nooks and crannies for stuff to grow. It feels sturdy, although I wish it was made out of stainless steel or ceramic. There are no "seams" in the plastic where it can leak water, unlike the Petmate Deluxe Fresh Flow. It is louder than the Petmate, even though I have it turned all the way down. The Petmate would stop humming once the water started to flow, but Im noticing that the Drinkwell is continuing to hum. Im sure its because of the super duper motor that is in it and I havent seen any fur buildup in the water. Id rather have the noise (its akin to the sound my fridge makes anyway) than have mounds of pet fur building up in the water. Ive got a half husky that is currently blowing out her coat, so its surprising to see that the fur is being sucked up and not floating around in the bowl. Boy, can this thing hold water. It holds so much water that I hope my dog starts drinking from it too, because my cat is never going to drink this much water all by herself before it needs cleaning. You can put it in the dishwasher, although I havent done it yet. I bought the Drinkwell cleaning brushes back when I had the Petmate and have been washing the fountain by hand. I have no idea how you can clean it by hand without the brushes. My dishwasher uses ultra hot water to "steam" the dishes dry, and theres no way to turn that off, so Im not going to chance my pet fountain getting warped in there. So far so good. Im very happy with my purchase. I dont think I can go back to Petmate unless they come out with something else entirely. The ease of cleaning and amount of water it holds is really what did it for me. I was constantly having to refill the Petmate on a daily basis (I only had the one cat drinking out of it) and would have to turn it off if we went anywhere overnight. The biggest plus is that theres no fur in the bowl! I only gave four stars because its made out of plastic and not stainless steel or ceramic. drinkwell platinum pet fountain On: 2008-12-08I have a small dog and a cat. My cat never seemed to drink enough and liked to drink out of the faucets so I thought i would try this fountain. Both my dog and cat love it and definitely drink more so I am very pleased. I just wish it could be made from stainless steel. Great fresh water On: 2008-12-01This is a great product. My dog & cat love having fresh water available all the time. It has a good capacity too. It has a very quiet motor except when it needs to be cleaned. It sounds like a water feature in the house when it is turned up high. My Three Cats LOVE This Product On: 2008-11-30I bought the Platinum Pet Fountain for my three kittens, all of whom were rescues (i.e. feral). They were initially afraid to drink out of it, so I gathered them up and did the Mommy Cat Seal of Approval--I got down on all fours and pretended to sip from the fountain. Well, after that, all of them drank from it and whats more, all of them prefer drinking from the running water stream rather than the bowl. The fountain, as both negative and positive reviews have mentioned, is made of plastic and can be disassembled into five parts (reservoir, motor, fountain, base, lid). Negative reviewers were concerned that leaking problems occurred because of the parts being separate. I disagree. I had a leaking problem the first day. First, I tested my floors with a marble. They were perfectly level. Then, I took the fountain apart and put it back together again, making sure everything clicked into place with no gaps. Problem solved; Ive had no leakage problems since then. If its leaking, youve probably not assembled it correctly or have a sloped floor. Negative reviewers said the product was loud; one reviewer said she could hear it running "30 feet" away. It is NOT loud. I have hardwood floors, so theres a lot of room for loudness. I can hear my cats walking around my house from fifty feet away. I can NOT hear this fountain from ten feet away except as a faintly running waterfall sound, much like those little relaxation waterfalls you get as gifts. The only reason I can think of for it being too loud is if you turned the stream speed up all the way (it adjusts from a thin stream of water to a pouring stream of water depending on how much your pet drinks). Im telling you, no matter how much your pet drinks, you only need to put the stream at half-capacity. I have three cats, and they drink a lot. Half-capacity is more than enough. Also, you CAN NOT hear the motor running in this thing at all. Whoever posts a review saying they can hear the motor is NOT talking about this fountain, they are talking about the original Drinkwell. The Platinum costs more specifically for the benefits of quietness and ease of use. As far as all the parts, its fantastic for me because I can just take the parts and soak them in bleach water once a week. The directions, by the way, request that for the health of your pet and the health of the motor, you clean the fountain weekly. If you have hard water, expect to clean it more often and use vinegar. I have hard water and have not had a problem with the motor at all. I am also religious about cleaning the fountain once a week because I think my cats deserve clean water. There are negative reviews concerning hard water problems, and at least one reviewer also stated that she only cleaned her fountain once every three weeks. Could you imagine only giving your pet fresh water once a month? Horrid. You wont have hard water problems if you follow the directions provided with the fountain, which includes cleaning it at least once a week. My cats are extremely active little fluff balls, so food particles (and the occasional cat toy) get in the fountain. Thankfully, between the carbon filter and the plastic filter guard between the motor and the bowl, it hasnt been an issue. Also, the filter replacements are extremely affordable. A three-pack can be bought for under ten dollars, and they last a while. The directions recommend placing a towel or place mat under the fountain in case your cats play in it. The first week or so, the kittens liked to play with the stream of water--theyd whack at it with their paws. For that week, I had a towel under the fountain so it wouldnt ruin my floors. The kittens are becoming cats and have laid off on the water play. Ive had it just sitting on my hardwood floor for months without any water leakage problems, and Im glad because I thought it looked stupid with a giant towel underneath it. However, if your pets insist on playing in the fountain, Id recommend buying one of those clear place mats to put underneath it. Youre not going to have an ocean of water under the fountain, but itll be an easier cleanup that way. The only downside, I think, is that when you fill the reservoir, you have to be quick about getting it into the fountain so it doesnt drip on the floor. A small price to pay for six days of not having to fill a water bowl. If you have any questions, please feel free to post them in the comments section. As far as Im concerned, this fountain is worth at least double the price for which amazon is selling it. Drinkwell Platinum is the best! On: 2008-11-21Ive only had this fountain for a little while, but I do know that I love this fountain and so do my cats! After buying 3 Petmate Deluxe Fresh Flow Pet Fountains in 4 years (my review is on the Petmate page), I finally decided to try The Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain and wish I had done it sooner! My cats love the stream because its just like a stream coming out of the faucet (my male cat loves the tub faucet...Im hoping hell like this better). It doesnt splash anywhere and its VERY quiet. Its so nice to have a fountain that doesnt leak water and a fountain where I can keep the filter in place (because the Petmate always leaked water when the filter was in place). Its also VERY easy to clean compared to the Petmate (LOVE that!). FYI, this fountain is bigger than the Petmate and the reservoir is huge compared to the Petmate. Also, I thought it was going to be white, but its actually a speckled grey/blue (which I like better). Im hoping this fountain will last much longer for me than the Petmate fountains did. No longer drinking from the faucet On: 2008-11-18Love the design, function and cleanliness of the unit. A better design can be made for the holding tank and how it drops water into the main cavity (its tricky, but I can do it without water spillage). The cats love it, and that is all that matters. Maintenance is a breeze, even with hard water... What a lifesaver - so much better than competitors! On: 2008-11-13I used the Cat-it fountain for a year, switched to this to see if I could find something better, and cant believe how much time I spent using that other fountain. This one in comparison is so delightfully easy to clean and the cats love it. Im so happy! Three cats who use it give it five stars each! On: 2008-11-03First off, let me say that I have had this product for over a year, and it has performed flawlessly. The manual indicates it is designed for indoor use only. With that in mind, and the fact that I dont allow cats into my home, I built a small shelter over the electrical outlet and the fountain, so there is no danger of electrical shock when it rains. Three cats use this fountain, but one cat seems to be addicted to it more than the other two. I bought it because of him, since he would always try to drink from the garden hose whenever he could. With the fountain in place, he does not seek out the garden hose anymore. The product is very well made, and I like the fact that if anything ever breaks I can buy the individual parts (there are 5 plastic parts plus the pump) separately. That is a big plus. Initially, I thought the pump would not last very long, but it has been continually running over a year without any problem at all. If it ever breaks, I will order a new pump (about $15.00) without hesitation. The fountain needs to be taken apart and cleaned every three weeks or so. This also involves disassembling the small pump. The first time I tried it, I was disappointed in the amount of time involved. It probably takes 30-45 minutes to do a thorough job, but it is like any other household chore; it needs to be done, and the cats deserve fresh drinking water. Also, the reservoir is a little inconvenient for cleaning, so you may need a good bottle brush for that purpose. The reservoir tank holds enough water for a 4-5 day supply. Be sure not to let the water level get too low, or the pump will burn out if it is not totally covered by water. As I go on vacation occasionally, I have jerryrigged an additional 128 ounce supply of water from a plastic bottle and plastic tubing that gravity feeds into the main tank. This additional reservoir gives the cats at least a 7-10 day supply of water, perfect for me, and the cats have never run out of water. Drinkwell also sells charcoal filters that fit inside the fountain. Since I already use filtered water, I have not replaced the filters as often as I should. One other note, I add a small amount of vinegar to the water. My cats still drink it, and the water stays cleaner longer than if I just use the unfiltered water without the vinegar. Pet Water Fountain On: 2008-10-29I fell in love with this fountain after 5 minutes being set up, set up was another 5 minutes. My cat started to drink in few minutes, and is more active then ever. I would recommend it if anyone looking for a pet fountain, it does worth it. Awesome Fountain On: 2008-10-26This fountain is really great. I had the Petmate Freshflow for about a year and a half, and the motor just got slower and slower until my cat started pawing at the water again to make it move the way she likes (which is why I got her a fountain in the first place-she kept knocking her water bowls over). My cats really love the foutain, and my roommates kitten sneaks into our room at every opportunity to drink out of it as well. This fountain is definitely better-made than the Petmate foutain. My cat used to take the other fountain completely apart (including the water reservoir, making a complete mess) and steal the filter. So, we had to start taping the top on, which made it a real pain to refill and clean. The top on this one snaps on, which keeps her curious about where the water comes from, but keeps my floor dry. The only problem (which is really my cats problem) is that my cat likes to drink the water right where the stream hits the bowl, but every time she tries her head gets in the way, redirecting the flow and making her head get soaked. But she has fun and just keeps doing it, so Im sure she likes it. We love this fountain so much more!!! On: 2008-10-22Previously we had the "Petmate Deluxe Fresh Flow Pet Fountain" for about 2 years. It worked well, but our favorite pet store stopped carrying the filters, so I decided to upgrade to a newer product. Petmate Deluxe Fresh Flow Pet Fountain Large, White We have 3 cats and one of them is a "stream" drinker (he begs us to turn on the faucets). I was worried how the other two were going to take to it, but now all 3 are stream drinkers. Its wonderful because Ive definitely seen all three drinking much more water this week than with the other fountain. The proof is has been in the litter boxes. The Platinums motor is very quite; I only hear the trickling water. I hesitate to say this and am NOT trying to compare the sound level of the two products. I would think any motor running constantly for 2 years would be louder than a brand new one. However in comparison the Platinum flowing stream is much stronger and circulates the water better. It gives the water the power to move most of the debris toward the little trap. Where as with the other one, the debris had always sank or stuck to the bowl walls. The Platinum also holds a lot more water. Both products are dishwasher safe, so regular washing is easy for either. However, the old one was a pain when it came to scrubbing off the mineral deposit build up and my guess is this new one will be too. I would even recommend this product to people with small or medium sized dogs. Great product On: 2008-10-15good item arrived on schedule and in good order. Cat took some time a week to get cofortable with the fountain but now likes it. Seems to me my cats breath is not so strong now. Would highly recommend this for all cat owners. Great fountain so far!! On: 2008-10-14I just got this about 1 week ago. I got it for our aging Bichon who is blind, and is starting to not drink as much (I figured the noise would direct her). I also have 1 other dog, and a cat. I kept the regular water bowl out just in case. All of the animals have flocked to the new fountain!! They have not even touched the old bowl. It is really getting all of them to drink more. It has also stayed clean a lot longer than my other bowl. I was cleaning the bowl once a day because my cat likes to put his paws into the water and lick it off. He does not do that with this one, he just licks right from the flow. It is too soon to see if there are any design flaws, but I will post if any pop up. So far, this was worth the investment, and I do hope it lasts because it really does seem like it is benefiting my animals by getting them to drink more water, and saving me time by letting me go for a bit between cleanings. Definitely worth it! On: 2008-10-10We have 2 cats, one who loves to drink out of the bathroom faucet. He even got to the point where he would wake me up at night and keep pawing at my face until I got up and turned it on. I had considered a pet fountain for some time but with so many had a hard time choosing how much to spend and what features I thought would be the best for our cats. I decided on the platinum model because the water comes out just like the faucet, not just down a ramp. Both cats took to it the first day, sitting and watching the water and playing with it with their paws. By the second day they were both drinking out of it. I dont use the charcoal filters since our water is filtered to begin with. The little plastic filter by the flow control is great for keeping hair out of the pump. It is fairly quiet but of course you can hear the running water, which was easy to get used to. A big plus for me is it is very easy to take apart and clean, and easy to reassemble. The only negative is the design of the cap for the water tank- it has no seal so when you turn it over to insert into the base it leaks quite a bit. I do think it is too expensive but dont consider that a negative- it was a small price to pay to keep a cold nose from waking me up in the middle of the night! drinkwell fountain drinks well On: 2008-10-07This is a great product. In all honesty, I dont see much wrong with it, other than I dont like that I have to buy a new filter so often. Cleaning of the fountain has become quick and easy for me. Ive also decided, just for the cats, that I will use bottled water so the filter is not used up as quickly, as my tap water is atrocious. All in all, I like this product and its a great way to get my cats to drink more water. Great buy! On: 2008-10-06My cats love their new drinkwell! The fountain is placed on a towel which catches any splatter. We do not notice any noise! I am not crazy about the weekly cleaning, but it is not too difficult. It does NOT require any special brushes. I use plain bottle brush. We also use filtered water from frig which decreases the need for more frequent changes of filters. The charcoal filters are hard to find in pet supply stores and vary greatly in cost- from $14.00 to $11 per 3 pk. Would be cheaper to order on line and pay shipping! Drinkwell platinum great for large dogs and cats On: 2008-10-04Great product and easy to keep clean. Main reason for purchase was to increase water consumption of cat that had previously had kidney and bladder stones. She has at least doubled the amount of water she was consuming before I had the drinkwell. I was also very pleased my German Shepherd likes to drink out of it and seems to make less of a mess than when drinking from a traditional bowl. I dont even have to fill it everyday. I wish the bowl was a little deeper, but this one is sufficient. Drinkwell Platinum - Love It! On: 2008-10-02I just bought the Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain for my two kitties. I never tried the Original Pet Fountain, so this review is not comparative. Reading other reviews, I was pretty uncertain about what I was going to get. One review says its the best product ever, and the very next calls it a piece of ****. So I am offering mine as a fair and honest review of this product. My review is positive. My kitties were interested in the fountain immediately - they were drinking out of it before I even had the pump running. I tried setting the flow on high, and settled on low - the cats are a little bit afraid of it when it runs on high, and it makes a splashing noise (but does not actually splash water outside the bowl - just makes more noise). On low, the fountain is virtually soundless unless you are standing right next to it, and then the sound is a low hum. If I am standing more than 2 feet away, I cant hear it at all. Its easy to take apart and put back together. The kitties love it and think its a great new toy. They are definitely drinking more, which Im happy about - increased water intake is an excellent way to improve your cats health. I am satisfied with my purchase and will be buying them as Christmas presents for my family members with cats too! Love this fountain!!! On: 2008-10-01I owned the original drinkweel fountain for about 2 years. Recently when searching for a tank to add for a vacation I was about to tank I stumbled across the newer Platinum version. This version has no humming sounds and runs wonderfully. My two cats love the fountain. I love the fact that the parts are dishwasher safe so there is no more handwashing.Great/ Wonderful Product! My cats love it On: 2008-09-30My cats Hedy and Hopper both went for this fountain. Hedy would only drink from the faucet and Hopper would only drink from the toilet, they would wait for me to go to the bathroom where Id have to turn the faucet on for Hedy and flush the toilet for Hopper. I got them this fountain so that they wouldnt have to wake me up in the middle of the night when they were thristy. I set it up and they both spent the next half hour entranced by it. The only problem was that they disconnected the power cord (there is a quick disconnect feature which disconnects the cord if the cat pulls on it). I tucked the cord out of the way but I may have to use some electrical tape to disable the disconnect feature if they do it again. my cats L-O-V-E this thing! On: 2008-09-28Both of my cats love this fountain. I filled it up more than a week ago and its still got plenty of fresh water in it, and my cats both drink a LOT. For the first few minutes after I set it up, they were kind of freaked out, but then they approached it and realized that there was delicious, clean water coming out! YEAH! They both like drinking from the top where the water cascades out into the bowl. Theres even a little accessory where you can grow hydroponic kitty grass in the corner of the bowl :) Drinkwell Premium Fountain On: 2008-09-23I love it! And so do the cats. Very quiet running. Reservoir in the back is a definite plus. Slightly awkward to clean. I wish the base was made of a sturdier material. But still well worth the purchase! kitten fountain On: 2008-09-21My kittens love it. Its easy to clean. Its quiet. Im happy I purchased it. This gets their attention On: 2008-09-20This product truly does inspire more frequent drinking from my two cats. It is quiet, and much, much cleaner. This never has a nasty appearence, and requires much less of my own attention. The only draw back is that you have to locate it some where near an electrical outlet. Ill be looking for the battery powered model. Works great! On: 2008-09-16My cat was a little scared of it at first, but after a few days he got curious and tried it out. He now uses it without a problem and likes to drink from the stream of falling water. I like it because I can go a few days between reservoir fillups and somehow the water stays relatively cool. Ive only cleaned it once so far in the 1 month that Ive owned it, but it was pretty easy. The sound of the water flowing is a little noticeable at first, but its nothing thats going to keep you awake at night or anything. The pump is also pretty quiet... no worse than a fish tank anyway. If your pet prefers running water over the typical water dish, Id recommend giving this product a try. Great product On: 2008-09-15My cat likes to drink from the faucet, and will not drink from standing water in a bowl. The Drinkwell fountain mimics a faucet, so he will actually drink from his water now. I would recommend this product for people facing a similar situation. Very Cool On: 2008-09-02My cats immediately fell in love with this. It appears to work great. Its larger than I thought it would be. My cats ask me to turn on the faucet for them less often now. Best purchase to keep my cats healthy! On: 2008-09-02I purchased the drink well after talking to some other cat people. Some cats get kidney stones and it is because they do not drink enough water. Since I purchased this, EVERYBODY loves it and is drinking more. The water stays fresher and cool. (I used to put ice cubes in their water bowl in summer.) cat's meow On: 2008-08-29I have owned the Drinkwell brand pet products for at least 7 years now; each year they continually improve on their products. The Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain is by far their best yet. The new gate that keeps my cats hair and etc... from getting into the motor is one of the main reasons that I bought the new model even though the last model still works fine. Good Fountain On: 2008-08-25A very easy design, but practical. My cat likes it. At the beginning I thought the pump and filtering system can be more advanced to worth the price. Well designed but not for every cat On: 2008-08-20Much better flow control than the old Drinkwell model we had. The pre-filter is AWESOME at catching cat food that used to clog up the motor on the old model and make the filter turn yellow. Reservoir feels like it holds gallons of water. The model is very quiet and disassembles easily for the dishwasher. CONS: you need to rest the reservoir against something to fill it. Sometimes I have trouble "seating" the assembly that brings the water back to the top on its mount correctly since it has to fit over the water nozzle exactly or it doesnt lock in. Id also like a longer ramp for the water to run down and have the water flow closer to the front. Our cats prefer to drink from the ramp and usually try to drink from the side so its easier to reach. Overall, though, its a very well designed machine and a great improvement over the old model. I highly recommend it! Well worth the money, the cats love it! On: 2008-08-19When I first looked at this, I thought it was an expensive toy for people who have too much money! I was wrong, it ended up being a great purchase. We have two cats that just wouldnt drink out of their water dish. We tried all kinds of things to get them to drink water (I read about the health problems cats get if they dont drink enough) with no luck. I finally broke down and bought this. They love it! The water tank on the back holds a nice reserve of water, it is filtered constantly, and the running water captures their attention. I really cant say anything bad about this unit. If I were to make a suggestion on how it could be improved, I would say to add a spare filter in the box....but I am not complaining! Well worth the price. Really Liked The Original Version, But Absolutely LOVE The New One! On: 2008-08-18I had two of the original Drinkwell pet fountains for the past several years and both of my cats absolutely loved them. Of course, this didnt stop them from jumping up on the kitchen and bathroom counters everytime we turned on the faucets, but it did keep them drinking from their own water fountains when ours werent running. My cats eighth birthday was coming up and I hadnt decided what I was going to get him this year, as he already has enough toys and climbing and scratching poles to last several cats. I was searching through a wide variety of items for cats and read about all of the improvements that had been made to the original Drinkwell pet fountain and decided it was time to upgrade to the new and improved platinum version, and boy am I glad that I did. My cat initially wasnt that impressed with it although he did come and check it out when I took it out of the box. I cleaned the entire system before setting it up and filling it with water. As soon as I plugged it in, my cat had to come over and literally stuck his entire face in the stream of water to get the first drink out of the new fountain. He just had to beat his brother DC to the fountain, and of course it was his birthday so he deserved to get the first drink. After a few moments of the sound of cat slurping (you can barely hear the pump motor running), my cat pulled his face out of the water and he had water droplets all over his whiskers and on his chin, which gave my girlfriend and I quite the laugh. I have only had this new fountain for a couple of days now, but I am very impressed with all the new features and dont have anything negative to say about it. Although I do have a couple of comments for some of the people who have posted reviews complaining about having to clean it once a week. My comments for those people are as follows: 1. Do you eat and or drink out of the same dish everyday for a week or more without cleaning it? If you dont, why do you expect your pets to? 2. I read the box on this fountain several times as well as the directions and didnt once see anywhere on it where it said or implied that it was "self-cleaning." 3. If the water is getting slimy or gross with stuff in it, CLEAN THE ENTIRE FOUNTAIN BEFORE IT GETS TO THAT POINT! 4. Follow these basic rules of thumb for getting the most out of your new Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain: A: Everytime you change the water, clean the fountain. Minimum 1x per week B: Replace the filter as recommended. C: Keep the fountain in a place free from debris as much as possible. D: When cleaning it, clean it as if you were going to drink from it. E: And finally, love and cherish your pets like there is no tomorrow! I have no hesitation or reservation in giving the Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain a well deserved five (5) star rating. The only improvement I would like to see is the addition of a stainless steel bowl for the water. As soon as Drinkwell comes out with one, you can bet I will be one of the first people buying it for my furry children. Shawn Kovacich 100% Cat Lover Fantastic Fountain! On: 2008-08-16Ive had this set up for about 15 minutes and my cat has been "playing" with it for the past 15 minutes. It was very easy to set up. I was worried about the noise from reading other reviews. However, Im pleased to say that my computer fans are louder than the fountain. Its extremely quiet. And most importantly, Zelda loves it!! Almost perfect, but not quite there yet :) On: 2008-08-07I bought this fountain for my two cats, one of whom loves to drink from the faucet and the other who likes to like the droplets off the tub. I still leave regular water for them in a bowl, but the fountain definitely has increased their water intake. Pros: -The trap before the filter definitely keeps out hair and kibble from getting to the pump. -Pump is very strong and you can set the rate. -You can run the setup without a filter, in case you like to add dental hygiene liquids to the water. -Big reservoir in the back. You could leave the house for a week and it doesnt run out. -Easily to disassemble and clean. -Keeps the water cold! Unlike some fountains where the pump heats up the water, this one keeps the water cool and fresh. Cons: -I can understand why Drinkwell chose such light plastic material, because with a full reservoir, the whole thing becomes heavy and perhaps difficult to pick up by some. However, since the plastic is so light and hollow in the drinking basin up front, when the stream of water hits the ramp, it makes a sound. More disturbing is the sound the water makes when your cat finally gets the courage to drink from the stream. The water will splash a bit and make a loud and hollow "thunk thunk thunk" sound. That takes getting used to by cats. If they made the area underneath the basin not hollow and/or used a thicker material, it wouldnt make that sound. -Though the pump is relatively quiet, it is still audible. Also, you will hear water trickling like in a tiny brook. This can be relaxing for some, but annoying to others. -Id prefer they used stainless steel/pyrex for the areas that the water flows through since those are safe and inert materials. -The flow meter does have different settings, but the lowest setting isnt that low. If your cat likes a tiny stream of water, hell have to get used to this one. What took us so long???? On: 2008-08-05We first bought the Petmate Deluxe because it was at the local Petsmart market and because of price. Boy do you get what you pay for! The Petmate was horrible from the get go. We stuck it out for almost a year before upgrading to this wonderful wonderful drinking system. I mean from the moment we plugged it in I noticed a difference. We live in Southern California where it gets plenty hot, so we wanted a fresh water system for the boys (Charlee and Julius) this system rocks. It keep the water fresh and cold and unlike the Petmate it actually flows! I wish we had just bought this fountain from the beginning! Trust me. Get this fountain. YOu will not be disappointed! A Hit with Marcel On: 2008-07-14Marcel had developed some urinary tract problems and had begun drinking quite regularly from my vanity sink. I saw this advertised and gave it a shot. After 2 weeks, I was convinced that I had wasted my money, but then, magically he began drinking from the fountain. And now he doesnt stop. And Molly, his pal, uses it as well. Works great, totally silent if set up right On: 2008-07-09I bought this fountain after owning a Petsmate one for the last few years. The old one had a ramp for the water to slide down and I thought my dog might actually enjoy drinking the free fall water - as she finds drinking from the hose amusing. She also likes the "freshness" of water from the toilet - so this is our compromise - a pet fountain. It was very easy to setup, and *is* totally silent. I will say though - that it was making a rattle/buzzing/racket at first - and I KNEW it was not supposed to be making that noise. Before taking it back and trying to exchange - I tried to move/reseat the motor a few times, and actually went ahead and took the little motor apart/rinsed/reseated everything and once I did that - the buzzing stopped. If your motor is making ANY noise, try fooling with it a little bit - as it is compeletly silent once seated right (all you should hear is water moving). There are directions included with the fountain on how to clean the motor - just use those. Once we did that - our fountain went silent! Perhaps sometimes when they ship from the company they get rattled around a bit. Who knows. Pros: - Fresher water - Water stays cooler - Refill less often - Tastes better (not stale) - Pets drink more Cons: - Not as easy to clean as a simple bowl. Requires you to take it apart, clean parts, crevices, etc. and then put it all back together weekly. - Not as easy to refill as a simple bowl - I refresh the water every day or two. - Bulky when trying to take over to the sink to clean. Anyway - Im happy with the purchase. I would advise buying the Drinkwell cleaning brush kit. Makes cleaning easier! Good, with caveats  On: 2008-07-07I had the original Drinkwell Pet Fountain for a couple years and liked it. This model is nosier, especially when you dont use the cheesy "splash" mat they include with the fountain. Any sort of thicker towel will do the real job: absorbing the motor vibrations so it doesnt make a huge racket. I will say that, unlike the original, this model is *not* Maine Coon proof. Three days in a row I wake up to an empty reservoir and a big wet spot in the area. All the top surfaces are curved so you cant secure the unit by putting weight on it. With no way to both secure the reservoir and keep it easy to refill, Ive simply stopped using it. Filling the fountain every day or two does the trick instead. I saw another comment about cats using the removable top as a toy, luckily mine havent figured that one out. Um, so far. Clever, interested cats are a mixed blessing sometimes. I find this item to be adequate, better looking than the original and lacking in some functional areas. Drinkwell intrigued our reluctant drinker! On: 2008-06-30Wed just adopted a little kitten, a long-haired manx who began life terribly and was rescued by a wonderful organization from a kitten mill where hed been kept in a cage for the first 3 months of his life, no water in the cage. We knew how important it was for his health to drink water and placed several bowls out for him -- he sipped here and there, but it wasnt until we got the Drinkwell Platinum Fountain that he thought water was actually a fun thing, nevermind good for him! Now he drinks, both from the stream of water and the receptacle into which it flows! The fountain is quiet, does not leak or drip andhe loves it. It is a bit of a chore to clean and recommend getting cleaning brushes for it, but its a small price to pay for his good health. Highly recommend this product! NOT for lazy owners, could worsen pet health  On: 2008-06-17Sounds great doesnt it? Fresher water, and more of it, with fewer trips to the sink? I owned one of the older models, and recently stopped using it. The product is fine...if you are committed to frequent cleaning. Otherwise, you will get gross things growing in your pets water. It was far too tempting to just "top off" the water instead of completely replacing the supply and scrubbing each piece seperately (including the 2-piece motor). I would say this should be done at LEAST weekly. If youre up for that (THINK about it before you say yes), then this is a good purchase for you. Not dishwasher safe - buy a set of good bottle brushes, various sizes. Its daunting to carry a sloshing bowl/tank to the sink, take it apart, scrub it out...when you could just add some more fresh water instead. When I would finally clean it, there would sometimes be black or pink stuff in the hidden parts - ew! Thats not healthy, and its not what the filters designed for. For my cats health, I am going back to a bowl, which I can dump out daily and put in the dishwasher. Much more sanitary. The Drinkwell (or any fountain) is only as good as its user, so think twice about your habits, before assuming that fountains promote health! So much better!! On: 2008-05-29I have now had three different fountain water bowls for my *very spoiled* cat. The first, which I believe was the original Drinkwell was fine, but when my cat decided the water needed to be cleaned she would knock over the reservoir and drench the bathroom. It bothered me that she was able to do that. She also didnt seem to appreciate the value of the lid, so she constantly flipped it off. I eventually had to just take it off for good. Next we tried another (Petmate) fountain water bowl which we kept for a few weeks and she never used it. I think she wasnt amused by the water sliding down the water ramp rather than free-flowing out of the "spigot". Therefore, I had seen this one in a magazine and decided that it looked like the reservoir looked as though it would be "untippable", the water appeared to flow freely, and generally it just looked sturdier. I received it yesterday and my cat was a fan instantly. As was I!! I love the sturdiness of the base and the reservoir, I like the residue blocker that prevents the stuff from getting to the pump - its removable so I can clean it too!! It holds a ton of water which is good because, like some other peoples cats, my cat is drinking more now too! Its quiet - though that wasnt a big issue for me - and one of my favorite features is that the top now snaps on. I suspect with the top snapped on shell be unable to remove it and the water will stay cleaner! So far so good!! Makes my cat happy. On: 2008-05-22Its a really good purchase. The water is filtrated and anyone who has a cat that enjoys drinking from a running tap will be attracted to this product. It also gives me peace of mind when I travel for a few days and have to leave my pet at home. Great Design On: 2008-05-21I love the design of this fountain. Easy to use, easy to clean. Only bad thing is my basenji girl lost interest in it right away. Just two days after setting up the fountain she was right back to sneaking drinks out of the toilet...a habit I was really hoping to break. She thought it was cool the first day...but has used it very little since then. Color not as pictured On: 2008-05-19The unit appears white in the photo posted. Its actually speckled gray - not very attractive. This was not in any of the descriptions or clear from the photo so I wasted ~$40 in shipping both ways due to the lack of information on that. Im sharing this so that others can avoid that problem. Works Well But Is Cheap Plastic On: 2008-05-16I was surprised when I pulled the Drinkwell Platinum out of the box that it was made with cheap plastic. Looking at it, theres nothing to justify the high price I paid for it ($59.89). It looks and feels cheap. I agree with one other reviewer who wrote that he wished the bowl was ceramic or stainless steel. The most expensive thing is the pump and pumps arent that expensive, especially since the water only has to go up less than a foot. I like the look of the Petmate better but I bought this because the water falls out rather than slides. I assumed my cats would prefer the former. At least you cant hear the pump. The only thing you hear is the sound of water trickling (on the lowest setting). The most important thing is if my cats like it and drink more from it. I bought one of these because one of my cats has a bladder stone and needs to drink more. So far, she walks right by it, but its only been a day. A good idea, but better implementation needed On: 2008-05-15This item broke almost immediately. It leaked water and the pump was loud and distracting. Its unfortunate, since the idea of fresh water for our pets was a very attractive idea, but I went back to the good ol water bowl after this waste of money. Not for big dogs On: 2008-05-12My first fountain was the Drinkwell Big Dog Fountain. It worked great although a little difficult to clean. When the motor finally died, I was eager to get the Platinum. Now Im eager to sell it or give it away and go back to the Big Dog fountain. I read all the reviews, pros and cons and finally decided the pros outweighed the cons. Ironically, Im not having any of the problems mentioned. It doesnt leak from the reservoir, its not loud and it has sufficient capacity. The problem is the size of the bowl. It has shrunk down to such a small size that my dogs (I have 5 ranging from 35lbs to 80lbs) must drink from the very edge of the bowl to the side, causing quite a mess. There was so much water on the floor, I honestly thought it was leaking profusely. I put it on the counter overnight to confirm and the counter was dry as a bone in the morning. I know my dogs arent pristine creatures, but we now leave a thick bath towel underneath the fountain that must be changed daily because it is saturated. I never had this problem with either the Big Dog fountain or even a standard water bowl. This reduces the usable capacity for me and I must refill it daily...something I never had to do before. My cats, however, are fine with it. But they were fine with the first one, too. I would gladly go through the hassle of cleaning the original than have to put up with this daily mess. As far as the reservoir being dishwasher safe, that was a good idea except with the small opening, it doesnt get very clean....therefore pointless. I do like the multi-chamber filters, but again, not a big selling point compared to the mess we endure. So, I guess it depends on what you plan on using it for. The large capacity for smaller animals is a little over the top unless you have LOTS of them and/or are away from home a lot. Im thinking of moving the platinum to the bathroom for my 3 kitties and buying the older model for the mutts. Fair to Midlin' On: 2008-05-12I bought this product to replace my old, well used but hard to clean Drinkwell fountain. While this newly designed "platinum" fountain is easier to take apart and re-assemble for cleaning purposes, it definitely does not deliver on the promises of being quieter and having a smoother flow of water. It is altogether a much noiser fountain. Fortunately, my cats are not timid, and I can live with the noise. Wonderful! On: 2008-05-06Great product!! Ive told everyone at work about it and their first question is always - does the noise bother you? My answer is that we have a fish tank so we dont notice it. It has a pump and trickling water just like the tank. My 4 finicky cats love it. One will only drink from the stream and the other 3 got used to the bowl very quickly. I slowly took away their other water dishes. They most definitly drink more than they used to. We have to clean the hair filter daily (2 are long hair!) and the water lasts for 6-7 days. Its soooo nice not having to change 4 water dishes every single day!!! It is also amazing how much hair the filter catches. I wonder how gross it used to be for the cats to drink from regular bowls. This product is extremely user friendly. We absolutely love this purchase!! 4 Happy Cats On: 2008-05-06I love this drinking fountain. My cats all love it. As long as you change the filter every 3 months, give it a good scrub once a month, it will work great. So noisy!!! On: 2008-05-02The machine is in the kitchen, and I can hear it running in my bedroom which is 30 feet down the hall. I used to have the Petmate one, and that one was great. I got this one because it holds more water. Its been great not to have to refill it, but not worth the noise. My cat loves this! On: 2008-04-28Ive had all three generations of Drinkwell fountains and this one is by far the best! The attached reservoir is easy to use with no awkwardness or spillage problems that the last one had. Cleaning and reassembly is a breeze and the unit is so much quieter than the last one. This is definitely worth the money! Beware of KV Vet Supply On: 2008-04-27I am writing this as a warning to potential buyers from KV Vet Supply of Nebraska, who sells the Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain. I ordered the fountain from KV Vet Supply and got the filters in a package from another vendor. About 6 hours after my order was placed KV Vet Supply cancelled my order and emailed that they would sell me the unit for more than what other vendors are selling the item. I tried to cancel the filter order, but it was already in the mail. KV Vet Supply refused to work with me to resolve this issue. This bait and switch attempt was reported to Amazon - but the only response was customer service rep from India not understanding why this bait and switch price increase was a problem. I have reordered from another vendor, but I am very disappointed in KV Vet Supply and Amazon for failing to work with me on this matter. Calico Cat On: 2008-04-21I thought this would have been a great idea for my cat but unfortunetly, my cat did not like it. It was too big and the light humming noise kept her away from it. cats love it...but they don't last On: 2008-04-14I have just thrown away my 3rd drinkwell fountain. Although my cats love the fresh H2O and the running stream....the motors burn out. I have had 2 motors fail in the past 8 months! Of course the item SHOULD be covered under the 1 yr warranty.....EXCEPT if you have hard water....tough luck for you- not covered. Believe me I cleaned these fountains every 3 weeks and changed the filters also.....BUT.... the motors still failed. So if you have hard water-watch out. Im going to try another brand and will review that in the future. Expensive, flimsy plastic, poorly made, non-functional and HUGE - 2 square feet of floor On: 2008-04-13This thing is horrible. Currently the cheap little pump isnt working after the flimsy plastic body fell six inches into the bathtub after its housing fell apart while I was trying to clean it. I will be calling the company Monday morning to try to get them to take it back. I cannot believe that the only products in this category all look about the same and are all made of cheesy plastic. (Really you shouldnt use plastic for any animals drinking water, including humans, it leaches nasty things like plasticizers and endocrine disruptors into the water.) The thing is enormous, and it is hard to find a good place to put it. Then you have this huge surface of water open to anything that falls in. Theres a weird kind of strainer that keeps bits of food and larger items out of the pump, then this silly filter that keeps other smaller things from going into the larger area where all the dust and bits of food are. Its too big to easily clean, but if you do not clean it often, it gets slimy. The filter does what again? I dont really think it has any actual effect. It keeps things from traveling from the water reservoir to the area where the cats drink from, which, again, is this huge surface of water open to cat food, bugs, dust, and anything else falling into it. So why the filter? I will be trying to improve on this design and will write back if I manage to do so. THIS IS THE WORST DESIGN/PACKAGING EVER On: 2008-04-10A fair warning to all who think they want to upgrade from the old version to the new Platinum version. The motor is the worst part of this product. I bought the new model having used the old version for a very long time - never had to replace a motor on the old model. The old model was used for 3 cats, 2 of whom lived to the ages of 19 and 16. I thought I would treat my remaining cat and myself to the upgrade. I had it for two hours - it seemed to run beautifully and my cat went to this fountain more than the previous one. He loved it. It stopped working after 2 hours. I contacted the company via email and they keep insisting that I should clean the motor before they will ship a new motor. They say it is because during manufacturing and packaging particles may be lodged when combined with water creates a clog. I say that is a DESIGN/MANUFACTURING and PACKAGING defect. I should not have to pull apart a brand new motor. These should be inspected at manufacturing and packaged to prevent this problem if they are aware that it exists. NOT WORTH THE AGGRAVATION. I have gone back to using the old one which is still running fine after all these years. 5 PAW rating from the cats On: 2008-04-03Cats review: When our human family purchased this unit we were more than a little sceptical. What happend to the old reliable water bowl? On second thought the water bowl was sometimes empty in the past. Intially the noise and the motion of the water scared me. I heard my owners wife say ... "The cats will never use the fountain it as they are scared of it". Well I was a little initmiatdated at first. However now I love it. In fact I dont actually drink out the bowl section. Instead I drink the water as it comes out of the fountain. It is the fresher and more fun. It is also nice that the water is filtered. Who doesnt like freash / clean water. It is so popular there is now a Drinkwell outside as well as the original one inside. FIVE PAWS!! Let Drinkwell Spoil Your Pet With Laps of Luxury On: 2008-03-29If you have a cat or dog, you have probably discovered just how much they love a fresh drink of water, from a faucet or even the household commode. Although loving owners keep dishes of water handy for their pets, our furry little friends seem to prefer the cool, fresh H20 offered by the bathroom or kitchen sink, and even from the bowl of a recently flushed toiled. Any veterinarian will inform you of how important it is for your pet to remain properly hydrated. Cats are especially susceptible to serious urinary tract and kidney problems if they lack enough water intake, and can contract the well known and potentially fatal Feline Urinary Syndrome. If only there were a practical, more sanitary way to treat our pets to a refreshing drink of fresh water whenever their precious little hearts desired. Enter the Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain, made by Veterinary Ventures Inc. This fabulous invention offers a free-falling stream of water, which entices pets to drink more, keeping them happy, healthy and hydrated. The fountain utilizes a submersible pump for nearly silent operation. A handy pre-filter catches large particles before they reach the motor, and a replaceable charcoal filter also removes bad tastes and odors. By using a 5-inch falling stream of water, the Pet Fountain continually aerates your pets water with healthful oxygen. The total water capacity of this unit is 168 oz. This provides more than enough thirst quenching water for multiple cats or even a fairly large dog. With a footprint of 16 x 11 x 10.5 inches, this device requires quite a bit more space than the typical water bowl. The Pet Fountain requires a nearby A/C power outlet, utilizing a low voltage, 12V DC transformer, with a handy inline barrel-type disconnect, for easy plug removal. Any excess cord wraps and stores neatly beneath the base of the fountain. There is a flow control lever inside the basin/bowl area of the fountain, just outside the pre-filter. This lever is a bit long and I find that my cats sometimes bump it, causing the water flow to change. This is not a big problem, but when the flow is reduced it tends to cause the stream of water to fall on the receiving ramp in a way that causing more noise (makes a light splashing sound). There is a large, clear water reservoir that snaps onto the back of the fountain base. It is easy to remove and fill the reservoir with water, but the required inversion of the reservoir can cause some water to drip out onto the floor while lowering it into the back of the fountain. The entire unit (minus the electric motor) is dishwasher safe, so the unit is very easy to clean. The plastic parts of this device are very solid and fit together firmly, giving a high quality feel and finish. My wife and I were very excited when our new Drinkwell Pet Fountain arrived. The box contained the miscellaneous parts of the Pet Fountain, the DC power transformer, a charcoal filter, a plastic accessory holder clip (for the Drinkwell Aqua Garden - sold separately), product registration card, and the assembly/operation manual. Our fountain even included a special floor mat, for placing under the fountain to protect the floor beneath, which commemorates the 10 year anniversary of the company. I cant say that all future Pet Fountains sold by Veterinary Ventures Inc. will include this mat, but I highly recommend that you use some sort of mat beneath the unit, as you will likely end up with some water dripped or splashed from the unit. The Pet Fountain was extremely easy to assemble and we had it up and running in just a few minutes. Filling the unit for the first time was a little messy, as the reservoir dripped quite a bit of water while lowering it into the base. The reservoir emptied completely, as the water flowed out and filled the open drinking basin. You then refill the reservoir and reattach to the back of the unit. Within seconds of powering on the unit, there was a nice, steady stream of water cascading out from the spout. Although the manufacturer claims that the Pet Fountain is "nearly silent" in operation, our unit has a fairly pronounced humming sound, made by the motor and impellor system, and there is definitely an audible (although quite soft) sound produced by the cascading water. Our cats were immediately intrigued by the new fountain, and they were both drinking from it within minutes of turning it on. They have been eagerly lapping up water from the fountain ever since. Most of the time they enjoy drinking directly from the stream of water, coming from the spout. Other times they simply drink from the basin. Our cats are definitely drinking much more water than they did before we installed the Pet Fountain, and although they still like to drink from the bathroom sink faucet, from time to time, they dont pester us to turn on the faucet nearly as often. This Pet Fountain is easy to fill, easy to clean, and our cats simply love it. Although the fountain is fairly quiet, it is certainly not silent, so I dont think I would want it installed in an environment that anyone would be sleeping in. The cost of this fountain is a bit excessive but we feel the product is definitely worth the money. There are cheaper fountains on the market (we have tried a couple of different makes and models), but we have found the Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain to be a far superior product. We highly recommend this watering system to anyone that has one or more pets, for which they care about their health and happiness. They give you so much unconditional love and affection, so go ahead and spoil them with the Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain. =o) Excellent quality and good size On: 2008-03-29I finally broke down and bought this fountain, which Id had my eye on for a while, when one of my cats decided he would only drink from a running fountain. Im very happy with it - so far the biggest downside is that its on the pricey side. The reservoir is big enough you dont have to constantly worry about it running out of water. The motor is very quiet, too, though you do hear the water running/splashing (but it doesnt splash outside of the fountain...). The water is always fresh and my cats love that. :) My cats are drinking from it! On: 2008-03-28I have two fussy cats who dont drink enough water. One cat rather drink from the toilet, sink, or planter dish than from a bowl of water, but she actually drinks from the fountain! She likes to drink from the falling stream of water, and the other cat drinks from the pool of circulating water. I love that it has these two features. I am really happy I bought it because it was so easy to set up and it will keep my cats healthy and hydrated. Worth it. On: 2008-03-27I like this a lot - its easy to clean, and easy to refill. Pricey, but I think its worth it. Easy to clean and quiet On: 2008-03-15I received the larger, dog version from a friend to see if my cats liked it. One did, the other did not - too loud and "scary" and also too high. After much research, I bought this smaller cat version. It is SIGNIFICANTLY more quiet than the dog version, and my smaller cat is actually starting to use it. The big cat adores drinking right from the stream! I was concerned about the time and effort to clean it. I was shocked how easy it is to clean. Parts pull off easily and it is pretty intuitive how to put it back together. I did also buy the brush kit, and the long skinny brush is perfect for the pump infeed tube. Great product - glad I overcame my concern after trying the dog version and gave this one a try. My 6 Cats LOVE This Fountain! On: 2008-03-10I bought this about a week ago and couldnt be happier with my purchase. I found a great deal that included a years worth of filters, a 3-brush cleaning kit and a waterproof mat. My 6 cats ranging from 1 year to 12 years old love the fountain. My cats took to it right away, no problems whatsoever. There is a slight hummmmmm that comes from the motor, but nothing that really ticks me off. It kinda sounds like a fish tank motor or one of those old electric clocks at school. I was also amazed at the ease of cleaning. I just followed the detailed pictures and instructions and quickly took the fountain apart (in about 4 or 5 pieces) and completely cleaned the hair and cat food out of it. (I have since moved the fountain away from the food!!) I am tickled that my cats drink better water than I do!!!! Best on the Market, and an Improvement over the Original Design On: 2008-02-26Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3SNB22Z8N2TM3 We bought our first Drinkwell in 2001 for our cat Wilson, and were so impressed with the product that we became dealers. We have been carrying the Drinkwell line ever since, and the new Platinum version is the best they have made. Best fountain so far On: 2008-02-24I had two previous automatic drinking fountains..I have cats and they , especially the older ones, benefit from increased water intake. The platinum fountain reservoir design works because one of my younger cats would actually rock the earlier versions off the base and I would come home to a flooded kitchen floor! This keeps the water cool and fresh and my cats empty it on a regular basis. The only drawback is that cat hair does collect and clog the unit so it is necessary to at least partially disassemble and clean it quite often and this can be a bit messy and difficult. And I did have to replace the plastic reservoir once because it fell over during the cleaning process and cracked. I suppose that glass would make it heavier but it would also make it more durable. Still, overall, I would recommend this unit for pet owners who are concerned about their pets fluid intake. This is especially important for older animals who tend to suffer decreased kidney function as they age. Great Product On: 2008-02-22Knowing how important it is for Kitties to have abundant clean water, this thing works great. My two cats both drink more, which unfortunately means more litter cleanings, and because of the waterfall effect at times will also play with the stream with their feet, tongues, and sometimes heads. Plus it holds lots of water. Not bad, However it could use some refinement. On: 2008-02-18Ive had this running for almost a month now, and Ive had no problems with it. You could hear it hum a bit, but I set it back on the mat I had for their old bowls of water, and didnt notice it any more. The hum was carried into the hard floor which made it louder. Its a good product, but could use some refinement. First, when you fill it up, you then have to tip over the water container to put it back in place. It doesnt leak much while tipping it over, but it does leak a bit. That could have been easily corrected in the design using a rubber washer and spring. The other issue is of energy use. It uses very very little power..no issue here. Its just there are dozens of these adapters plugged in everywhere using power and I would like to see more efficient use of power. I dont really think this needs to run 24x7. A simple circuit could be added to filter the water occasionally, and turn it on when the cat comes near it. Excluding the refinements that could be made, I think its a very good product, and the cats love it. No more running the shower faucet for Kitty to get a drink. Overall I would recommend it. Much better than the old bowl of water. Success! On: 2008-02-16I bought this drinking fountain for my cats when I found out that I was going to have to be traveling more for work. My male cat has a tendency to knock over his water bowl, and if I am not there he and his sister will have nothing to drink. It took my cats about half an hour before they were really comfortable with this, but since then they love it. I fill it up about once a week, and Max and Mavis have a steady flow of fresh water. It is a little more complicated than putting out a bowl of water, but it sets my mind at ease to know that they always have water to drink. I highly recommend it! Silent but deadly! On: 2008-02-16We bought this item 3 months ago. It ran smoothly and much quieter than the blue and white pet drinking fountain. Suddenly,the reservior began leaking all over the place shortly after we filled it. It could not be repaired...it was very disappointing!! WONDERFUL!!! On: 2008-02-15I ordered this fountain to replace the smaller model. This is a great fountain and well worth the extra money. It is so easy to clean! The smaller Drinkwell fountain is nice, but not as easy to take apart and clean. I highly recommend this model. Easy Peazy On: 2008-02-14This product was easy to set up, and my cats love it. My veterinarian recommends filtered water for my cats, and this allows me to provide that in a way my cats really enjoy. I recommend this product highly. Great water source for cats On: 2008-02-10One of my 2 year-old cats has urinary tract disease - Im desperate to get more water in his system and my vet recommended a fountain like this one. Since I didnt want to wait for shipping, I recently purchased it from a pet store (and I paid MUCH more than I wouldve from Amazon). It took both of my cats a couple of days to be more interested in the fountain than the box it came in, but alas they now drink plentifully from it. I havent had it long enough to clean yet, but all parts (minus the pump) are dishwasher safe, so Im sure it wont be too bad to do. This is a small step considering the benefits pets get by using it. Like another reviewer, Im only giving it 4 stars because I wouldve preferred a ceramic or stainless steel option. The same cat that has urinary tract problems can also be sensitive to plastic. I hope this fountain doesnt trigger any of those issues. Much nicer than original Drinkwell On: 2008-02-08This fountain is so much better than the original Drinkwell fountain. Easier to clean, easier to assemble and quieter. Highly recommend. Overflows all over my floor! On: 2008-02-05Not sure what the problem is but this thing is spilling all over my floor. It worked good the first couple times and now I go to refill it and it just fills up and up and up and over the top. This stinks! Too late to return the darn thing. In regards to the noise, I like the fountain noise in my house. It is relaxing to us. I regret buying it. On: 2008-02-02When I first set up the fountain, the noise the pump was emitting was unacceptable. I followed all the instructions and did some research on the web. I concluded that the noise was considerably higher than what was normal. I contacted the manufacturer who was very helpful. They walked me through some steps in which I had to disassemble the pump and reseat a particular piece inside. Once back together and back in service, there was no change in the noise level. They then agreed to send me a new motor, and I didnt even have to go through the trouble of returning the defective motor. Once I got the new motor installed, the noise level was reduced to an acceptable level. I have a dog and cat and I feel that they are drinking more water because of the fountain. The problem is despite the fact that the reservoir is 168 oz., you still have to remove it from the fountain and top it off every single day because if the reservoir level isnt completely to the top, the unbearable noise of the pump returns. The fountain itself is cheap and not well made. I hesitate to suggest that it would be a bargain at even half the price. I assume it costs so much because of the need for extra customer service. Perhaps they should consider making a quality product instead. So if you like high maintenance, over-priced hunks of plastic then you should buy this fountain. This Fountain Really Rocks! On: 2008-02-01By now I have bought every single fountain on the market for my cats and the Drinkwell Platinum is by farrrrrrrrr the best, this fountain really rocks, my cats luv it! ;) everyone should buy one for their cats, as a matter of fact, when you finish reading this review scroll back up and click on buy! ;)....I would highly recommend this to everyone ;) If there is a better fountain, I haven't found it yet. On: 2008-01-31Like all fountains that have a motor, they clog up with cat hair and need to be cleaned routinely to keep the motor functioning (otherwise, waterflow will decrease by around 40-60%). They try to stop this by putting a small plastic screener in front of the motor, and that works for the big stuff, but a lot still slips through. Regardless, its the best Ive found so far. CRITTER WATER On: 2008-01-28THIS WATER FOUNTAIN IS WELL WORTH THE COST. IT HAS A QUICK DISCONNECT ON THE PLUG, WHICH MAKES IT EASY TO DISCONNECT (I USE AN EXTENSION CORD AS THE WALL OUTLET IS BEHIND THE REFRIGERATOR), SO IAM VERY PLEASED WITH THIS IMPROVEMENT. ITS LARGER, BUT ALSO MUCH EASIER TO CLEAN. MY CAT TOOK TO THE NEW FOUNTAIN WITH NO HESISTATION. IF YOU ARE DEBATING BETWEEN THIS ONE AND THE FIRST DRINKWELL THAT CAME OUT, YOU SHOULD OPT FOR THE PLANTINUM FOUNTAIN. Louder than expected On: 2008-01-25When we first installed the fountain we found it relatively quiet, but within a few days it had begun fits of louder operation -- a bit growly really. These noisy spells can be ended by lifting then replacing the reservoir housing. We have the reservoir completely full, so thats not it. Turning the pressure up or down does not seem to help, though the louder the water, the less conspicuous the motor noise. Not sure Id buy this again. Itll have to live in the basement from here on out, since its too loud for the dining room. Good product, bad cat reaction On: 2008-01-24I have a cat with a chronic urinary tract problem and wanted to keep her drinking as much water as possible. I got this product after seeing it in stores and reading great reviews. My cat is, and remains terrified of the fountain. I have left it off for, yes, months and still she walks a wide path as if anticipating it springing to life again. I have had it for almost 6 months. I keep it clean and not running and have yet to see her go near it. So. Be forewarned. It seems to be a good product but dont assume from the reviews that your cat will understand that! I fear I spent a fair amount of money on an item destined for next summers yard sale season. Boo hoo. Cats love it On: 2008-01-24My cats love this! It holds a lot of water and the filter keeps it fresh. The motor gave us some issues. I had to pull it apart several times to get it to work. I would buy this again as the cats love it, but i wish it had a better motor. Great For Water-Obsessed Cats! On: 2008-01-23We have a cat that likes moving water. He used to constantly slide his dish around to splash and stir up the water before drinking. This made quite a mess on the floor which was not only annoying, but was actually becomming a slippery safety hazard. The first morning after setting up this fountain we woke to a dry floor for the first time in months! He loves the movement of the water, and the other cats have gotten used to it and now enjoy it also. The fountain has been running for about a month now, and has solved our problem! Im very greatfull I found it. It seems well-made and comes apart for easy cleaning. It has an adjustable pump that moves a high volume of water, and I find that the lowest setting is enough. So far, theres really nothing negative I can say about it. Its a little pricey, and needs to be cleaned periodically, but is well worth it if you have a water-obsessed cat like mine! Best ever and our 3 cats love it On: 2008-01-23Our 3 cats no longer jump up on the kitchen sink whenever we turn the water on, they now have their very own running water faucet and hang out around it like a bunch of office workers around the water cooler. They love it and thanks to the Drinkwell Pet Fountain we no longer have urinary track infections in the cats. The water is well filtered and airriated for the better health of our cats. Laddie, Sammie and Holly say a big thank-you to Amazon for making this great product available at a very fair price. Worth the extra for the "platinum" version On: 2008-01-22We wore out the original Drinkwell Fountain, after at least five years of hard use under two slobbering cats. We liked the original fountain just fine, especially once we added the larger bottle sidecar, but it did require maintenance. Every so often it would stop up, and we had to take apart the "works" to clear out cat fur and other gloop from the system. Not an awful job, but not fun either. This one is far superior, and Im glad we spent the extra money on it. Its quieter -- less like a water fountain on your kitchen floor than a quiet background burble. It holds a LOT more water, probably twice as much. And its construction makes it clear that it doesnt tie up the "moving parts" with the water flow; I dont expect that we will to have to dismantle the unit every six months. (And by "we," of course, I mean my husband!) This got our cat ouf of the bathtub and kitchen sink and to his own water supply! We are all quite happy! On: 2008-01-19Cant believe it...our cat was drinking water out of every sink, or bathtub. Now....kitty is happy with his drinkwell and gets plenty of water. This product is a winner in our household! Trying to make Lemonade! On: 2008-01-18We have purchased other Drinkwell products and have been very satisfied with them. I think we got a lemon this time. We set up the fountain and it worked properly the first day but, at some point overnight, the vacuum holding the water in the reservoir released and we found the counter and floor covered in water. We checked all the parts and the assembly of same and tried again several times but were not successful in getting the water to remain in the reservoir for even a few minutes. The seller attempted to correct the problem but to no avail. Please dont let this review sour your opinion of the entire Drinkwell line or even this product! I hope to purchase another of the Platinum Fountains at a later date and find it perfected. In the meantime we purchased one of the other Drinkwell fountains that has worked for us in the past and it is working perfectly! for the pampered cat On: 2008-01-18This is my cats third fountain over the years. It is by far the best. I feel that the water stays fresher longer because the water flows and moves through the fountain easely. The only negative to the fountain is that it is the loudest we have had, it has a loud humbing sound. It doesnt bother the cat she loves it. Wonderful! My cats LOVE it! On: 2008-01-14After having used the PetMate fountain for years, it is SO NICE not to have to struggle so much to clean this Drinkwell! The PetMate got slimy really quickly, was much harder to take apart and clean and did not interest my cats as much as this fountain. My two boys love to drink straight from the "falls" as well as out of the bowl. I like the sound the water makes (but I also like the sounds of streams and brooks, etc.), so if running water makes you feel like you have to heed the call of nature, this may not be the fountain for you. We are very happy to be using it! Cat seem to like it. On: 2008-01-14We needed a cat waterer that would hold much water and something that the cats would actually drink from. It took about a week for the cats to get accustomed to it, but once they did, it was no big deal. We have two cats; one is very skittish and was wary but now drinks from it and the other is easy going and actually drinks from the water stream. I would say overall, this product is very well made yet simple in design. Its easy to disassemble and clean and it is very quiet. A Must Buy On: 2008-01-12Our family has two cats that refused to drink from bowls and only wanted water from the sink. After the purchase of the Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain, we have reclaimed the sink. We have had the fountain for 2 months and have had no problems. The fountain is easy to clean and the cats prefer it over the sink!!!! My cats seem to like it a little bit so far On: 2008-01-11I got this fountain a few days ago. So far my cats are warming up to it, which is great. I cleaned it using the kit specifically for the fountain which made it much easier. Drinkwell 3-Brush Cleaning Kit Its not very noisy at all. Ive got the fountain in my bedroom and the sound of water is quite soothing. But more importantly the cats seem to be liking it now. I still have their old water bowl out, so they arent going cold turkey on this. The water still looks clean at the moment, but as I said before, my cats are still getting used to it. Try it out for your cat(s) if you like, just know that it might take a little while for them to get used to it. dogs and cats love it On: 2008-01-10I bought this as a gift for my grand-puppy and kitties. My daughter didnt really tell me too much about using it, but she said they "LOVE IT!" Sorry couldnt tell you more. Super stream On: 2008-01-08I like this fountain. More importantly, my two cats and two Lhasa Apso dogs love it. Like other reviewers have stated, my pets drink from the running stream in preference to the pool. I think that they drink more water from the fountain than from a bowl, which is good for their kidneys and overall health. Strangely, the cats drink more from our "Big Dog" fountain, and the dogs from this smaller one. This fountain, as well as the other, require cleaning as often as any bowl would, which is about once a week for us. Cleaning it requires complete disassembly and special brushes (get the Drinkwell Cleaning Brushes), and is therefore much more complicated and time-consuming than regular bowls. It is worth this extra effort to me, but would not be for others. Also, it can be used with or without a special filter, which should be replaced from time to time. I choose to use them. I have not owned this fountain long enough to have any issues with it. If interested, there are a lot of comments available regarding Drinkwell fountains by googling them. Much improved from last model On: 2008-01-07This fountain works well, is reliable, much quieter than previous model from this company, and is MUCH easier to clean. I have had this for 6 months, and I am very happy with it. My cats used to complain about stale water (by waking me up at night), but now they let me sleep. I clean it once a week, sometimes by hand and sometimes in the dishwasher. It is about a weeks worth of water for my two cats. No more cat sitters, and no more late night water complaints. If you are considering an auto-watering option, this is the one to get. This is not an improvement over the original Drinkwell Pet Fountain. On: 2008-01-05I bought this one to replace my original Drinkwell Pet Fountain, which had served me very well for several years. I just thought it was time to upgrade. I liked the look of the Platinum fountain and the idea that I wouldnt have to refill it so often. However, this product turned out to be very poorly engineered when compared to the original. It seems flimsier, the motor buzzes loudly no matter what I do, and my pets HATE it, even when it is not running. My cat refused to drink from it and I found her licking condensation off the window since I had taken away the other water in the house to encourage her to drink. My dog also doesnt like drinking from it and sits and stares at it as if trying to work up the nerve to try it. I never had these problems with my old Drinkwell Pet Fountain, which still works, so I will be returning the Platinum Fountain and going back to the old one. I do, however, like the new filters for the Drinkwell fountains, with their six compartments to keep the charcoal in place. Since these fit both fountains, Ill be useing them with my old fountain. I wish Drinkwell had just upsized their original design. That would have been perfect. Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain On: 2008-01-02The positive points: Cats seem to enjoy it. You dont have to change out the water in the bowl as frequently as a still standing bowl. It has a filter to filter out the crud that collects in the bowl. It fits together nicely and doesnt use too much space. It does make a bit of a splashing noise when the cats drink and / or if you have the pump set to a certain flow. It isnt bad IMO, its actually relaxing to me. The negative points: Youll have to clean it once every 1-2 weeks, and it can be a bit of a pain. (There are a lot of parts to clean.) You have to set aside 10-15 minutes to clean it. If you use filtered water, the water tends to stay clean longer. Sludge will eventually form regardless. The pump causes vibrations and some of the plastic parts rattle. I usually just hit the top of it and it stops when it does that. When the pump is on high, water runs over the top of the internal filter. (Defeating its purpose.) So you cant really have it on high unless the filter is brand new. I think the internal filter design sucks but it works. Kinda. Overall, im pleased with it and recommend it. I think there could be some improvements but it is defiantly better then having a regular still standing plastic water bowl. If you pass on getting one of these water fountains, I would use a stainless steel bowl. It doesnt generate sludge like the plastic. Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain On: 2008-01-01The positive points: Cats seem to enjoy it. You dont have to change out the water in the bowl as frequently as a still standing bowl. It has a filter to filter out the crud that collects in the bowl. It fits together nicely and doesnt use too much space. It does make a bit of a splashing noise when the cats drink and / or if you have the pump set to a certain flow. It isnt bad IMO, its actually relaxing to me. The negative points: Youll have to clean it once every 1-2 weeks, and it can be a bit of a pain. (There are a lot of parts to clean.) You have to set aside 10-15 minutes to clean it. If you use filtered water, the water tends to stay clean longer. Sludge will eventually form regardless. The pump causes vibrations and some of the plastic parts rattle. I usually just hit the top of it and it stops when it does that. When the pump is on high, water runs over the top of the internal filter. (Defeating its purpose.) So you cant really have it on high unless the filter is brand new. I think the internal filter design sucks but it works. Kinda. Overall, im pleased with it and recommend it. I think there could be some improvements but it is defiantly better then having a regular still standing plastic water bowl. If you pass on getting one of these water fountains, I would use a stainless steel bowl. It doesnt generate sludge like the plastic. Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain On: 2007-12-31We purchased this Platinum fountain (approximately November 2007) after the motor on our original Drinkwell cat fountain failed to function after several years. We, and our two cats, really liked the original fountain, but the Platinum one is so much better! Better design in that my female cat cannot knock the top off the fountain (she used to do this so much we would just leave it off and she would drink out of the top of the fountain rather than from the stream itself!). It is also much sturdier, with a good capacity reservoir that again is cat-proof (again, my female cat would knock the reservoir off and we would have to bungee it on!) Also much easier to clean and keep clean, as we have very hard water that tended to build up deposits on the original fountain. Not as quiet as they say and can still hear the stream of water, but figure that feature we can enjoy as we would a relaxation fountain! Would recommend wholeheartedly! My cat loves it! On: 2007-12-30My cat spent 20 minutes at the this water bowl the minute I set it up and turned it on. I used to worry he never spent any time at his little ceramic kitty bowl. Thank you Drinkwell for making my kitty happy and keeping him healthy. (MUCH easier than the blue water fountain bowl by Petmate. My old roommates used to have that one for our cats and I would swear up a storm every time I had to clean that stupid thing. What a nightmare that was with all of its nooks and crannies that you could never get into. The pieces were a pain to fit together even to fill it. Of course you could never fill it w/o needing to clean it b/c it was always dirty.) Much improved over the standard Drinkwell fountain! On: 2007-12-30Purchased this after melting the parts to the standard Drinkwell fountain trying to disinfect them. Of course Amazon had it for the same price as I would have paid for a new regular Drinkwell at the local pet store, so why not upgrade! The design is much better than the original and the included water holding tank is a big plus. When I got mine, I set it up but then a couple days later it overflowed. That was really odd, so I emptied it out, then set it up again. Another couple days and it was overflowing again! I sent an email to the mfg. and asked if I was doing something wrong or if I had a faulty fountain. They promptly replied and said that I must have received an "old" water tank and that they have fixed it. They mailed me a new one and I was up and running! Have had it now about two months and have been very happy overall. I really dont think that it is that much quieter than the old one, but it is sitting on carpet, not a hard floor, so most of the noise I get is from the motor vibrating the plastic and making noise. Both the old and this new design sound the same to me. On the plus side, it is much easier to clean and the parts are dishwasher safe (though I have not tried putting them in the dishwasher yet). Overall I am very happy with this purchase, especially for the price on Amazon! Drinkwell Cat fountain On: 2007-12-28Its a very nice product, made well, easy to put together and take apart to clean. The only problem is, my new kitten doesnt seem to be that interested in it, and I dont imagine I can return it. So now what do I do with it? Drinking Fountain On: 2007-12-26Some of my cats in the cattery are frightened of the running water. I dont understand why because the same cats love to watch water running from the faucet of my sink. The majority of them love to drink from the fresh running water. The water reservoir is large enough to provide abundant water. Does a good job On: 2007-12-25These comments are from my thirteen-year-old who is the keeper of our cats: "It is fairly quiet, and I clean it once a week. My cats that previously wouldnt drink from a bowl drink from the fountain. It may take your cats a couple of days to get use to the fountain." Great For Cats, But Motor Burned Out In 4 Months On: 2007-12-22I had the previous style of Drinkwell fountain for many years and my 3 cats loved it. In fact I had 2 fountains - one inside and one on the porch. All of the cats greatly increased their water intake and all was well in Catland. Every couple of years a motor would burn out but replacements didnt cost much and the whole setup was well worth every penny. Last summer one of the motors burned out and thats when I discovered that the style had been changed and I could no longer buy compatible motors. Since I had to get a new fountain anyway I decided to upgrade to the Platinum. I agree with previous reviewers that the design of the removable portion of the water container leaves a bit to be desired, since you have to hold it while refilling, but thats really a minor issue. A bigger issue was the motor on this one burned out in only 4 months. I ordered a replacement but it only works intermittently. From my point of view, the quality on this unit is nowhere near as good as the previous models and I will not buy another one. If you get one that keeps working then it should be a wonderful thing for your pets. Some cats take longer than others to get used to it, but give them time. One of my cats took 2 or 3 weeks after the new style arrived before she would start drinking out of it - and she loved the old fountains. Its just that some cats are more shy of new things than others. Too small for dogs. Noisy. On: 2007-12-19From the descriptions, I thought that this product would be larger. If Id known how small it is, I would have bought the "Big Dogs" waterer. The pump is noisy, but Ive had it for 6 months and it still works. I like the collection grate that does not allow debris into the pump. My cats and dogs love drinking from this product. They will not touch the regular water dish. I would definately recommend some sort of pet fountain. Too small for dogs. Noisy. On: 2007-12-18From the descriptions, I thought that this product would be larger. If Id known how small it is, I would have bought the "Big Dogs" waterer. The pump is noisy, but Ive had it for 6 months and it still works. I like the collection grate that does not allow debris into the pump. My cats and dogs love drinking from this product. They will not touch the regular water dish. I would definately recommend some sort of pet fountain. Happy Kitties On: 2007-12-16Our male kitty was constantly getting in our sinks and bath tub, trying to drink from faucets. It was very obvious that he craved fresh, running water as opposed to still water sitting in his bowl. He took to the fountain in a matter of seconds and our skittish female cat was drinking from it soon afterwards. They both love it, and I find it very easy to maintain. The gentle sound of trickling water is a small price to pay for knowing that my cats are happier and healthier. cat approved On: 2007-12-12Our vet wanted our elderly cat to drink more water. We bought a cat waterer which just had the water slide down an inclined plane. Cat would not touch it. Returned it and bought the drinkwell platinum and the cat drank from it within a few minutes and drank about a gallon in the first week. Excellent product. Best Pet Fountain Out There On: 2007-12-10Our two cats absolutely LOVE this fountain. It provides fresh, clean, running water any time. I no longer need to turn the faucet on every time Im in the bathroom in order for my cats to get a drink of running water. We have tried many different fountains, and this one is no doubt the best. It is very quiet and does not allow water to splatter all over the floor. You can even adjust the flow of the water to suit the needs of your cat(s). There is a large reservoir included with this product, and it only needs to be refilled about once a week. The filters last a long time and rarely need to be replaced. At first I was concerned about the price of this fountain being a little high as opposed to the lower prices of other fountains. However, now I know that my money was very well spent!! There is no better fountain on the market. I highly recommend this to all cat owners!! Junk On: 2007-12-09Noisy piece of junk. Have to put it in the room with their litter box so as not to hear the constant whining of the motor. Save your money. Get a dog. no more water on the floor! On: 2007-12-06My cat loves to dip his paws in his water and splash the water around...and always made a mess all over the floor. Ive noticed he hasnt done that since we started using the fountain and hes been drinking more water, too. The best fountain ever On: 2007-12-02The first fountain we had was the Petmate Fresh Flow and the water flowed directly down a "ski" type path. The Drinkwell flows like water out of a faucet and our cat Ginger seems to prefer that method. Its easy to do the once a week cleaning and does not have to have a filter. AWESOME!!!!! On: 2007-12-02This is by far, the BEST water fountain on the market. My cats love it!!!!! Easy use and easy clean..... This is awesome for older kitties! On: 2007-12-01My cat has drinking issues, so I was looking for a fountain to try (again). I have tried other fountains without success. My 19 year old kitty Papaya has renal failure, and gets subcutaneous fluids daily. I bought this fountain today, and when I first set it up, I was surprised how noisy it was. Then I moved it upstairs, plugged it in up there, and it is really quiet (I am not sure why, so if noise is an issue for you, try it in a different spot). Within 5 minutes my cat was drinking from this! This is a cat who screams at all hours when he is thirsty, and will not drink on his own. He must be petted the entire time he is drinking. Now, with the Drinkwell Platinum, so far he is drinking by himself, which he has not done in months!!! WORTH THE MONEY! On: 2007-11-28Sent exactly what we ordered and in a timely manner considering the holidays. Our three cats are intrigued by the fountain. We are very happy to have fresh, clean water available to our pets 24/7. Very attractive, quiet unit and easy to clean. We highly recommend this product and seller." Great! On: 2007-11-27I love this product! It took about a week before my cat started drinking from it regularly, but she now wont drink from anything else. The water does get a little slimy after a week, so you will want to rinse and clean it regularly. But no problems, it is very quiet and pretty compact. My only complaint is that when you have to rinse it out you have to get the motor and cord out of a small square hole without spilling the water in the bottom dish, which can be hard. But definitely worth every penny and more! Pet Fountain On: 2007-11-25We purchased the Fountain for our Cat. She loves it, because it actually has a stream of water. It needs to be cleaned at least about once a month, and we add a little water pretty much on a daily basis. For us its a perfect solution to our cat always wanting to drink fresh water from the faucet. Life saver! Quiet! Clean! On: 2007-11-18We have three water faucet-obsessed cats. We couldnt go near a faucet in our house with out all three of them attempting to drink from it. It was cute at first but quickly got annoying. We bought this in hopes to cure them... it worked. First of all the fountain is really quiet, I am surprised people comment on the noise. You can also tweak the water pressure, which is nice because they like the slowest level. It also holds tons of water, the extra reserve is great. Finally, as I mentioned above, it has totally worked on getting them to stop lurking at every sink faucet (and toilet and shower) in the house. Wow! Why didn't I buy sooner? On: 2007-11-17I wanted this fountain in the past, however, I was scared to pay for something I was unsure of. I got his for my birthday, and I love it!!! I have a few cats, and I no longer have to clean and fill the water bowl daily. Water looks clean and fresh, I watch water level. I do not hear the motor at all. The water can be heard, though it is not loud and can be adjusted. One cat went to use the fountain immediately, and the others within a few hours. They seem to love it and are drinking more. Only one cat still attempts to drink out of faucet still. Much easier to maintain than a normal water bowl. Worth the investment! Cat loves it and I hardly notice it, great! On: 2007-11-12My cat had a bad habit of trying to drink out of any source of water that wasnt his water bowl. If I set down a glass of water, hed try to stick his face in it. If I left the faucet dripping, hed lap at it. If I left the toilet seat up hed.... ew. I bought the Drinkwell Platinum hoping it would be more appealing to him than these other things and it worked great. After setting up the Drinkwell I put him in front of it and after a couple minutes of mesmerized staring at the fountain he started drinking from it and has used it since. The noise is pretty minimal. The pumps motor has a hum that I only notice if Im right beside the fountain. Normal refrigerator and air conditioner sounds easily drown it out. One time after cleaning it was much louder than normal, I took it apart and noticed I hadnt secured the motor tightly to the bowl (it uses suction cups) and it was rattling. A quick push into place and it was back to its usual quiet operation. If youre finding the noise to be excessive, that might be something to check. At higher speeds, the water gurgles as it drops into the bowl but I actually find this sound rather soothing. If you dont like it just turn the speed down and the water is nearly silent. Assembly was a snap, and taking it apart for cleaning is equally simple. Ive had no problems with leaks or really with anything. I like this product a lot and more importantly, so does my cat. Id highly recommend it to anybody with a pet. Great product On: 2007-11-11SO much better than the smaller one. I still think they can do better by having an even larger water capacity though. One of the best features is that you can turn the water up or down, which allows you to hear the water trickling or not. I feel less guilty by refusing to turn on the faucets with this around, even though the little fart still goes right to the darn tub faucet still...but a little less I guess. excellent fountain, but a little high maintenaince On: 2007-11-11This is a wonderful way to get your kitties to drink more water, especially if you dont want to be running to the faucet each time they meow at you. LOL. The fountains do require a certain amount of maintenance to keep them running. You need to disassemble them and clean them weekly but I think it is worth it to keep my furchildren hydrated.... great but... On: 2007-11-06I really like this fountain now that Ive modified it, at first it was a bit too loud from the water falling, and from the splashing when my cats drank from the top of the stream. To fix this I made a steaper ramp that the stream falls on from a piece of plastic, its now much quieter. If this fountain came with a steaper and wider ramp Id give it 5 stars. Good water fountain but useless filter On: 2007-10-29Drinkwell Platinum works very well in creating a water flow that my cats like drinking from. However, the water gets really cloudy after only a day or two, and the culprit is the filter. I replace the filter often, but the water still gets cloudy. I couldnt keep up with paying $10 for a 3-pack, so I gave up and use nothing. (I only fill the Drinkwell unit with human filtered water, i.e. my drinking water.) The water doesnt get cloudy as fast. I hope that Veterinary Ventures or other water fountain companies would introduce a water fountain that somehow exploits state-of-the-art fish aquarium filtering technology. I would buy something like that even if its expensive (or maybe it already exists, but I dont know about it). Bottom line: 5 stars for the main unit, minus 1 star for the useless filter. super quiet On: 2007-10-28I bought this for my 16 year old cat that had decided to stop drinking out of her water bowl. She is now drinking a lot more and her kidneys are functioning better. This unit is also super quiet! it is in my bedroon, so I was worried about the noise, but it is virtually silent! the company is great as well! the unit arrived with a cracked water tank, and they replaced it immediately with no hassle! Good water fountain but useless filter On: 2007-10-28Drinkwell Platinum works very well in creating a water flow that my cats like drinking from. However, the water gets really cloudy after only a day or two, and the culprit is the filter. I replace the filter often, but the water still gets cloudy. I couldnt keep up with paying $10 for a 3-pack, so I gave up and use nothing. (I only fill the Drinkwell unit with human filtered water, i.e. my drinking water.) The water doesnt get cloudy as fast. I hope that Veterinary Ventures or other water fountain companies would introduce a water fountain that somehow exploits state-of-the-art fish aquarium filtering technology. I would buy something like that even if its expensive (or maybe it already exists, but I dont know about it). Bottom line: 5 stars for the main unit, minus 1 star for the useless filter. One of the best things we've done for our cats |