Pros: encourages cats to drink more, keeps water fresh and filtered
Cons: Expensive, cumbersome to clean
The Bottom Line: Though slightly costly and sometimes cumbersome to clean, the Drinkwell Platinum is a great way to encourage cats to drink the water necessary to maintain good health.
stereotomy's Full Review: Platinum Drinkwell Pet Fountain
When my husband and I purchased the Drinkwell Platinum for our cats, it was our second Drinkwell product. The first product, the original Drinkwell pet fountain, we'd purchased at a cat show when the product was first being introduce. At the time we had three cats, all of which liked to drink from the sink faucet, so it seemed the ideal solution for dispensing water for our pets.
Our initial Drinkwell fountain was a hit, so when it broke after many years of use, we went out to purchase another Drinkwell with no hesitation.
The premise of the Drinkwell fountain is that cats tend to drink more water when the water is free-flowing. The motion of the water aerates it, keeping it fresher, and the charcoal filter in the fountain filters out impurities for better taste. As cats often do not drink nearly as much as they should to maintain proper health, to have a product that encourages a cat to drink more is invaluable.
The Drinkwell Platinum is similar in design to the original. Water circulates through the fountain, passing through a replaceable charcoal filter and flowing out of an opening into a free-falling stream. Cats can also drink from the water that accumulates in the bowl itself.
According to the Drinkwell website, the Drinkwell Platinum holds 178 fluid ounces. For me, this isn't necessarily a necessity as a cat's water should be changed regularly despite the filtration system of a Drinkwell. The plus to the size is that it makes the Drinkwell Platinum convenient for multi-cat households as more than one cat can drink at once.
The Drinkwell has a knob to adjust the flow, so you can tailor the stream of water to your cat's liking, which is a nice feature, particularly for fussy cats.
The product is made of fairly sturdy plastic, although the knob to adjust the flow is easy enough to snap off and something you'll need to be wary of.
Ease of use varies. Upon purchase, there is no assembly required. You need only wash it out thoroughly, set up the filter, and add water, which is easy enough. Unfortunately, we've had a few instances, after cleaning, where the pump hasn't started up easily and we've had to play around to get it going again.
Although Drinkwell proclaims this to be a silent fountain, as it ages, it stops being so silent. We've had our fountain for over a year now, and periodically the pump begins to make noise, particularly if cat food particles have collected around the intake, which is almost inevitable with pets no matter how vigilant you are.
You can purchase an add-on Aqua Garden for your Drinkwell Platinum, which allows you to grow a hydroponic version of cat grass. While I though it to be a great idea, in practice my cats balked at the addition of a garden to their drinking fountain, and since it only hooked on to the edge, it was easy enough for my cats to knock it right off.
The replacement filters are available at most pet shops and are not terribly expensive to replace.
One of the downsides of the Drinkwell Platinum is that it's cumbersome to clean. There are all sorts of nooks and channels that require cleaning if you're going to be thorough, and they're difficult to reach without the proper equipment. Drinkwell does sell a set of brushes for just the purpose, but around here the brush sets run between 8 and 10 dollars, and it's one more thing to find room to store.
Another problem I find with this version of the Drinkwell is that when my cats inadvertently drop food into the bowl, it gets caught in the intake and blocks it. I've consequently had several messy overflows.
Overall, the Drinkwell Platinum drinking fountain is a solid purchase for your pet, and well worth the money. As an owner, it makes you feel like you're doing something special for your pets, and treating them to something better than the same old bowl of water that grows stagnant and warm so quickly. The fountain is particularly useful for cats who don't drink enough, and cats suffering from renal dysfunction who need to drink copious amounts for their health. My cats love their fountain, though it hasn't entirely lured them away from their beloved "sink drinks."
Drinkwell has opened my eyes to a new way of caring for my pets and I won't be going back.
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