PetKit recirculating water fountain, 2.5 litre

What it is good at

• A moving water surface, which many cats prefer to a still bowl.
• Pump and filter usually sold as separate spare parts.
• A level window that shows how much water is left without lifting the lid.

Check before you buy

• Whether a replacement pump and filters are listed as separate items.
• How many parts need rinsing each week, and whether they fit under a tap.
• Cable length against the nearest socket, and whether the fountain sits on a mat.

Who it is not for

Anyone who will not rinse the bowl and the pump every week. A plain ceramic bowl is less work and never has a filter to replace.

A fountain exists because many cats drink more readily from a moving surface than from a still bowl. The bowl also holds more water than a standard dish, so a household that is out all day is not relying on one refill.

The trade is maintenance. A pump, a filter and a stack of trays need rinsing on a weekly rhythm, and the pump is the part that stops first. Before ordering, check that a replacement pump is sold as a spare: without one, the whole fountain becomes waste when the pump goes.