Handmade Ceramic Thirsty Cat Fountain Review

Cat tap? Don't mind if I do!

Drinking plenty of water is vital to the health of your cat, and as a responsible kitty owner, it's important to find ways to encourage them to drink. My friend Caroline Golon of Romeo the Cat recently had an article on Catster about 10 ways to get your finicky feline to slurp up, where her suggestions ranged from adding ice cubes to their food, to using a cat fountain. Since many cats find moving water exciting, fountains can encourage your feline to imbibe, while also supplying them with a cool, clean stream of H2O, that doesn't need to be replenished on a daily basis.

Thirsty Cat Fountains is an Etsy shop based out of Cambridge, NY, run by Keith Davitt and Jackie McKannay. Keith started the shop in 2010 after he realized that his cat, Bijou, preferred drinking water out the handmade fountains that he was creating, rather than out of his own water bowl. Their handmade, ceramic fountains are 100% food-safe and made out of high-quality pumps, copper, and glaze that contains no lead, or leaching from colorants or any other source. The carefully crafted pieces come in various colors and styles, and are an attractive alternative to other commercial fountains on the market.



Keith and Jackie recently sent Charlie and Priscilla the "Caribbean" fountain for review. Our fountain came with a pump, matching ceramic pump hide, copper spout and cat tap, carbon filter, instruction booklet, and a decorative ceramic shell designed to camouflage where the pump wire feeds through.

Assembly was as easy as plugging in the pump, filling the fountain with water, inserting the spout, and adding the carbon filter. The filter is supposed to last around a year, and the fountain requires cleaning about once a week, in a process that includes rinsing the pump, which is small and doesn't take very long. We enjoy the relaxing sounds the water makes as it continuously flows through the copper spout, but it can also be adjusted based on you and your cat's preferences.


Priscilla pauses for a cool, refreshing drink.

Although she's usually more timid, Priscilla was the first to venture over to the fountain, and took to it right away. She enjoys lapping up water from the generously sized bowl, and also licking it up directly from the cat tap. Charlie, on the other hand, was more cautious, and it's taking him longer to warm up to it. 

Depending on your cat's inclinations, a Thirsty Cat Fountain can be a useful way to keep your kitties happy, healthy, and watered. The fountains also make tasteful accent pieces, and are a welcome addition to the decor any feline-friendly home. 

Disclosure: Thirsty Cat Fountains provided me with a cat fountain for review, but all thoughts, opinions, and pink kitty tongues contained in this post are my own.