7 Reasons Cats Love Running Water but Hate Their Water Fountains

By Animal Wellness-October 24, 2023. Reprinted with permission from Animal Wellness Magazine.

Cat parents know how much kitties love running water. Yours probably follows you into the kitchen when you’re doing dishes and into the bathroom when you’re brushing your teeth. Maybe they even meow at you when the water is running, jump up on the counter to get a closer look, or stick their head and paw into the flow. Many cats even avoid their own water bowls in favor of running water, so let’s look at seven reasons why your cat loves the tap but not their recirculating water fountain as well as a chance to WIN an AquaPurr Water Fountain.

1. Running Water Is Clean

Evolutionary instincts tell your cat that running water is cleaner and fresher than stagnant water, which can be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Fountains should provide cats with clean water. But even with regular cleaning, fountains can still get slimy inside, contaminating fresh water as soon as the pump turns on.

2. It Smells Fresh

Growing microbes make water smell yucky. Cats prefer running water because it’s fresher and doesn’t have that stagnant smell. If the water pump in your recirculating fountain is slimy, then the water may look and smell fresh and clean, but your cat can tell the difference.

3. The Water Is Cool

Most cats love cool or cold water, so they might not go near warm water. Even if water goes into a recirculating fountain cold, it will warm up to room temperature, and your cat might not want anything to do with it at that point.

4. No Whisker Fatigue

Your cat relies on their whiskers to understand the world. In fact, these long hairs are so sensitive that cats can get easily overstimulated—something called whisker fatigue. This is such a problem for some cats that they won’t drink out of a bowl or fountain where their whiskers might touch the sides.

5. It’s Fun to Play With!

You’ve probably seen your cat sitting on the counter in front of the tap watching the water flow or batting it with their paws. Cats are playful creatures, and splashing running water around is great entertainment! At the same time, many cats don’t like getting wet, and the fountain basin might stop your cat from playing with the running water in a recirculating fountain.

6. Cats Like the Sound

Have you ever sat and listened to a babbling brook or running creek? It’s a very pleasant sound, and animals think so too! In fact, cats will instinctively go toward the sound of running water because they know it’s a fresh, clean source. Unfortunately, recirculating cat fountains also have loud pumps that might deter your cat.

7. Running Water Is Easier to Drink

Domesticated cats are still very much driven by instinct—including the instinct to protect themselves from potential predators. That’s why many cats like being up high and don’t like exposing their backs. A bowl or fountain on the floor will leave them feeling vulnerable, whereas running water from a tap is great because they can perch on the counter.

A Superior Alternative to Recirculating Fountains

Cats must keep hydrated to stay healthy, and if your cat won’t drink from a bowl or their recirculating fountain, then let them drink fresh, clean, cold, running water from the tap on demand! AquaPurr is the only cat fountain that never needs cleaning, and it’s cat-activated, so your kitty gets fresh water whenever they want.