Hagen CatIt Large Water Fountain
I am not going to be very structured here, just describe how we are getting on with this fountain after a week.
The product is: Catit® Water Fountain - for cats and small dogs
Bought it from Pet Supplies, Aquariums, Ponds, Fish Tanks and Pet Food from Seapets along with a couple of extra packs of filters. It started at £18.95 but by the time I built my shopping list it was up at £21.95. This was still the best price as some online places charge £35+. The filters were £3.95 for a 3 pack. I have seen them on Amazon for £3.69, but I think that doesn't include shipping from a marketplace seller. Finally, the mat is NOT included and cost £12.44 from Carry*On*Canine - quite a lot but since the fountain fits in little notches it stops it sliding around.
Assembly was easy despite the instructions. There are too many languages in the "manual" and it's sometimes hard to move from one step to the next while still following the text. In actual fact, the whole thing is simple once you build it initially.
Once you have built it, test it - as below. Then disassemble, remove the pump, filter and the valve plus spring - keep them all safe. Put the rest in pieces in the dishwasher (or gently wash by hand). Reassemble and voila!
The pump didn't work at first, I guess it has seized up in storage. A quick disassembly (as per the awful instructions) and manually rotating it (while unplugged!) and all was well.
You fill it by taking the dome to the tap and pushing the sprint loaded valve down and quarter twist. I have a filtered tap in the kitchen for drinking and this is ideal for filling as the stream is very thin. A normal tap will be fine though. Just let it fill up and overflow completely. 3 litres later you untwist the little valve and the spring pops up. Hold the dome upside down over the sink to make sure it is sealed and carry it back to the base.
You then line up the dome using the internal domes and the coloured rubber valve you just filled it through, place on the base the the valve is pushed up and the water drains up to the level required. The rest will drain through as the cats (or small dogs, if you are so inclined) drink it. If the dome is not snug on the base it will make a noise. Just gentle push and twist the whole dome a little to settle it down and all will be well.
At this point unscrew the handle from the dome - it works MUCH better without it in place and the water cascades all over the dome. With the handle left in place it is much less smooth and symmetric. The instructions do not tell you this.
So, the approval committee; Initially the boys were not sure what the dome pat was but would happily drink from the bowl part. Within a day or so all three were lapping the dome. They now drink from both the dome and the bowl and are not disturbed by the sound of the pump at all.
So far I have filled it twice in one week with the three boys on a mix of RC Kitten and wet food. Not washed it yet, but rinsed the filter and the rest all seems clean - for now. Mine haven't dropped any food in the water yet.
In summary: After a week it works as expected, easy to maintain and filters at about £1-£2 a month if you change them accoring to the recommended schedule seems fine. For those without an undersink filter to clean their local water I would probably recommend cheap bottled water - more to keep the fountain clean and scale free, not so much for the cats :)
