There is a big difference between the maintenance of a cat water bowl and a cat water fountain. To clean cat water fountain, it is necessary to pay attention to the intricate parts of the fountain and make sure that every unit of the device is proper. Despite it seeming like a tiring ordeal to maintain the fountain, it is a better option to incorporate a hygienic drinking system for your cat’s health and hydration.
Cats are bound with a lot of pent up energy that they require to be exhausted of. Isn’t this what you have also experienced with your feline mate? This exhaustion leads to them getting parched and looking for cool water. A cat water fountain ensures that your feline always has a clean and fresh water source. Hence, it is important to make sure that the fountain is duly cleaned and sustained for your cat’s good health and well-being.
How Often Should You Change The Water In The Fountain?
There have been many cat owners who have this question in their mind. And, yes, it is an obvious, vital query you must have if your feline friend isn’t drinking enough amount of water daily! The most essential aspect of their question comes with the additional information, ‘But it doesn’t look dirty!’
This mentality is wrong and harmful to your pet’s health. The germs, and debris, that falls from your cat’s mouth when it drinks the water may be microscopic, but they are a threat to its wellbeing, nonetheless.
Granted, the purifier of the fountain recycles the water and ensures that it stays clean, it is necessary to make a manual effort as well. Most owners clean the water in the fountain once in a week, but the right routine is within 2-3 days. Yes, 2-3 days!
It may seem a short amount of time, but it the advised strongly to change the water as quickly as it expires in two days life span. This is because the germs in the water can spread fast, and harm your cat’s immune system.
How Often Should You Clean The Cat Water Fountain?
As the water in the fountain, it is difficult to see and calculate the damage that dirt, food, debris, fur, etc. have done to the cat water fountain itself. Thus, rather than waiting for the fountain to begin fitting into the image of a dirty utensil, it is better to maintain it regularly.
It is advised to clean the cat water fountain once a week; this way, your fountain is well maintained, can last longer and stay stronger than ever. The importance of cleaning the fountain is crucial because cats are picky the environment they are used to. Providing them hygiene at all aspects and leaving their fountain dirty will make them avoid drinking from the cat water fountain, resulting in dehydration.
Regular maintenance is necessary, but it is also a good idea to do heavy cleaning of the fountain once in a while. Go deep into each feature, and each part of making sure that everything is prim and proper.
What To Use To Clean The Cat Water Fountain?
Different parts of the fountain are made from, to some extent, different materials. Hence, it is important to enabling separate cleaning procedures for those parts. You should have all the cleaning materials required for the maintenance. There are varying brushes available in the market for deep cleaning. They go from the small bristles one used for inspecting tiny crooks, to the big ones scrubbing the base of the fountain.
You can use products easily available at your home for the cleaning process, lest you wish to buy proper materials for deep cleaning and keep these for the regular maintenance. Although it is not dependent on the material you use for cleaning; rather, it depends on the tools and techniques.
From your home itself, you can find items used for cleaning such as baking soda, lemon, salt, vinegar. These materials are great for removing hard stains, are easily available, and are cost-effective. Furthermore, it is better to avoid using harsh cleaning products on the fountain because your cat will drink from it.
How To Clean The Cat Water Fountain?
- First and foremost, drain all the water that is in your fountain, including the water that is in the core tank component and the canals of the fountain. This ensures that water doesn’t spill out from any parts when you reach into the motor of the device
- Remove the core tank component of the fountain to enable access to the motor within it
- Next, take out that motor. This step should be the end of the dissemblance of your fountain unless you have a more complex device. If that is the case, then you can watch the follow-through videos to know how to dismantle your fountain
- Then, you have to disassemble the motor unit by taking the front-facing panel out using a relatively sharp object. Instead of this, you will then be able to see the main rotating motor that is inside of it; take that out as well – it is secured by magnets and hence easier to remove
- Finally, clean out all the dirt and debris inside the motor after removing the rotating motor unit, ensuring its smooth rotation.
- Conclusively, rinse all the other parts of the fountain that you have disassembled, put it back together and check whether it is working properly
Final Thoughts!
A cat will frequently look for a clean and cool source of water because of its animal instinct. As owners, we must ensure that they are provided with what they require and make sure that we keep their water hygienic.
Hydrating cats will boost their immune system, and keep their health and well-being in check. Therefore, this results in a happy home for your pet and you as well. If you like what you’ve read, then please share your views and this article with your family and friends!