Best Cordless Water Fountain For Cats – Buyers Guide and Reviews
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The best cordless water fountain for cats offer a decent battery life, are easy to clean and aren’t too pricey for filters.
A couple of my 7 cats enjoy dry food. I’ve found that a water fountain is invaluable in encouraging them to drink and to keep them hydrated.
I found that the best cordless water fountain for cats is the Petlibro Dockstream Cat Water Fountain.
This may not be the perfect fit for your situation though, so I’ve included reviews of the best cordless water fountain for cats in each category.
Best Overall
Petlibro Dockstream Cat Water Fountain
Stainless steel tray
30 day battery life
Quiet pump
Best Budget
Molypet Cat Water Fountain
Affordable water fountain
Cheap filters
Visible water level
Most User Friendly
DownyPaws Battery Operated Cat Water Fountain
Stainless steel tray
Safety shut down feature
Clear water tank
Our Best Cordless Water Fountains for Cats
Petlibro Dockstream Cat Water Fountain (Overall Best Cordless Water Fountain for Cats) Go to review
Feelneedy Wireless Cat Water Fountain (Best Cordless Water Fountain for Multiple Cats) Go to review
DownyPaws Cat Water Fountain (Most User Friendly Cordless Cat Water Fountain) Go to review
Molypet Cat Water Fountain (Best Budget Cordless Water Fountain for Cats) Go to review
The Best Cordless Water Fountains for Cats Reviewed
The following cordless water fountains are powered by rechargeable batteries which offer at least 2 weeks battery life on a full charge. In addition, they are easy to clean plus the filters are good value and readily available.
Petlibro Dockstream Cat Water Fountain
(Overall Best Cordless Water Fountain for Cats)
- Capacity: 2.5L/84fl oz
- Battery life: 30 days
- No. of filters included: 1
- Filter lifespan: 2 weeks
- Tray material: Stainless Steel
The Petlibro Dockstream battery operated water fountain features a 2.5L/84fl oz water tank, and is a dual power system which can run on mains power or battery. It is powered by a 5,000mAh built-in rechargeable battery, allowing the water fountain to provide fresh and clean water for up to 30 days on a full charge. This means that your cat has a fresh water supply, even during power outages or when you’re away on short trips.
When running on battery alone, the induction mode with advanced radar sensor ensures that water flows for only 17 seconds when your pet is within 80cm/31.5in, conserving power while encouraging your pet to drink. The induction mode also includes a 17-second flow every hour to attract your cats’ attention. If you prefer, you can switch to regular mode for a continuous stream of water by plugging the fountain in.
Cleaning the cat fountain water bowl is easy thanks to the detachable water tank – no need to unplug it, just lift the tank off the base. It has rounded corners for easier cleaning, and can be cleaned with water. It must be cleaned by hand as it is not dishwasher safe.
The water tray is made from stainless steel, and the water is filtered through a vertical filtration system. This removes all impurities and provides oxygen-enriched, better-tasting water for your cat. There are two filters, one is a foam filter to remove solid debris and dirt. This should be washed once a week, along with the water tray, tank and pump. The other filter purifies the water, and replacing this one every two weeks is recommended. Spare filters can be purchased here. The filters are however, quite pricey, and shorter lasting than other brands.
The water fountain offers a free-falling stream or bubble fountain, which can be tailored to your picky cats’ preferences. Of all the brands we reviewed, the Petlibro is the quietest. It is barely audible at just 23dB – quieter than a whisper.
The Petlibro’s solid design means that you cannot see the water level, and have to rely on the intelligent monitoring sensor. This will notify you of low battery or low water levels. The water shortage detector automatically stops the pump when the water level is low to avoid overheating.
This is a fairly new model and there do appear to be teething issues. Some purchasers have experienced the fountain overflowing and spilling water into the base unit. Other purchasers have noticed that when in induction mode the sensor isn’t particularly sensitive, and cats have to move around a lot to activate the fountain. Also, the fountain, once activated, only stays on for 17 seconds, which has disappointed a few cats who were enjoying their drink from running water.
A huge plus however, is the excellent customer service purchasers have received from Petlibro, who seem very willing to address any issues experienced with these water fountains. Petlibro are an established brand with a good reputation, so always reach out to them with confidence if you have any issues.
Overall the Petlibro cordless water fountain is a good product. It has a stainless steel tray, is easy to clean and is very quiet, plus it has a long battery life of 30 days. This makes it our choice of best cordless water fountain for cats.
Feelneedy Wireless Cat Water Fountain
(Best Cordless Water Fountain for Multiple Cats)
- Capacity: 4L/135fl oz
- Battery life: 2 weeks
- No. of filters included: 2
- Filter lifespan: 2-4 weeks
- Tray material: Stainless Steel
The Feelneedy battery operated water fountain features a 4L/135fl oz water tank, and is a dual power system which can run on mains power or battery. It is powered by a 4,000mAh built-in rechargeable battery, allowing the water fountain to provide fresh and clean water for up to 2 weeks on a full charge.
The water fountain has 3 modes:
- Sensor mode will cause the fountain to flow it senses movement within 152.4cm/5ft. Additionally, if the water fountain is plugged in it will flow water for 15 mins every 90 mins if it hasn’t detected any movement in that time.
- Intermittent mode will cause the fountain to flow water for 15 seconds every 15 minutes, conserving power while encouraging your pet to drink.
- Constant mode will flow water constantly, but this only works if the unit is plugged in.
Cleaning the water fountain and changing the water is recommended every 3-4 days. It must be cleaned by hand as it is not dishwasher safe, and care must be taken not to get the pump and control unit wet. Many purchasers have commented on how easy it is to clean, and how well the filters work to avoid a build up of grime in the tank.
The water tray is made from stainless steel, and the water is filtered through 5-layer filtration system. This removes all impurities and provides oxygen-enriched, better-tasting water for your cat. There are two filters, one is a cotton filter which should be replaced every 7-10 days. The other filter purifies the water, and should be replaced when the filter replacement light comes on. Spare filters for the Feelneedy cat water fountain can be purchased here. The filters are reasonably priced compared to other brands of water fountain.
The water pump on the Feelneedy cat water fountain is pretty quiet at 35 decibels, and there are no splashing sounds from the fountain either. The tank has an indicator window which means that you can easily see the water level, but the red warning indicator will also alert you if the water level is low. There are also warning indicator lights to inform you that the battery level is low, or that the filter requires changing.
This is a very popular water fountain which has received mostly highly favourable reviews. It is easy to setup, use and clean, and the cost of the filters compares well with other brands. It also features a generous 135oz water tank, so is our choice as best cordless water fountain for multiple cats.
DownyPaws Cat Water Fountain
(Most User Friendly Cordless Cat Water Fountain)
- Capacity: 2.5L/84fl oz
- Battery life: 30 days
- No. of filters included: 1
- Filter lifespan: 2 weeks
- Tray material: Stainless Steel
The DownyPaws battery operated water fountain features a clear 2.5L/84fl oz water tank, and is a dual power system which can run on mains power or battery. It is powered by a 4,000mAh built-in rechargeable battery, allowing the water fountain to provide fresh and clean water for up to 30 days on a full charge.
The water fountain has 2 modes:
- Motion Sensor mode will cause the fountain to flow if it senses movement within 152.4cm/5ft, within a radius of 120 degrees. It will also flow for 20 seconds every hour if no movement is detected.
- Timer mode will cause the fountain to flow water for 20 seconds every 15 minutes, conserving power while encouraging your pet to drink.
There is no option to run the water flow continuously.
It is recommended that the water fountain and pump are cleaned every 2 weeks. The Filter and sponge should also be changed every 2 weeks. The water tray is made from stainless steel, and is dishwasher safe. The rest of the water fountain should be hand washed in water only. The spout is integrated into the battery pack which must not be immersed in water.
The water is filtered through 5-layer filtration system. This removes all impurities and provides oxygen-enriched, better-tasting water for your cat. There is an additional sponge filter which removes hair and particles from the water. Spare filters can be purchased here. The filters are reasonably priced compared to other brands of water fountain.
The water pump on the DownyPaws cat water fountain is pretty quiet at 30 decibels. The tank is clear which means that you can easily see the water level, but there is a safety shutdown feature which will switch the pump off if the water gets too low. There is also a warning indicator light to inform you that the battery level is low.
This is a very popular water fountain which has received highly favourable reviews. It is easy to setup, use and clean, and the cost of the filters compares well with other brands. The clear tank and safety shut down feature makes it our choice as the most user friendly cordless cat water fountain.
Molypet Cat Water Fountain
(Best Budget Cordless Water Fountain for Cats)
- Capacity: 2.5L/84fl oz
- Battery life: 1-3 months
- No. of filters included: 5
- Filter lifespan: 2-4 weeks
- Tray material: Plastic
The Molypet battery operated water fountain features an opaque 2.5L/84fl oz water tank, and is a dual power system which can run on mains power or battery. It is powered by a 5,000mAh built-in rechargeable battery, allowing the water fountain to provide fresh and clean water for 1 – 3 months per charge, depending on activity settings.
The water fountain has 2 modes:
- Sensor mode will cause the fountain to flow for 20 seconds if it senses movement within 40 inches, within a radius of 120 degrees.
- Timer mode will cause the fountain to flow water for 20 seconds every 30 minutes, conserving power while keeping the water circulating through the filters.
There is no option to run the water flow continuously.
It is recommended that the water fountain and pump are cleaned every 2-4 weeks. The Filter and sponge should also be changed every 2-4 weeks. The water tray is made from plastic, and is not dishwasher safe. Both the tray and the rest of the water fountain should be hand washed in water only.
The water is filtered through 5-layer filtration system. This removes all impurities and this softens the water and makes it better tasting for your cat. There is an additional sponge filter which removes hair and particles from the water. The Molypet water fountain comes supplied with a very generous 5 filters, but additional ones can be purchased here. The filters are great value and the cheapest of all the fountains we reviewed.
The water pump on the Molypet cat water fountain is pretty quiet at 35 decibels. The tank is opaque which means that you can easily see the water level. There are warning indicator lights to inform you that the battery level is low, or that the filters need changing. This is a very popular water fountain which has received many positive reviews. It is easy to setup, use and clean. It’s a good quality, reliable product, and the low cost of the fountain and filters makes it our choice of best budget cordless cat water fountain.
Why Use a Cordless Water Fountain?
It can sometimes be a challenge to keep cats hydrated. A combination of dry food and a low thirst drive can contribute to cats being under-hydrated. This can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract infections and other complications from inadequate water intake. On top of that, many cats dislike drinking from water bowls as they prefer running water, which they perceive as cleaner.
Cat water fountains provide an excellent solution to the problem of feline dehydration. These fountains purify and oxygenate the water, making it taste cleaner and more appealing to cats. This encourages them to drink more water. Additionally, water fountains make life easier for cat owners. Instead of having to refill the water bowl every day, you’ll only need to replenish the water in the fountain once every week or two.
If you’ve ever caught your cat drinking from the toilet bowl or tap faucet, or other streams of water, this might indicate that they would love a water fountain. Cat water fountains are particularly beneficial for cats who eat a dry diet. Cats who primarily eat canned or moisture rich food probably get enough hydration from their food, so don’t be surprised if they aren’t interested in the lovely new water fountain you bought for them! For more information on feeding wet or dry food see our article here.
While cat water fountains are an excellent tool for boosting your cat’s hydration, they may not always fit in the location you want them to. Most cat water fountains require a power cord, which means you need to site them near a power outlet. That’s the beauty of cordless cat water fountains. They can be situated anywhere, so you can put them at a location which suits you and your cat. In addition, cordless water fountains are easier to clean, as you don’t have to worry about keeping power cables dry. They are also safer – no cables to trip over, risk being chewed or come into contact with water. Finally, you can relax, knowing your cat will still have a supply of filtered water even in the event of a power outage.
Tips for Using Cordless Cat Water Fountains
- Replace the water rather than just topping it up, as this will keep the tank cleaner and make your filters last longer.
- When first introducing a water fountain, keep the water bowl around initially, until your cat gets used to it. Many cats are suspicious of water fountains at first.
- Use multiple water sources for multiple cats, as most cats don’t like to share resources.
- Regularly monitor the water levels and don’t allow the fountain to run dry as this could damage the pump.
- Always rinse/soak new filters before installing to activate the carbon powder.
Our Verdict
Battery powered water fountains for cats offer significant advantages over corded fountains, namely:
- they don’t need to be sited near a power outlet
- they are easier to clean
- they are safer
- they work even in the event of a power outage
The Petlibro Dockstream Cat Water Fountain is an excellent choice of cordless cat water fountain as it offers a 30 day battery life, a stainless steel water tray and a quiet operating volume.
