Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have owned this fountain for 1 year and 2 months. Overall, it has held up very well with proper use and maintenance. My cats are now complete water snobs and will only drink from this fountain. NOISE: This fountain is almost completely silent. When the water level gets too low, it does start making a sound like the pump is sucking air with the water (which it is). I find this helpful since you cannot see the water level inside the basin. CLEANING: I did not find appropriate cleaning instructions with this fountain, but have adapted my own cleaning process. The stainless steel pieces can go in the dishwasher, but the plastic pieces cannot. I personally prefer to clean the whole thing by hand because a) it’s faster since I have to wash the plastic pieces anyway, and b) you should really take all the pieces apart to clean the crevices, including the ones attached to the steel. (See photos included in this review.) I ended up purchasing a set of baby bottle cleaning brushes (Munchkin Details Bottle and Cup Detailing Brush Set, $6.47 at Walmart) which I find work much better than the small bush that came with the fountain. There are quite a few nooks and crannies that are impossible to clean without taking each piece completely apart. This is the order which I take apart and clean each piece: 1. Remove old sponge and filter, place new sponge and filter in a bowl of clean water to soak while I clean everything. 2. Remove top steel piece. The two main pieces that make up the spigot which shoots water out can be unscrewed from each other by the top and bottom. I also remove the rubber cone and clean that separately. (I haven’t been able to determine if the “ergonomic” handle part can come off, and I feel like it will break if I try to force it.) The part that holds the filter can also be gently removed from the small, narrow oval piece that holds it in place on the top. I scrub and rinse everything using warm water, dish soap and a clean sponge/baby bottle brushes. It took me a long time to realize these pieces could come off of the top, and there was a significant amount of gross buildup (specifically in the spigot) once I dismantled them. 3. Take off the USB plug from the end of the cord. Pull the cord through the cord holder slot and let that drape over the counter so I don’t get it wet. Unstick (suction cups) the pump from the bottom metal piece. The front and rear plastic pieces do come off of the pump, and the little plastic flip door can also be gently removed for thorough cleaning. The spinner in the front of the pump is held in place by a magnet, and it can also be removed. You can see many nooks, holes, and crannies in these pieces, where slime can build up if not properly cleaned. I scrub every piece thoroughly with the baby bottle brushes, making sure to use the tiniest brush to get into the smallest holes. 4. The orange pump holder just pops off the base, and both of those pieces get washed and rinsed. 5. Replace sponge and filter, reassemble, fill with fresh water (I do use filtered water), plug in. This process does take me about 10 minutes to complete. I realize not everyone will find this acceptable, and there are other ways that may be more efficient to clean everything (running through with or soaking in vinegar, etc.), but this is what works for me. VALUE: For the price, this is a great fountain. IN SUMMARY: I do not feel that the instructions for properly cleaning this fountain are enough, which is why I only rated it 4 stars. The fountain will also stop pumping if your power goes out, and since the water is all stored in the basin below, pets will not be able to access the water in the event. Other than that, the fountain is running as good as it did the day I got it, and my cats absolutely LOVE it. It’s very quiet, and holds a decent amount of water. Almost every fountain I have ever had is something of a pain to clean, I am glad this fountain can at least be almost 99% dismantled for cleaning. (BOTTLE BRUSHES: the clip that holds the small brushes in the kit I purchased (in photos) also has a small wedge that I use to pry apart some of the more difficult pieces of the water pump in this fountain.)