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Best Cat Water Fountains UK 2026
The best cat water fountain for most homes is the Catit Flower Fountain with LED nightlight, about £31 for the 3 litre version at UK retailers. If you want a surface that goes in the dishwasher, the stainless steel Flower costs about £40.
Prices checked 28 September 2026 at UK pet retailers.
How we research this: we have not lab-tested these fountains. The picks come from manufacturer specifications, UK retailer listings and customer reviews in aggregate, checked against International Cat Care's advice on getting cats to drink.
- Most cats: Catit Flower Fountain, 3 litres, about £31.
- Easiest to keep clean: Catit Flower stainless steel, about £40, or the Catit PIXI stainless, about £36.
- Cheapest to run and simplest: Cat Mate Pet Fountain, 2 litres, about £21, with a 2W pump.
- Trying one out: Catit Flower Fountain Mini, about £15.
| Fountain | Price (Sept 2026) | Capacity | Drinking surface | Pump |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catit Flower Fountain with LED nightlight | About £31 | 3 litres | Plastic | 3 flow settings, LED nightlight |
| Catit Flower, stainless steel | About £40 | 3 litres | Stainless steel (dishwasher-safe insert) | 3W |
| Catit PIXI | About £28 to £36 | 2.5 litres | Plastic or stainless steel top | USB adapter, switches off when water is low |
| Cat Mate Pet Fountain | About £21 | 2 litres | Plastic (dishwasher-safe bowls) | 2W |
| Catit Flower Mini | About £15 | 1.5 litres | Plastic | Low voltage, 1 to 3W |
Prices and specifications from Zooplus and the makers' listings, 28 September 2026.
Is a cat water fountain worth it?
It is worth trying if your cat drinks little, eats mostly dry food, or keeps drinking from taps, but it is not essential for every cat.
International Cat Care lists running water as one way to encourage a cat to drink, because some cats like moving water. Its other advice matters as much: wide shallow bowls so the whiskers do not touch the sides, water placed away from food, and a wet diet rather than dry. A fountain that sits next to the food bowl may do less than a plain ceramic bowl in another room. Run the fountain alongside the old bowl at first, since International Cat Care suggests introducing a fountain gradually.
Do cats need a water fountain?
No: a cat needs fresh water every day, and a clean, wide bowl does that job for most cats.
Cats fed on wet food get much of their water from the food. The cats most likely to benefit from a fountain are those on dry food, those that fish water out with a paw or drink from the tap, and cats whose vet has asked you to get more water into them. If your cat suddenly starts drinking a lot more than usual, that is a reason to see the vet, not to buy a fountain.
Does a cat water fountain use a lot of electricity?
No: a fountain pump uses about 2 to 3 watts, which comes to roughly £5 to £7 a year if it runs all day, every day.
The Cat Mate pump is rated at 2W and the stainless steel Catit Flower at 3W. Running 24 hours a day, that is about 17 to 26kWh a year. At the Ofgem price cap average of 26.32p per kWh for October to December 2026, the cost is about £4.60 to £6.90 a year. Filters cost more than the electricity.
The picks
1. Catit Flower Fountain: best for most cats
Three flow settings let you go from a gentle trickle to bubbling water, depending on what your cat will drink from, and a window shows when the 3 litre tank needs refilling. This version, the one priced here, also has an LED nightlight. Catit's replacement filters are sold widely, which matters over the life of the fountain.
2. Catit Flower stainless steel: easiest to keep clean
The same design with a stainless steel top, which Catit says is dishwasher-safe. Steel does not scratch the way plastic does, so it is easier to get properly clean. International Cat Care notes that cats tend to prefer glass and ceramic bowls to plastic ones, and steel is the nearest a fountain gets to that at this price.
3. Catit PIXI: best for a small space
A compact fountain with three flow settings. A sensor switches the pump off when the water level is too low, which protects it if you forget a top-up. The plastic version is about £28 to £30 and the stainless steel top about £36. PIXI filters cost about £7.50 for six.
4. Cat Mate Pet Fountain: best budget pick
A plain, low fountain from a UK brand, with bowls that go in the dishwasher and a long 3m cable so you are not tied to the socket. Cat Mate recommends changing the water weekly, the filter monthly for one pet, and descaling monthly. Some owners find it needs cleaning more often than that to stop slime building up, which is true of most plastic fountains.
5. Catit Flower Fountain Mini: cheapest way to try one
A smaller Flower for finding out whether your cat will use a fountain before spending £30 or more. It needs topping up more often, so it suits a single cat.
What should I clean a cat water fountain with?
Warm water and a mild washing-up liquid on a soft sponge, rinsed thoroughly, with white vinegar to shift limescale; rinse the filter in plain water, never soap.
- Catit's instructions say to wash the fountain once a week with a soft sponge and mild detergent, with no harsh chemicals or abrasives, and to rinse off every trace of soap.
- Take the pump apart and clean the impeller, where slime collects. A small bottle brush or old toothbrush helps.
- Soak scaled parts in a mix of white vinegar and water, then rinse well. Cat Mate recommends descaling monthly, and hard-water areas may need it more often.
- Rinse the filter and foam in clean water only, and replace the filter on the maker's schedule: every three to four weeks for the Catit PIXI, and monthly for the Cat Mate with one pet.
Can cats share a water fountain?
Yes, cats can share a fountain, but give them at least one other water source as well so one cat cannot block the other.
International Cat Care recommends at least one water bowl per cat, plus one extra, in different places. In a two-cat home that means the fountain plus two bowls in other rooms. More cats also means changing the filter more often: Cat Mate's monthly schedule is for a single pet.
Is a cat water fountain safe?
Yes, as long as it is cleaned regularly, never runs dry, and the cable is out of reach of chewing.
A dirty fountain grows slime on the pump and around the spout, so it can end up less hygienic than a bowl that is washed daily. The Cat Mate runs at low voltage through an adapter and the PIXI through a USB adapter, so there is no mains voltage at the water. Keep the water topped up, because a pump that runs dry can burn out; the Catit PIXI switches itself off to prevent that.