Abyssinian cat hydration in multi-pet home

An Abyssinian avoiding a shared water area in a rabbit household — that's a really common but genuinely important problem to solve, especially at nine years old. Cats evolved in arid environments and have a naturally low thirst drive, which means most cats on dry food are already chronically underhydrated. Add in a shared space with another species, and a cautious cat like an Aby will often just quietly avoid drinking altogether rather than compete for space — and long-term, that puts serious pressure on the kidneys, which is the leading cause of death in older cats. Water fountains and dedicated wet food stations are the two most effective fixes. Can I ask — is your Abyssinian on dry food, wet, or a mix? Does she have any existing kidney or urinary issues? And has she ever had her own water fountain before?

That vet note is worth taking seriously — at nine, proactive hydration can genuinely delay kidney decline rather than just respond to it. The shared bowl situation makes complete sense as a barrier: Abyssinians are sensitive, territorial cats, and anything that smells of another animal near a resource will trigger avoidance. The fix here is giving her a completely separate, species-exclusive drinking station placed well away from the rabbit's zone. Where is the rabbit's area in your home, and is there a quiet corner your cat tends to claim as her own?

Perfect — the bedroom or hallway is exactly where you want it. My recommendation is the PetSafe Drinkwell Pagoda Pet Fountain. It's compact enough to tuck into a corner without disrupting the space, holds 2.4 litres so you're not refilling it daily, and has a dual-stream design that many cats — especially curious, active breeds like Abyssinians — find genuinely engaging. The ceramic version is worth the extra spend for a cat this age: it doesn't retain odours the way plastic does, which matters for a cat who's already shown she'll reject water that smells wrong. The dual carbon filters keep the water tasting fresh, which is often the deciding factor for dry-food cats who aren't naturally motivated to drink. Place it in the upstairs hallway away from her food bowl, and you should see her using it within a few days.

I'd remove the shared downstairs bowl entirely once the fountain is established — probably after a week or two of her using it reliably. Having it there gives her a reason to keep tolerating a stressful water point rather than fully committing to the new one. Multiple sources sounds like more options but for an avoidant cat it can actually create confusion about which space is hers. One excellent, clean, dedicated fountain in her territory beats two contested bowls every time. You might also look at gradually shifting the ratio toward more wet food — even one wet meal a day adds meaningful hydration at her age.

Good call — search for the PetSafe Drinkwell Pagoda Ceramic Pet Fountain and it should come up on Amazon UK. Given her age and the vet's note, this is genuinely one of the most impactful things you can do for her right now. Hope she takes to it quickly.