Ocicat water station away from elderly dog

An Ocicat competing with an elderly dog for water is a really common friction point — and it usually means the cat quietly loses, drinks less, and ends up chronically dehydrated. Cats evolved in arid environments and already have a low thirst drive, so being muscled away from the water bowl by a dog makes things meaningfully worse. Kidney disease is the leading cause of death in older cats, and poor hydration accelerates it. A dedicated, dog-inaccessible water station is exactly the right move. Before I point you to something specific — is your Ocicat on dry or wet food, and does she have any existing kidney or urinary issues? And has she ever used a water fountain before?

That's really helpful — a big Labrador changes the geometry entirely. A floor-level fountain is just a free drink for him. The key is getting the cat's station up off the floor where the dog can't casually reach it, or in a room the dog doesn't have access to. Can you tell me a bit more about the dog — is he mobile enough to jump up onto surfaces, or are his joints limiting him at this point? And is there a room or a surface in your home where your Ocicat already tends to hang out that the dog doesn't bother with?

Perfect — that makes this straightforward. With a dog who can't jump, a countertop placement solves the access problem completely. For your Ocicat, I'd go with the Catit Flower Fountain. Here's why it works well for your situation: it's compact enough to sit neatly on a kitchen worktop, the flower-shaped top creates a gentle trickling stream that cats find genuinely appealing — especially cats new to fountains, which matters since yours hasn't used one before. It holds 3 litres, filters continuously, and the flowing water is far more attractive to cats than a static bowl. Since she's on dry food with no kidney issues yet, getting her drinking more now is exactly the kind of preventive step that keeps it that way. Place it on the kitchen worktop she already uses, away from her food bowl — cats prefer not to drink next to where they eat. The Catit Flower Fountain is widely available on Amazon UK for around £25–30.

Just put it out, but in the right way. Fill it, switch it on, and place it where she already goes — don't make a fuss of it or try to introduce her to it. Cats investigate on their own terms and she'll find it. For the first few days, keep a regular bowl of water nearby as backup so she's never without an option. Once you see her using the fountain consistently — usually within a week — you can quietly remove the backup bowl. Don't wash the fountain with dish soap; use the Catit-branded cleaning tablets or just warm water, because cats are sensitive to residual scent. That's genuinely all there is to it.

Glad it helped. The situation sounds messier than it is — once the cat has her own elevated station the dog simply can't reach, the competition disappears entirely. Keep an eye on how much she's drinking over the first couple of weeks; if she's using the fountain regularly, you'll likely notice her dry food intake staying the same but overall hydration improving. If you ever want to add wet food alongside it, even a small amount daily makes a real difference. Good luck to both of them.