Vet-recommended water fountain for older cats

A vet flagging hydration after a urinalysis is a real wake-up call, and the good news is that a water fountain is one of the most effective things you can do right now. Moving water is genuinely more appealing to cats than still water — it triggers their instinct to drink from running sources — and for a 9-year-old cat where the kidneys are already under some scrutiny, increasing daily intake consistently can make a meaningful difference. Before I point you to the right fountain, can I ask: is this just for your Norwegian Forest Cat, or do you have other pets too? And do you have a preference on material — ceramic tends to be easier to keep hygienic, which matters a lot when you're trying to maintain clean, appealing water for a cat who needs to drink more?

That detail about moving the bowl is really useful — it tells you she's not averse to drinking, she just wants the water away from her food, which is actually classic cat behaviour. They prefer not to drink where they eat. A fountain placed in a different room or a quieter corner of the house will likely work well for her. Given she's fussy and you need reliable daily intake for health reasons, I'd go with the Catit Flower Fountain — the 3-litre version. Can I ask one more thing: does she startle easily, or is she fairly settled around low background noise? I want to make sure the pump sound won't put her off.

Perfect — then the pump noise won't be an issue at all. Here's why it's the right fit for your cat specifically. The Catit Flower Fountain has a gentle, visible flow through the flower top that cats find very attractive without being overwhelming — it encourages them to investigate and drink without the splashing that puts some cats off. The 3-litre capacity means you're not refilling it constantly, which matters for keeping the water fresh and appealing. It uses a triple-action filter that removes magnesium and calcium from tap water — relevant for a cat with urinary concerns, since hard water can contribute to mineral build-up. And crucially, it's widely stocked, the replacement filters are easy to find on Amazon UK, and the whole unit disassembles easily for a weekly clean, which is non-negotiable when hydration is a health priority. It's not ceramic, but the BPA-free plastic is smooth and non-porous enough to stay clean between washes if you rinse it every couple of days. For a settled, independent cat who already responds to water placement, this should make a noticeable difference to her daily intake.

The filters typically last around four weeks with one cat, so you're looking at roughly 12–13 filters a year. Catit sells them in multipacks on Amazon UK — a pack of three is usually around £6–7, so the annual running cost is somewhere in the region of £25–30 all in. The pump uses very little electricity, so that's negligible. The main ongoing commitment is a quick rinse every two or three days and a full disassembly wash once a week — that's genuinely it. Given that your vet has already flagged this, I'd treat the filter cost as part of the healthcare budget rather than a product expense. It's modest for what it's doing.

Absolutely — tell them you've introduced a fountain and roughly where you've placed it. If they do another urinalysis in a few months, they'll be able to see whether her urine concentration has improved, which is a direct measure of hydration. Some vets will also suggest a wet food diet alongside the fountain if the numbers don't shift enough — it's worth asking whether that's on the table too. But a fountain is a solid first step and you've already shown she responds to small changes in her water setup, so I'd expect her to take to it well.