by Grammy at Mischief and Mayhem Central Recently, as in two weeks ago, we received a Drinkwell Avalon Fountain from PetSafe. We were asked to evaluate it and give our honest opinion. We are not being paid to do this. This family has used Drinkwell Fountains for many years: first a plastic model and when that finally wore out a ceramic model. On setting up the ceramic fountain - the Lotus - all kitties were curious and interacted with it immediately. (To see video copy and paste the following link into your browser) - https://www.facebook.com/WhiskersandMouse/videos/311758148961381/ ) The bubbling and dripping noises drew them to it where each chose how they would drink. Two of them enjoyed drinking from the bubbling top, the others seemed to prefer the overflow spouts. And the boys loved playing and splashing the water onto the floor. It was a definite love at first sight. The bonus for me, their Grammy, is it's compact design which is perfect for small spaces. While it takes a bit of work to maintain it, it is well worth it to see the cats drinking frequently from it. The Avalon which we were sent was set up immediately and placed in the kitchen. Within moments Mousie, our timid, gentle cat drank from the reservoir bowl. It was an immediate hit with her. Unfortunately, she didn't stay long enough to get a photo.... but she's a little shy. The boys, Rondo and Etude, and Sweetie, aka the cow kitties, were more wary. What was that new noise-maker in the kitchen? It took a few days of cautious, belly-to-the-floor approaches before they determined it was a fun place to splash and play in the water. Once over that hurdle they have taken to drinking from it too. So far Whiskers seems to have no preference. If she's near the kitchen she'll use the Avalon. If elsewhere in the home she goes to her bubbly Lotus. Either way, she drinks water which is important. Grammy is pleased with the Avalon. It is recommended that the fountains be cleaned weekly for optimum performance. The Avalon is very easy to disassemble, clean and reassemble. This makes it a pleasure to maintain. The water stays fresh longer which can be attributed to the two filters... a foam filter to collect debris and fur and a charcoal filter to remove odours and other contaminants. Two things that Grammy thinks would improve the design is a bubbling feature into the upper bowl.... and three overflow spouts - both of these similar in idea to the Lotus. In small places where the bowl has to be set against a wall or in a corner it would be beneficial to have two spouts which can be positioned toward the front (at 120degrees apart rather than 180) while the bubbling aerates the water... always a bonus. Not having these modifications in future designs would not deter her from purchasing one. Two other things Grammy has to say about the Avalon...
Now, having said all that you must know that we are all in favour of this new fountain. For Grammy it is easy to clean, looks classy in the kitchen and comes in two colours (red and white). The fountain attracts the cats because it makes tinkling noises and the water is cool and fresh tasting. We give it a 5 paws/one hand up. Read on.... about the importance of keeping your pets hydrated. Having had two cats with kidney ailments and renal disease in later life I (Grammy) have learned how important it is to keep our pets at a healthy weight, well-hydrated, and fed good quality food. Here we'll point out a few important facts about animals' needs for hydration - not just in summer but year round. In a recent study conducted by PetSafe® Brand, it was revealed that 66 percent of Canadians were unaware that lethargy or unusual lack of energy indicates dehydration in their pets. This is alarming. These are common signs of dehydration:
Consider this... pets like humans need plenty of water to stay hydrated. This is the same whether they are active or sedentary/calm. A simple calculation for pets is approximately 70 ml of water per kilogram of weight. Here are some other tips for keeping your pet hydrated:
So please, keep your pets well-hydrated... not only throughout the summer but year round. Canadian winters can be dry, especially in modern, air-tight, centrally heated homes. We at Mischief and Mayhem Central recommend PetSafe® Brand which offers several products to help Canadians keep their pets well hydrated. Should you wish to... here are links to their website, Facebook and Instagram. Website: https://intl.petsafe.net/en-ca Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PetSafeCanada Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petsafecanada/ All photos in this post are copyright of PetSafe and were borrowed with thanks for this blog. Comments are welcomed. Keep them light and fun. Mischief and Mayhem Central 2020
2 Comments
Emma
8/27/2018 05:37:00 pm
Oh a new thing to inspect! All kitties were curious I'm sure. heehee. Glad everypawdy enjoys the fountain. I got one for my kitties and they were too scared to drink from it!
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8/27/2018 06:12:40 pm
Ours loved the Lotus immediately. This one took a little more time. They were kittens when we got the very first fountain and they boys would even join Grammy in the shower. They were weird. Now they avoid the shower but Etude loves spritzer bottles sprayed in his face.
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