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Though cats started out as desert animals, they need plenty of liquids for good health—and offering them an appealing source of water is important, especially for fussy felines.
Cat fountains with running water can be one of the most effective ways to encourage a reluctant drinker to meet their liquid requirements. But there are a lot of fountain options out there, and pet parents want to know what they’re getting into, from capacity and noise level to cleaning requirements and cat appeal.
We’ve taken a close look at the Raindrop pet fountain from Pioneer Pet, a popular option that markets itself as being on the quieter end, with special focus on easy cleaning, high-grade construction, and durability. We decided to put it to the test—and, spoiler alert, we thought it was pretty great.
How the Pioneer Pet Raindrop Fountain Works
There’s a lot to love about this simple little fountain, from its easy assembly and cleaning to its low noise profile and unobtrusive design.
Convenient size and sleek appearance
The Pioneer Pet raindrop fountain doesn’t take up a lot of room. It’s 9.5 by 11.5 inches (about the size of a dinner plate) and less than 5 inches high. That’s a perfect fit for a corner, or even under a table.
The fountain is modern and utilitarian, and there’s no need to worry about the stainless steel cracking or leaking, unlike plastic and ceramic models. (If you’re fighting a bowl-flipper, though, you may want to take the risk and try the ceramic version of the Raindrop, which comes in both black and white.)
Easy cleaning and filter replacement
The fountain comes with simple directions and is easy to assemble in a matter of minutes.
It’s made up of two lightweight pieces of stainless steel, which makes cleaning relatively easy. A light scrub of the shell, the filter, and the pump every week keeps gunk from building up without much more effort than you’d put into cleaning a regular bowl—or you can throw the stainless steel pieces in the dishwasher.
The bad news: If you replace the filter every two to four weeks as recommended, you’ll be spending about $50 to $60 a year on filters. The good news, however, is that filters are easy to clean and easy to replace.
We’re also pleased to see Pioneer Pet for using filters that work with most of their fountain models. If you switch fountains or decide to buy a second fountain in a different style, you can still use your supply of filters.
Low noise is a huge win
One of the Raindrop’s best features is that it’s quiet. It bubbles rather than splashes, and the water runs down a chute to flow quietly into the bowl. This means a lot of action and visual interest for the cat, but not a lot of noise in the household. Reviewers agree with our testers that the pump is also very quiet—as long as the fountain is kept relatively full.
Test Cats Review the Raindrop Pet Fountain
Our test kitties were suspicious going in to their review of the Raindrop. They’d already rejected their first test fountain, which was a beautiful and incredibly noisy ceramic piece that was so loud it could be heard a full floor away. The cats wouldn’t get near it.
Fortunately, the Pioneer Pet Raindrop Fountain was a winner. It was everything it claimed to be: quiet, easy to clean, and durable for the humans—and most importantly, the cats liked it!
We only identified two possible drawbacks.
Capacity may not be big enough for multi-cat households
The raindrop fountain holds 60 ounces of water. That sounds like quite a bit, but only if you have one cat. Three cats tested the fountain, and they were consuming more than 12 ounces of water per day. This meant our humans needed to top the fountain up every single day, or else the pump began to make odd noises.
If you have a multi-cat household and don’t want to do daily refills, you might want to look at the larger Pioneer Pet Big Max fountain (128-ounce capacity).
Stainless steel is vulnerable to bowl-flippers
While the stainless steel fountain’s light weight makes it easy for you to handle and maintain, it does make it vulnerable to sloshing if it’s pawed enthusiastically by a pet or accidentally kicked by a human. If you think that’s likely to happen at your house, the ceramic version of the raindrop is a heavier alternative.
Our Recommendation? Drink Up!
Our reviewers felt the stainless steel Pioneer Pet Raindrop Fountain was a great choice for one- or two-cat households. Like any water fountain cat bowl, it requires regular cleaning and filter replacement—but we think that’s well worth it if the fountain encourages your cats to drink and provides them with a steady supply of clean water.
Overall, the Pioneer Pet Raindrop Fountain is a great option for:
- Homes with one or two cats
- Pet parents looking for an unobtrusive fountain with a low noise profile
- A visually appealing fountain to encourage faucet-loving cats
You might want to consider the larger or ceramic versions of this fountain if:
- You have more than two cats, or one that likes to splash around a lot
- There is potential for the fountain to frequently get moved by foot traffic or playing pets (we see you, bowl-flippers)