How to choose a pet water fountain
5 min read · Sippy Paws
A pet fountain is a small thing that sits on your kitchen floor every day. It is worth choosing one you can understand and clean.
Here are the four questions to ask before you buy: how big, how powered, what it is made of and how easy it is to clean.
1. How big is it?
Capacity tells you how much water the bowl holds. Our Sippy Cordless Fountain, 4 L holds 4 L (about 4.2 qt). The Sippy Steel Fountain, 2.2 L holds 2.2 L (about 74 oz).
Think about your floor space and how many pets share the bowl. A bigger bowl needs more room, and the 4 L is the larger of our two.
2. How is it powered?
Some fountains plug into the wall. Others run on a battery. A cordless fountain has no cord to trip over, and you can place it where you like.
The 4 L runs on a battery with no cord, has a motion sensor and is suited to cats and medium sized dogs. The 2.2 L is listed as charge powered and is made for cats. Our guide on cordless or plug-in fountains has more.
3. What is it made of?
Pages should say plainly what the parts are. Both list a stainless steel body, and the 4 L is written as about. We write about when the maker has not confirmed a detail.
The fountain pages also say how to care for each part.
4. Can you clean it?
Look for a fountain you can take apart. Small parts need small brushes, and a good fountain is easy to wash. Read our cleaning guide to see how it works.
Browse all our pet fountains when you are ready to compare.
Shop the products in this guide
Questions and answers
Which size should I pick?
Pick the 2.2 L if you have a cat and limited space. Pick the 4 L, which suits cats and medium sized dogs, for more water.
Do the fountains come in colors?
The 4 L has a stainless steel body, listed as about. It comes as the fountain itself or as filters only. The 2.2 L is stainless steel too and comes in five styles, so check the options on each page.
More fountain guides
Cordless or plug-in fountains
Pros and cons, simply.
Read the guide →
Steel or plastic fountains
Materials explained in everyday words.
Read the guide →
Fountain capacity: how much water is enough
Reading litres and quarts without a headache.
Read the guide →