Nowadays, even animals occasionally go fancy. My cats, some days, eat better than I do. If I don’t shower them with new toys once a week, I wake up with a paw pressed against my windpipe at 3am. And forget just putting out a dish of fresh water. If their drinking water isn’t running out of a fountain, these bougie little felines would die of thirst. And the thing is, despite their expensive tastes, I really love my boys. Luckily, the Pioneer Pet Raindrop stainless steel pet water fountain is far from high maintenance.
Pioneer Pet Raindrop Stainless Steel pet water drinking fountain specifications
- Dimensions: 11.75 x 9.75 x 4.75 inches
- Weight: ~2.5 lbs.
- Capacity: 60 ounces
- Material: Stainless steel
If you look at this fountain from above, it resembles a raindrop. The fountain comes in four parts. The dish where most of the water is stored, a top flow bowl lid, and a clamshell that lies under the lid where a charcoal filter and the pump is placed.
Pioneer Pet Raindrop stainless steel pet water fountain review: Is it worth it?
My adoration of this pet fountain stems from the fact that I’ve used a few lesser models in the past few years. A drinking fountain for your pets isn’t something many folks put too much thought into.
But the thing is, many fountains on the market are difficult to clean and, occasionally, use expensive filters that must be constantly replaced. This is the first pet fountain that’s easier to take care of than my actual cats. Here are a few features I liked about this fountain.
1) Stainless steel means cleaner water, period
Most pet drinking fountains come with filters. Unfortunately, because they are made of plastic, slimy growths will cling to the sides of these fountains and occasionally even burn up the motor in their pumps. Stainless steel is synonymous with cleanliness, which is why everything from meat cleavers to kitchen sinks are fabricated from this material.
The model I used beforehand needed to have its filters replaced on a weekly basis, and even then, slime was prevalent. In four months of steady use, the machine hasn’t produced any disgusting slime in either the machine or the pump.
2) It’s got a huge capacity so my cats never go thirsty
Sixty fluid ounces amounts to seven and a half cups. I’ve got two cats, and it’s been an especially dry summer, but even so, I only have to top off the fountain with fresh water about every three days or so.
The pump circulates the water continuously, even when it’s a little less than half full so it’s not a pet fountain that you’ve got to be terribly vigilant about. A few models back, I was slow to replace the water and it burnt out the pump motor. It’s an unfathomable thing to see that happening with the Pioneer Pet Raindrop pet fountain.
3) It’s dishwasher safe, but it washes easily by hand
Plenty of dishwasher fountains claim to be dishwasher safe. And the truth is, they will survive the cleaning. But germs that live inside cats cling to the plastic walls of these fountains that simply will not wash off. Some models even have small crevices where sponges simply won’t go. To be honest, I’m not sure I ever got these fountains 100 percent clean at any point.
The Pioneer Pet Raindrop stainless steel pet water fountain gets clean, and stays clean very easily. I hardly ever bother with the dishwasher considering it’s a breeze to simply clean with a soapy sponge. The small fountain spout cleans easily with a pipe cleaner. Then simply air dry, replace the filter if needed, plug in, and it’s good to go.
The final verdict
The pet drinking fountain market is wide, and would you know it, a bit of a minefield. These fountains are either impossible to clean, have way too many moving parts, or gather more slime than a lawyer’s convention.
I’m not saying that the Pioneer Pet Raindrop stainless steel pet water fountain is the only drinking fountain my cats will ever drink out of. I’m not sure they’re picky about their drinking water as long as it’s fresh and clean. It is, however, the only pet fountain I’ve ever owned that’s a joy to maintain, because there’s so little upkeep. If your pet drinking fountain causes you nothing but heartache, upgrade to the Pioneer Pet Raindrop stainless steel pet water fountain for only $38.
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