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StuffCatsWant Rating: 4 Stars
Pioneer Pet Raindrop Stainless Steel Pet Drinking Fountain Product Overview:
The Pioneer Pet Raindrop Stainless Steel Pet Drinking Fountain is a high quality fountain designed with a couple of specific features in mind, beyond the basic one of ensuring your cat drinks more water.
First and foremost the product is made of stainless steel instead of plastic like many of the fountains out there these days. This is a huge benefit to folks who are against using plastic in anything related to their pets or themselves.
Stainless steel is considered a far more ‘safe’ material in that it is 100% dishwasher safe and also isn’t porous as many forms of plastic are which ensures it doesn’t stain as easy or harbor bacteria. If you’re a worry wort when it comes to germs this is a model for you!
The second major feature to keep in mind is that this fountain is designed with more of a slide than what you might have seen with other fountains. The water does not drop over a fall or shoot out like a human drinking fountain which is another key difference from many fountains in the market place. This means if you’ve got a cat that likes a gentle flow instead of splashing or falling water this is the fountain for you.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind though, the fountain has a pretty low water capacity. While it won’t necessarily run out of water quickly it will end up making a lot more noise as the amount of water in the fountain gets lower and lower. This can be frustrating in smaller homes or apartments where you don’t feel like having to refill a fountain constantly.
It is also worth noting that the design doesn’t do the best job of keeping hair and other things floating through the air out of the pump. If you clean the fountain consistently though this shouldn’t be a huge problem.
Note there is a ceramic version of this product if you want something that looks nicer than plastic, but you don’t like stainless steel. If you’re interested in the ceramic version you can also read my full review of it here
The Pros:
- Stainless steel is 100% dishwasher safe & considered far more sanitary than plastic for anyone that prefers it
- It provides a nice gentle flow of water as opposed to falling water like many other pumps
- It is a great looking water fountain, I personally love the look of clean stainless and prefer it over any plastic from an aesthetic standpoint
- Another benefit of a stainless steel fountain is there are no concerns about BPAs in the plastic
- There are two available drinking areas for your cats to ensure they have options available to them
- If the pump happens to go (they all do eventually) you can buy a replacement without replacing the whole fountain
- Uses a charcoal filter to keep the water clean for your cat(s)
The Cons:
- The fountain is relatively low capacity (60oz) so it requires constant refills and you can’t leave it for long periods of time
- If the water gets low it vibrates and makes a lot of noise (this is true for most pumps)
- There isn’t an adjustable flow control built into the pump so what you get is what you get, if your cats don’t like it too bad
Tips for Best Usage:
- Be sure to top off the fountain with water on a daily basis or every other day at the least otherwise it will start to vibrate
- Giving the fountain a deep clean every two weeks or so is highly recommended, I’d recommend a dish washer if you have one
- You’ll want to place a tray or mat under it to catch splashes from your furballs so your floor doesn’t get soaked
- The pump itself will need to be deconstructed and cleaned out every other week or so to keep it working well
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How often do you have to refill it?
- This is hard to guess and depends on your environment & the number of cats you have. If possible I would suggest topping it off daily.
- This is not a product you’d want to buy if you’re assuming you can leave your cats at home for several days alone.
- Is it noisy?
- The product is not noisy if it is kept full, but it does have a low capacity and will start to vibrate as the water runs low.
- Is it dish washer safe?
- Yes, the product is made of Stainless Steel which is 100% dishwasher safe.
- How often do you have to clean it?
- I’d recommend pouring all the water out and replacing it once a week.
- I’d recommend a deep clean every two weeks at the least.
- This will help maintain the integrity of the pump and also decrease the chances of anything nasty getting in the fountain.
- How often do I have to replace the filters?
- You’ll need to replace the filters about ever 3-4 weeks. You can find the replacements here.
- Is the pump replaceable?
- Yes, you can find pump replacements here.
Wrapping it Up
The Pioneer Pet Raindrop Stainless Steel Pet Drinking Fountain is one fountain among a huge playing field fountains. The key differentiator for this product is that it is made of stainless steel as opposed to plastic like most of the fountains out there on the market today. Not only does stainless look really nice, but it also does so while minimizing issues that come from plastic fountains like allergies & BPAs etc.
Do you have a water fountain for your cats? If so, do you prefer stainless steel to plastic?
Please leave a comment below or email me directly at Craig@StuffCatsWant.com if you have any thoughts to add to this article.
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References: Pioneer Pet Website
