Six fountains sold in the UK compared on price, capacity, material, cleaning and what the filters cost a year, plus what a controlled study found about whether cats drink more.
2 litres, dishwasher-proof bowls. Filters about £20 a year at the monthly interval.
2.5 litres; the steel top can go in the dishwasher. Filters about £20 a year.
2 litres, porcelain; top rack of the dishwasher. Carbon filters £29.25+ a year.
The six cat water fountains we compared cost £20 to £83.50 at Pets at Home on 21 October 2026. Filters add about £20 a year for the cheapest to run and £48.75 for the dearest. A controlled study found cats drank no more from fountains on average.
How we picked these 6: fountains for cats sold by Pets at Home with a product page stating the price and capacity, covering plastic, stainless steel and ceramic, plus a cordless model. We checked a second price at zooplus UK or the maker where the same model is listed. Yearly filter cost is the maker's replacement interval times the price per filter in the pack Pets at Home sells.
Showing 6 of 6.
| Best for | Material | Filters a year | Second price | Ad | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Mate Three-level Pet Water Drinking Fountain | Lowest price, and dishwasher-proof bowls | 2 litres | Not stated by the retailer | £20.00 a year | zooplus £21.09 | £20.00checked 21 Oct 2026 | ViewAd |
| Catit PIXI Fountain (plastic) | A 2.5-litre fountain with a published 30-day filter interval | 2.5 litres | BPA-free plastic | £20.00 a year | zooplus £28.99 (white) | £32.00checked 21 Oct 2026 | ViewAd |
| Catit PIXI Fountain, stainless steel top | Lowest-priced stainless steel top | 2.5 litres | Stainless steel top | £20.00 a year | zooplus £36.09 | £36.00checked 21 Oct 2026 | ViewAd |
| PetLibro Capsule Fountain | Two flow modes in a small footprint | 2.1 litres | BPA-free plastic with a stainless steel top | £48.75 a year | Not found | £49.00checked 21 Oct 2026 | ViewAd |
| PetLibro Dockstream Fountain (cordless) | Battery-run, so it can sit away from a socket | 2.5 litres | Not stated by the retailer | Not known | Not found | £79.00checked 21 Oct 2026 | ViewAd |
| PetSafe Drinkwell Ceramic Avalon | Ceramic, and dishwasher-safe apart from the pump | 2 litres | Ceramic (porcelain) | £29.25 a year | PetSafe UK £114.99 | £83.50checked 21 Oct 2026 | ViewAd |
Pet Mate 6-pack £10 = £1.67 a filter × 12
PIXI cartridge 6-pack £10 = £1.67 a filter × 12
PIXI cartridge 6-pack £10 = £1.67 a filter × 12
8-pack £15 = £1.88 a filter × 26
Replacement filter price not listed at Pets at Home when checked
Carbon 4-pack £9 = £2.25 a filter × 13 (every 4 weeks); £58.50 if changed every 2 weeks. Foam filters extra (£5.50 for 2)
Prices, capacity, material and filter details from the Pets at Home product pages linked, with second prices from zooplus UK and PetSafe UK, checked on 21 October 2026.
What we did
What we did not do
Sources checked
Prices and terms change. Confirm on the retailer's page before you buy.
Why it made the list
Lowest price, and dishwasher-proof bowls
Pet Mate 6-pack £10 = £1.67 a filter × 12
Why it made the list
A 2.5-litre fountain with a published 30-day filter interval
PIXI cartridge 6-pack £10 = £1.67 a filter × 12
Why it made the list
Lowest-priced stainless steel top
PIXI cartridge 6-pack £10 = £1.67 a filter × 12
Why it made the list
Two flow modes in a small footprint
Watch out for
The replacement filter 8-pack was out of stock at Pets at Home when we checked.
8-pack £15 = £1.88 a filter × 26
Why it made the list
Battery-run, so it can sit away from a socket
Watch out for
Pets at Home did not list a replacement filter price, so the running cost is unknown.
Replacement filter price not listed at Pets at Home when checked
Why it made the list
Ceramic, and dishwasher-safe apart from the pump
Carbon 4-pack £9 = £2.25 a filter × 13 (every 4 weeks); £58.50 if changed every 2 weeks. Foam filters extra (£5.50 for 2)
Cats did not drink more from fountains on average in the only controlled study we found. Robbins et al. (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2018) gave 16 healthy cats on dry food a still bowl, a free-falling fountain and a circulating fountain in turn, two weeks each; 14 finished. Water intake, urine volume and urine concentration did not differ significantly between the three, although three cats showed a clear preference for one type, in different directions. The authors concluded that other ways to raise intake are needed. International Cat Care says some cats prefer running water and that cats on dry food should be encouraged to drink. Wet food is the bigger lever: about 80% water. Our cat food comparison prices wet and dry food per day. If your cat drinks far more or less than usual, contact your vet.
The easiest cat water fountains to clean are the ones whose parts can go in the dishwasher. Of the six here, the PetSafe Avalon can go on the top rack with the pump washed by hand, the Cat Mate's bowls are dishwasher-proof, and the Catit PIXI's stainless steel top can go in the dishwasher. Every maker still expects regular hand cleaning: Catit says clean the PIXI weekly and its pump at least every two months, PetSafe says clean the Avalon weekly, and PetLibro says clean the Capsule's pump and bowl every two weeks. Smooth stainless steel and ceramic resist scratches better than plastic, and scratches can trap residue. International Cat Care says fountains should be cleaned often.
The fountain is only part of the cost. At each maker's replacement interval and the pack prices at Pets at Home on 21 October 2026, filters cost about £20 a year for the Cat Mate and both Catit PIXI models (one £1.67 filter a month), £29.25 a year for the PetSafe Avalon's carbon filters at four-weekly changes (£58.50 at two-weekly), and £48.75 a year for the PetLibro Capsule, whose filters are changed every two weeks. Pets at Home listed no filter price for the Dockstream. Over three years, the Cat Mate's fountain and filters together cost about £80; the Avalon's about £171 at four-weekly carbon changes, before foam filters.
The cheapest, and both plastic fountains here state BPA-free plastic. Plastic can scratch over time, so check for wear when you clean it.
Resists scratching and does not hold smells. The Catit PIXI's steel version costs £4 more than the plastic one at Pets at Home and uses the same filters.
Heavier and breakable, but smooth and dishwasher-safe. The Avalon is the dearest fountain here at £83.50, and PetSafe's own UK price was £114.99 when we checked.
If you are setting up for a new cat, our kitten checklist lists what to buy first and the cost of owning a cat guide adds up the monthly bills. For feeding while you are out, see our automatic cat feeder comparison, and for keeping other cats out, the microchip cat flap comparison. All our cat gadgets are in the cat tech hub.
Not on average, according to the one controlled study we found. In Robbins et al. (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2018), 14 cats each used a still bowl, a free-falling fountain and a circulating fountain for two weeks; water intake did not differ significantly between them, although three cats showed a clear preference for one type. A fountain may suit your cat, but it is not a guaranteed way to raise intake. Wet food adds far more water.
We found no UK veterinary body that recommends a particular fountain. International Cat Care says some cats prefer running water and that fountains should be cleaned often, with filters changed as the maker recommends. If your cat is drinking much more or less than usual, or straining to pass urine, contact your vet rather than relying on a fountain.
The six we compared cost £20 to £83.50 at Pets at Home on 21 October 2026. Filters add about £20 a year for the Cat Mate and Catit PIXI, £29.25 or more for the PetSafe Avalon and £48.75 for the PetLibro Capsule, at each maker's recommended interval.
Follow the maker: Catit says every 30 days for PIXI filters, Cat Mate monthly for one pet, PetLibro every 2 weeks, and PetSafe every 2 to 4 weeks for the Avalon's carbon filter. Change them more often with several cats or hard water.
Tell us and we will check it. Corrections are dated on the page and listed in our corrections log.