How to Keep Your Pet Water Fountain Clean (and Slime-Free)

Using a pet water fountain can encourage pets (especially cats) to drink more frequently, which supports healthier kidneys and urinary tracts. In fact, many cats seem to prefer drinking water from a flowing water source over a still one, making a water fountain a great way to encourage hydration.

However, it only keeps your dog or cat healthy if it’s clean, with no mold or slime gathering at the bottom or in the system. So, let’s look at what you need to do to make sure your pet’s water fountain stays as fresh and clean as a mountain spring.

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Content:

1. How Often Should You Clean a Pet Water Fountain
2. How to Keep Your Fountain from Getting Slimy
3. Why Use A Pet Water Fountain
4. Final Thoughts

How Often Should You Clean a Pet Water Fountain

I prefer to clean most pet fountains once a week, but I might put the bowl in the dishwasher every four days or so. A deeper clean every month is best, especially if your home has hard water.

Weekly Cleaning (Step-by-Step)

1. Start by completely draining the fountain and separating all parts.
2. Wash all parts with hot, soapy water with a non-abrasive cloth, toothbrush or sponge. Dawn soap is fine. Choose a fountain with easy-to-clean design, like the Petcube Fountain, where the ceramic or stainless-steel upper tray can be put in the dishwasher. But remember that other parts, like the filters and pumps should always be washed by hand.
3. Make sure you clean the pump by removing any hair or grime from the impeller (the moving part inside).
4. You can rinse the filter once a week, but be sure to replace it entirely every month.
5. Once everything is rinsed again (be careful there’s no soap residue left), put the fountain back together. Et voilà. You have a clean water fountain.

Read more: How Often to Change Pet Water Fountain Filter?

Monthly Deep Cleaning

If you’re seeing any kind of lime scale, or sludge building up at the bottom then you need some kind of acid to remove it. There’s no need for chemicals here. You can simply:

• Mix 1 part vinegar or citric acid (lemon juice) to 3 parts water.
• Run the fountain with this solution for about 30 minutes.
• Scrub and rinse thoroughly.

One pet parent on Reddit shares, "My ceramic pet fountain gathered grime quickly; lemon juice instantly dissolved it without the vinegar smell cats dislike."

I agree that while vinegar works to clear away any grime or slime, animals don’t like the smell. So, a bit of citric acid or lemon juice is a better option. It’s usually all you need for a fountain like the Petcube Pet Fountain.

How to Keep Your Fountain from Getting Slimy

It’s not hard to keep a fountain from getting slimy. Just be sure to regularly change the water and use filtered water to mineral deposits from building up.

Also, make sure your fountain isn’t standing in direct sunlight, as sunlight promotes algae growth and keep the area around the fountain clean. Finally, remember to change your filters. It’s the one part of having a fountain you can’t overlook.

Why Use A Pet Water Fountain

Remember the main benefit of a water fountain is that they can encourage pets to drink more water, possibly preventing kidney issues and urinary tract infections. This is particularly true for cat, as Dr. Christopher Pachel, DVM, writes in one study that:

"Cats are commonly diagnosed with conditions like renal disease or idiopathic feline lower urinary tract disease, which can be influenced by water consumption habits."

His study suggests cats may drink more water from flowing sources than still water from a bowl.

Final Thoughts

Water fountains are a fantastic option for pets, but they’re only effective if you keep them clean. Luckily, it’s not that hard. A simple acid like lemon juice or vinegar is fine to remove any sludge. Simply clean the system about once a week, and make sure to change your filters every month.