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PET FOUNTAIN
FACTS & FICTION
1. Carbon filters will remove bacteria -- False. For
more information see here and
here .
Implications of these studies: Because sooner or later, all fountains will
contain all sorts of algae, mold, viruses and bacteria, it becomes obvious
that the fountain must be easily and effectively cleaned. According to the
CDC, porous materials such as plastic cannot be sanitized. Glazed ceramic is
not porous and can be santitized with heat or chemicals without any damage
to the ceramic basin or a pet. Further, when a non-porous material is cleaned,
all traces of any chemical are easily rinsed away.
2. Moving water cools water -- False. Source: See this
reference .
Implications: There is only one fountain that has been proven to chill
the water in a fountain. The Glacier Point Perfect Pet Fountain™ by Sierra BioScience is
the only patent pending fountain that will chill the drinking water.
3. Falling water puts oxygen into the water making the water taste
better -- No evidence.
Discussion: There are no relevant studies showing that any cat has a
preference or aversion to water based on the amount of dissolved oxygen being
the only variable. As all fountains have water flowing into the bowl all fountains
are equal except the only fountain that has a chilling unit which increases
the dissolved oxygen content more than 15% i.e. The Glacier Point Perfect Pet Fountain™ See this
source .
4. Stainless steel bowls are better and safer than other materials --
False. Source: See this
reference .
Implications: There are over 150 grades of stainless steel that contain various
amounts of nickel and chromium which can be toxic when released from poorly
made stainless steel. Stainless steel loses its desirable properties when submerged
in water such as when used as a watering bowl for pets. If a safe grade of
stainless steel was used to make a safe stainless steel bowl, that bowl could
cost hundreds of dollars. Hexavalent chromium was the chemical that was causing
birth defects and cancer in the Erin Brockovich story.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel, www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/hexavalent-chromium-erin-brockovich-chemical-found-31-of-35-us-cities-tap-water.php
Prevention of litter box stink is possible
What can be done to reduce or eliminate ammonia smell from urine? Dehydration will cause a cat’s urine to become concentrated which results in the formation of ammonia. Solving the dehydration reduces or eliminates the formation of ammonia and allows the normal elimination of metabolic waste as urea (which is odorless) rather than ammonia.
The terrible smell from defecation is increased when the transit time within the body’s elimination system is reduced. When fecal matter sits inside the body rather than moving out of the body quickly, the warmth and bacteria increase the intensity of the smell. Constipation in humans as well as cats often results from dehydration and correcting the dehydration often corrects how fast the bowels are emptied.
It has been said that a cat can last for years without love and can last months without food but can become dehydrated in days, resulting in a smelly litter box as well as a list of other metabolic disorders such as diabetes or kidney disease.
Why do cats get dehydrated so often? Cats do not have a well developed sense of thirst because over the last 10,000 years, cats were hydrated primarily from the moisture contained in the tissues of their prey and not from drinking water.
So how does a cat parent who provides their cat a dry food diet “trick” their cat into drinking more water? It has been shown that cats will consume physiologically correct amounts of water if:
the water is moving (and interesting)
the water is clean (especially nothing floating),
the water basin is always at the top edge (so the cats peripheral vision is not blocked),
and especially if the water is cool (actually the most important issue).
Only Glacier Point fountains can provide all of the important elements that a cat needs to stimulate him or her to drink enough water to prevent dehydration-associated disorders.
