Dehydration can be a serious problem for cats. Ceramic water fountains can encourage them to drink more than they might have otherwise.
However, not just any fountain will do. A cat fountain must be durable enough to withstand constant use, quiet enough not to disturb the whole household, and easy enough to clean.
In this article, we look at the 10 best ceramic cat water fountains available. These reviews should help you select the best option for your feline.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
PetSafe Ceramic Pet Fountain
Free from heavy metals
60-ounce water capacity
Scratch-resistant material
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Best Value
Pioneer Pet Ceramic Fountain
Charcoal filter
Modern design
Dishwasher safe
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Premium Choice
Drinkwell Pagoda Pet Fountain
Filter provided
Two drinking areas
Slightly higher capacity than most other fountains
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PetSafe Ceramic Pet Fountain
Quiet
Carbon filter
Large capacity
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Drinkwell Seascape Pet Fountain
Carbon filter
Stylish design
70-ounce capacity
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The 10 Best Ceramic Cat Water Fountains
The PetSafe Creekside Ceramic Dog & Cat Fountain is designed to help increase a cat’s water intake by mimicking a natural stream. It can hold up to 60 ounces of water at a time, leaving plenty to run in the fountain and for your cat to drink.
Capacity: 60 ounces
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This fountain is extremely quiet and designed not to disturb you or scare away your feline. It comes with a pump and carbon filter to help keep the water clean as it flows. It won’t leave a bad taste in the water either.
The material is scratch-resistant and free from heavy metals. To clean it, you can simply wipe the pump by hand and put the ceramic pieces into the dishwasher.
Overall, this is easily the best overall ceramic cat water fountain.
Pros
60-ounce water capacity
Scratch-resistant material
Free from heavy metals
Quiet
Has a pump and carbon filter
Cons
Filter occasionally gives off sediment
For those on a budget, the Pioneer Pet Raindrop Ceramic Dog & Cat Fountain is the best ceramic cat water fountain for the money. It has a 60-ounce capacity that is more than enough for most cats. The ceramic is completely dishwasher safe, making it easy to clean. The pump does need to be cleaned once a month by hand, though.
60-ounce water capacity
Scratch-resistant material
Free from heavy metals
Quiet
Has a pump and carbon filter
- 60-ounce water capacity
- Scratch-resistant material
- Free from heavy metals
- Quiet
- Has a pump and carbon filter
Filter occasionally gives off sediment
- Filter occasionally gives off sediment
It also has a charcoal filter that is easy to change as necessary. This filter ensures that the water stays clean, even after it’s been sitting in the bowl for a while.
The fountain itself has a unique, modern design that sets it apart from some other options. If you’re concerned with how the fountain looks in your home, you should keep this in mind.
Pros
Charcoal filter
60-ounce capacity
Dishwasher safe
Modern design
Cons
Pump must be cleaned monthly
While the Drinkwell Pagoda Ceramic Dog & Cat Fountain has a slightly higher capacity than most other fountains, you’re going to pay for it. This ceramic fountain is expensive.
Charcoal filter
60-ounce capacity
Dishwasher safe
Modern design
- Charcoal filter
- 60-ounce capacity
- Dishwasher safe
- Modern design
Pump must be cleaned monthly
- Pump must be cleaned monthly
Capacity: 70 ounces
There is a low-voltage pump that circulates the water and keeps it clean with the use of a foam filter. This filter is made from carbon and coconut shell. It can be replaced as necessary to ensure that the water stays clean for months.
This fountain is extremely quiet. For the most part, all you’ll hear is the circulation of the water. The pump is practically silent.
Pros
Quiet
Filter provided
Slightly higher capacity than most other fountains
Two drinking areas
Cons
Expensive
- PetSafe Sedona Ceramic Dog & Cat Fountain
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Capacity: 100 ounces
The first thing you’ll notice about the PetSafe Sedona Ceramic Dog & Cat Fountain is that it is much larger than most other options. It also has a carbon filter, enabling it to keep the water clean.
Quiet
Filter provided
Slightly higher capacity than most other fountains
Two drinking areas
- Quiet
- Filter provided
- Slightly higher capacity than most other fountains
- Two drinking areas
Expensive
- Expensive
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Capacity: 100 ounces
The drinking area is quite large. Simply put, this fountain is great for large cats and those with flat faces. It can also prevent whisker fatigue.
The pump is whisper-quiet and doesn’t produce much noise. The only sound that you’ll hear is the water moving around. Plus, most of its parts are dishwasher-safe.
That said, only some parts of this fountain are ceramic. The bowl itself is plastic.
Pros
Large capacity
Large drinking area
Carbon filter
Quiet
Cons
Not completely ceramic
Not as durable as some other options
For the most part, the Drinkwell Seascape Ceramic Dog & Cat Fountain is like most other fountains. It has a 70-ounce capacity and a carbon filter that helps the water stay clean while it is circulating. This filter also keeps bad odors and tastes away, helping encourage more drinking.
Large capacity
Large drinking area
Carbon filter
Quiet
- Large capacity
- Large drinking area
- Carbon filter
- Quiet
Not completely ceramic
Not as durable as some other options
- Not completely ceramic
- Not as durable as some other options
The pump is completely submersible and quiet. It shouldn’t scare your cat away or bother other members of the household.
The ceramic design is stylish and can fit in with most home décor.
That said, the pump that this fountain comes with isn’t the best. It doesn’t seem to last long and isn’t as powerful as some other options, which greatly cuts back on the functionality of this fountain.
Pros
Stylish design
Quiet
Carbon filter
70-ounce capacity
Cons
Not durable
Weak pump
- Miaustore Dog & Cat Ceramic Water Fountain
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Capacity: 115 ounces
With multiple levels, the Miaustore Dog & Cat Ceramic Water Fountain is more interesting than most other options on the market. It has three levels that your cat can drink out of. The water flows from level to level.
Stylish design
Quiet
Carbon filter
70-ounce capacity
- Stylish design
- Quiet
- Carbon filter
- 70-ounce capacity
Not durable
Weak pump
- Not durable
- Weak pump
Capacity: 115 ounces
This system does not come with a filter, though. The whole thing is dishwasher safe, but the water will get dirty quickly due to the lack of a filter.
The design is quite elegant and fits in with most décor styles. It is one of the fancier-looking options out there.
The pump is not powerful and needs a large amount of water to work properly. Therefore, if the water evaporates too much, it simply doesn’t work. The towers are also difficult to arrange correctly, and cleaning them can be a handful.
Pros
Elegant design
Three levels for many drinking areas
Large capacity
Cons
Weak pump
Towers are difficult to arrange
The Drinkwell Avalon Ceramic Dog & Cat Fountain is quite basic but rather expensive. In fact, it is one of the pricier options on the market.
Elegant design
Three levels for many drinking areas
Large capacity
- Elegant design
- Three levels for many drinking areas
- Large capacity
Weak pump
Towers are difficult to arrange
- Weak pump
- Towers are difficult to arrange
It has a 70-ounce capacity, and the porcelain design is nice because it provides extra aesthetic and is easy to clean. Two streams help oxygenate the water and increase the overall flow.
While this fountain does come with a filter, it needs to be changed often. Over time, this can add up to a great deal of money out of your pocket. The filter isn’t that great, anyway. The water tends to get dirty and leave slime along the porcelain bowl.
Pros
Porcelain design
70-ounce capacity
Dual streams
Cons
Expensive
Poor filter
- Cupcake Cat Water Fountain Porcelain
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Capacity: Not Specified
In many ways, the Cupcake Cat Water Fountain Porcelain seems like a great choice. It comes with extra filters and pumps so you have replacements as needed. It also comes with cleaning tools, which are always nice to have. Since the bowl is made from porcelain, this fountain is scratch-resistant and looks quite nice.
Porcelain design
70-ounce capacity
Dual streams
- Porcelain design
- 70-ounce capacity
- Dual streams
Expensive
Poor filter
- Expensive
- Poor filter
Capacity: Not Specified
It is easy to assemble and dissemble. The motor is also quiet when submerged and working.
However, the instructions are a bit complicated and don’t make much sense. They are hard to read and assume that you have a certain level of knowledge.
The filter also isn’t that good. It doesn’t filter the water nearly as well as it should.
Pros
Comes with cleaning tools and extra filters
Quiet
Scratch-resistant
Cons
Poor filter
Instructions are hard to understand
- Lu&Ba Cat Water Fountain
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Capacity: 4 L
Compared to some other options, the Lu&Ba Cat Water Fountain is unique. It “bubbles” instead of flowing like a traditional fountain. Due to the minimalist design, it can be assembled quickly, which is always a plus. It is also easy to clean and resembles a regular cat bowl.
Comes with cleaning tools and extra filters
Quiet
Scratch-resistant
- Comes with cleaning tools and extra filters
- Quiet
- Scratch-resistant
Poor filter
Instructions are hard to understand
- Poor filter
- Instructions are hard to understand
Capacity: 4 L
The filter is made from many different materials and is meant to completely filter out any contaminants. We found the filter to be a bit better than most other options currently on the market.
That said, this fountain doesn’t come with a power supply box, so you will need to purchase one separately. This drives up the price considerably.
The filters tend to run out quickly, so you will need to spend more money purchasing new ones. We also found that this fountain doesn’t have an on/off button, which can be annoying.
Pros
Easy to put together
Good filter
Easy to use
Cons
Doesn’t come with a power supply box
Filters run out quickly
No on/off button
- Pioneer Pet Big Max Ceramic Drinking Fountain for Pets
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Capacity: 128 ounces
As the name suggests, the Pioneer Pet Big Max Ceramic Drinking Fountain for Pets is designed to hold a large amount of water. In fact, it has one of the highest capacities available.
Easy to put together
Good filter
Easy to use
- Easy to put together
- Good filter
- Easy to use
Doesn’t come with a power supply box
Filters run out quickly
No on/off button
- Doesn’t come with a power supply box
- Filters run out quickly
- No on/off button
Capacity: 128 ounces
It also comes with a filter that continuously works to keep the fountain clean. This filter is made with replaceable charcoal, which enables the water to stay clean for a while.
That said, the pump is one of the worse on the market. It is made from plastic and is less durable than most other options. Therefore, you may end up replacing the pump sooner rather than later.
Furthermore, the filter doesn’t actually do a good job keeping the pump clean. Therefore, the pump needs to be cleaned often.
Pros
Charcoal filter
Large capacity
Cons
Pump needs to be cleaned often
Not durable pump
Charcoal filter
Large capacity
- Charcoal filter
- Large capacity
Pump needs to be cleaned often
Not durable pump
- Pump needs to be cleaned often
- Not durable pump
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Ceramic Cat Water Fountain
Not all pet fountains are made equal. If you’re looking to purchase one for your cat, be sure to get something that has all the features that you need. While cat fountains may seem straightforward, they can come with a complicated list of features.
In this section, we help you sort out what features you really need in your fountain and which ones you can do without. Based on this information, you should be able to choose the best one for you and your cat.
Capacity
Pet fountains usually range in capacity from 50 ounces to 150 ounces. If you only have one small cat, you will likely be fine with a smaller size. Those with big cats or multiple cats will likely need a bigger fountain.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to keep the fountain mostly full for the pump to run properly. The last thing that you want is for the pump to stop working or even break due to a lack of water. Therefore, you shouldn’t wait until the water is all gone to refill it.
That said, we recommend going with the larger size when in doubt.
Filter
Having a filter is quite important. Not only does this keep the water clean for your cat, but it also prevents the pump from getting clogged and eventually breaking. Therefore, we highly recommend choosing a fountain that has a quality filter included.
Ideally, this filter should be made of carbon or charcoal. It should catch cat fur with ease, as fur will quickly clog the pump.
You should also consider the cost of changing the filter. Even the best filter will need to be changed regularly. Some are extremely expensive, which will increase the overall cost of the fountain.
Durability
You don’t want a fountain that is only going to break after a month or two. These fountains are not cheap, after all. Usually, it is the pump that breaks on these ceramic fountains, not the bowl itself.
Therefore, you should choose one with a quality pump. Often, the only way to determine the quality of the pump is to look at reviews. These can help point you in the right direction, especially if you pay attention to information about the unit’s durability.
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Noise Level
Pumps can be loud, so there is always the chance that cat fountains will be quite noisy. Luckily, most are designed to be decently quiet. Companies understand that noisy pumps often scare cats, which ruins the whole point of the fountain!
Practically all the fountains in our reviews are more than quiet enough to avoid bothering you or your feline.
However, you can still expect to hear water movement, which is inevitable with a fountain. If the water moves, it will make noise, and all fountains have water that moves.
Water Flow
The whole point of a fountain is to get the water flowing. Therefore, if the water doesn’t flow due to a weak pump or poor setup, the fountain is relatively pointless.
For this reason, you should carefully consider the flow of the water when making a purchase. The power of the pump often plays a huge role in this.
See Also: 7 Best Cat Water Fountains: Reviews & Top Picks
Conclusion
We hope that our reviews have provided you with plenty of information about the best ceramic cat water fountains on the market. Choosing the best fountain for you should be easy with the buyer’s guide.
For most users, we recommend the PetSafe Creekside Ceramic Dog & Cat Fountain. It comes with a quiet and durable pump and has an effective filter. The material is scratch-resistant, which is necessary when you’re dealing with cats.
The Pioneer Pet Raindrop Ceramic Dog & Cat Fountain is a slightly cheaper option that is also a solid choice. It has a filter and a pump and a modern design that many customers are drawn to.
You may also want to read: 10 Best Cat Water Fountains in the UK – Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: Chewy
