The concept of the first pet water fountain was the idea of Dr. Mary Burns in 1994. Dr. Burns was trained in Behavioral Studies specialist in Veterinary Medicine, and worked for nearly 10 years in that field. She loved teaching pet owners strategies for disease prevention.

She invented the original fountain for her cat, "Buckwheat", who was an avid faucet-drinker. While getting her cat to stop drinking from a faucet was part of the motivation, the science behind the fountain was simple - pets that drink more water are less likely to develop certain diseases such as urinary tract infections or kidney and liver diseases.

Many people understand that drinking more water helps keep them healthy, but they forget about the needs of their pets. Pets perceive running water as fresher, and they will drink more water if they perceive it as fresher. This is why they often to prefer to drink from a running faucet - and you may have thought they were just trying to drive you crazy!

The patented free-falling water in the Drinkwell Pet Fountain attracts pets both the movement of water, as well as the sound of the running water. This free-falling action also aerates the water with healthy oxygen as well.

The Original Drinkwell Pet Fountain was enhanced with the addition of capacity-increasing Reservoirs, and then followed by the Big Dog and Platinum versions of the original design. Each new product improved upon the original concept, and their products are now sold in pet stores around the world.

Since the invention of the Drinkwell Pet Fountain, there have been other manufacturers who have made similar products, each with their own twist. Ergo Systems came out with a waterer that has water that flows into the bowl down the sides of the ramp, which makes it a quieter version of this product type. It also has a patented 8-layer filter that is guaranteed to prevent algae growth in the bowl - something no other pet waterer offers. The Ergo product also has 2-5 gallon capacity, which is the largest capacity of any pet waterers. And, they have matching automatic feeders, which make for a perfect pair.

Beyond these original manufacturers, there are also products from Petmate (Le Bistro), Catit, Auxi Products, Behlen, and others that provide both automatic and gravity waterers. These are great for cats and dogs, but they are suitable for many other domestic pets.

You will find the widest selection and the absolute lowest prices for pet water fountains on our site. You will also get the fastest shipping and quality service shopping here as well. If you have any questions about the products on this site, please do not hesitate to email us.