Turn your catio into a cat paradise with this easy fountain hack
Last updated on July 27th, 2021 at 05:21 pm
A water feature you and your cats will love
You have created the perfect outdoor space for your cats and they’re loving it! There are cat grass pots, hanging catnip baskets, and various arrangements of other cat-safe plants. What more could a happy cat want? But there is something missing. An element that is vital to our wellbeing and is an essential component in the art of feng shui – water, the giver of life.
Ollie loves running water. There is something magical and soul rejuvenating about the sound of trickling water that we cannot resist. I am convinced our feline companions feel the same way. Cats may not always want to drink water because their thirst drive is so low, but when stumbling upon a stream of running water, curiosity wets the paw!
If your cats have access to an outside garden or catio it is essential to provide a water source for drinking. This is especially important to prevent dehydration if your cat spends some time outside on a hot day.
Follow these easy instructions to create the purrfect water feature to complement your catio or cat garden for your cat to enjoyClick To Tweet After all, bug hunting is a tiring job out in the Serengeti and kitty will appreciate a rest and a drink from the watering hole.This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase when clicking a link I will make a small commission which helps maintain this blog (and perhaps the Chirpies’ weekend catnip habit!) but won’t cost you a cent more! Read my full disclosure.
You will need:
- Bamboo Accents 12″ – three-arm water fountain kit from Bamboo Accents (excludes bowl). The spout of this fountain rests close to the water’s surface so the sound of the water trickle is subtle and calming.
- A large ceramic mixing bowl or salad bowl. Whatever bowl you use, make sure it’s ceramic so that it’s easy to clean, sturdy and durable. Avoid a bowl that is easily tipped over. For the 12″ three-arm fountain I recommend a diameter of between 10″ and 20″ and a depth of 3.5″ to 4″h or more. The water bowl I used is 13.5″ wide with a depth of 3.75″
- Tumbled gemstones to accessorize such as rose quartz, agate jasper, amethyst. Malachite, lapis lazuli and tiger’s eye should not be immersed in water as these could leach potentially toxic metals into the water. I personally use either rose quartz or these amethyst crystals in the water.
- River stones are the ideal complement to a water feature in a zen garden, enhancing the ambiance of a peaceful creek out in the wilderness.
- Pioneer Pet T-Shaped fountain filter This is optional, but if you would like to keep the water fresh for longer, a charcoal filter is recommended. This T-shaped filter is a perfect fit for the bamboo accents fountain. NOTE: This fits perfectly on the pump that comes with the 12″ wide three-arm fountain. A filter will greatly reduce the amount of biofilm or prolong the formation of algae between weekly cleanings! 👍
Why I like the Bamboo Fountain
It fits in perfectly with our catio decor.It’s pressure treated with a non-toxic and pet-safe solution to prevent attracting insects. So your kitty can drink in peace and safety.
It’s lightweight and very portable. You can easily move the fountain to a different spot.
Vietnamese bamboo is used which is naturally insect resistant and grows without the use of pesticides and fertilizers
Easy to clean! Big bonus. Who wants to clean a big bulky fountain?
The 12″ three-arm fountain is ideal for shallower bowls which makes this design very practical. So that salad or pasta bowl at the bottom of your cupboard that you’re not using can be put to good use!
Are you ready for setup? Let’s go!
One step closer to the purrfect zen garden
1. Open the packaging and rinse the tubing and spout with cold water. Wash the bowl with soapy water, rinse thoroughly and set aside. Rinse any other accessories which will be immersed in the water such as river stones to remove dust and debris.
2. The three-arm spout sits atop the water bowl and is quite close to the water surface. This produces a softer trickle. If that is what you desire then you’re all set. Rest the spout on one end of the bowl. If you want a louder slightly more full water trickling sound then you could elevate the spout. Here I used pieces of wood off-cuts to rest on the bowl. Position the spout on top of the wood.
3. You may have to cut the fountain tubing as you probably would not need it to be that long. Attach the end of the nozzle provided and attach this to the pump. The pump can be set to adjust the flow.
4. Arrange your river stones or gemstones around the pump to hide it. I used one of my tiny ceramic bowls I made in pottery class to contain the pump and arranged the river stones around it.
5. Fill the bowl with water almost to the brim and plug in the outlet to see the watering hole come alive!
6. Use any other river stones or gemstones to decorate the three-arm spout. You are only limited by your creativity. Why not add some solar lights or cat-safe cut flowers or silk flowers on either end!
How to add the T-shaped fountain filter to the pump
After step 3 above, you can also fit the Pioneer Pet T-filter to the pump as shown below. Remember to remove the cover plate and attach the T-shaped filter directly to the pump. This ensures unobstructed water flow.
What the cats think of their new watering hole
I like to change things up and I recently bought this planter bowl and used it for the fountain. I think it looks pretty good 😉
Tips for easy cleaning of your water fountain
Keep your fountain in a shady spot to slow down the formation of algae, which forms when nutrients naturally occurring in the water are exposed to light. But regular cleaning every few days should prevent build up anyway. Our water fountain is on the lowest plant shelf which gets mostly shade throughout the day.
I use a small brush to clean the inside of the spout and the pump and rinse thoroughly under cold tap water to remove any build-up. Mild dish detergent is okay, but no bleach or chemicals.
I clean this fountain more frequently than the indoor pet fountains which have filters for catching hair and debris. In between cleanings during plant watering sessions, I would hose on the surface of the water to get rid of any leaves and surface debris.
This is a really fun project and easy to maintain and move around for cleaning or just to change up the catio layout. No heavy lifting a big bulky fountain! Even though our cats love their indoor cat fountains, this fountain provides an attractive outdoor watering hole solution that blends seamlessly with our catio decor. We will definitely be bringing this inside in late Fall when we set up the cats’ indoor salad bar for winter!
The Bamboo Accents fountain is a wonderful and essential addition to any catio and provides endless watering hole gossip for the kitties!
Our overall rating
Do your cats like running water? Do you think you might give this a try?
Like this? Pin it!
Now let me go see what the latest gossip is at the watering hole!
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What a pretty water spot ! We agree, it’s purrfect with your catio decor, and it’s so cool to have running water outdoor too ! Purrs
The sounds are so soothing that when I unplug to clean – the ambiance just changes completely and it’s almost as if the cats feel it too. When the water starts running again it’s like things come back to life 🙂
That’s gorgeous! And a great idea from the standard pet water fountain!
Thank you! I hope to see an outdoor pet fountain on the market that is pretty to look at someday.
You are so crafty. This is awesome and looks great. And clearly your cats appreciate it.
Thank you! I think they do appreciate their new watering hole. Of all the cats, Ollie and Sly Pie like it the most, because they do love running water.
That’s really cool. Maybe we should have mommy make us one of these fur inside the house. Big hugs
Luv ya’
Dezi and Raena
Yes for sure, you can make one for indoors too!
Ellie loves our fountain – but Bear will only drink out of it if it’s off. I LOVE the sounds of running water though. Until I get a house with expansive water features outside, the fountain will do. You did an incredible job! It’s not just practical, it’s a work of art!
Thank you! Gotta love that duo Bear and Ellie, they make a great team being different don’t they MOL. I hope my kitties appreciate the fountain as an art piece too heh heh!
That is SO beautiful! You are so creative and stylish!
Thank you! I hope the kitties think itès beautiful too heh heh 🙂
What we need first is a catio! 🙂
You can make one indoors then! 🙂
YOU are BRILLIANT! Just brilliant! that fountain looks so inviting that I (the HUMAN) want to come and drink out of it. I wish you lived by me so I could visit your catio. It is an oasis, just gorgeous, delightful! I pinned this all over the place! (you should enter this in the CWA contest for next year!)
Oh thank you Caren! And Sly Pie says you can come drink from ‘his’ fountain any time MOL! This was a very fun project. I had these African gemstones for a very long time, in fact, I brought them with me from South Africa. They just sat in a bowl with no purpose now they’re sitting pretty on a fountain!
You really have a very sweet cat.
You Chirpies sure have made your catio into a grr-eat kittycave complete with your own trickling fountain. I bet it sure is refreshing to have a fountain like that and I bet the trickling sounds make a kitty have sweet dreams. Winks.
[…] This lightweight and portable bamboo fountain create Zen vibes in the patio; Decorate with gemstones and pebbles for a peaceful ambiance where your kitty can sit and ponder on the complexities of human existence. Here’s the DIY. […]
[…] NOTE: This particular fountain does not come with the bowl, so you can be creative with your own choice of bowl. For an in-depth review of the bamboo fountain check out our detailed instructions on how we set up the watering hole. […]
What a beautiful fountain. Lucky cats! And I’m so glad they have a catio so they can spend time outside,
Thank you 🙂 The kitties sure are lucky but we are lucky to have them
I love this idea so much. I’m in the middle of building a catio, and this is by far the coolest fountain I’ve found. Do you know if there’s a way to filter the water automatically, so that I don’t need to clean it every other day?
Thank you for any insight!
I would imagine retrofitting a charcoal filter from another fountain and see if it fits onto this pump. I might just update this post to show how!
Actually I don’t clean it every other day. I only tip out the water and give it a quick rinse and then refill. The big clean I do once a week. Hope this helps!
Thank you! That is super helpful advice. I think I’ll go for it!
You’re welcome and glad you’re going to try it out. 🙂
Loved the water fountain…..can you say where you bought the bowl? Thanks, PK
Hi there Penny, thanks for pouncing by 🙂
The bowl was not bought online, I bought it a few years ago at the Homedepot in the dinnerwear and ceramic sections. I don’t see the exact one like mine but there are similar bowls Hope this helps!
I’m bleary eyed from all the nights I stayed up too late looking for ideas for our new catio. But it was worth it because THIS is the water fountain design we were looking for so THANK YOU!!!!
One thing I’m not clear on is how the T filter fits with it…could you post a picture of how you set that up?
A big thank you from a household where the fur babies out number their hoomins!
Hello there Michelle and thanks for pouncing by! I have updated the post (which I had meant to do a while ago) with the photos on how to fit the T-shaped Pioneer Pet charcoal filter. If you have any questions, just click in the contact tab to email me directly. Also if you want more catio ideas, check out my other post on catio accessories 🙂 I hope your kitties (and the hoomins) enjoy the new catio. https://www.chirpycats.com/catio-accessories/
[…] Click for more details […]
I used to keep fish before, and using the aquarium and filters left from the fish, I created a natural water source for my cat. I added colorful stones just like you described. It turned out really nice, and now it’s one of my cat’s favorite spots.
That’s sounds amazing!
[…] Credit: Chirpy cats Check Instructions […]