Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi all!! My babies have a cat mate fountain (our boy loves it, our girl won't touch any form of water so I'm trying to keep it interesting for her!)

I change the water every day and always give it a wipe to get rid of stray hairs etc, but I find that maybe every other day I have to really scrub off algae forming in the crevices? Kitchen roll wipes it off, and I use toothpicks in the crevices.

Is it just because it's running water, or is there a way I can avoid this? I always have backup filters around as I originally thought that might be the problem.

Never had algae in ours. I use a bottle brush for the hole & crevices and sometimes put the plastic bits in the dishwasher. I don't bother with filters any more. It means fur can build up on the motor cover, but a quick rinse and refill is all it takes. I give them a good wash about once a week. I have 2 on the go. I did have 3 but one of the motors broke. At the moment I keep a spare so I can do a quick change over

This is the brush I use http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tea-Pot-Spout ... 20f72a1184" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - I sometimes use descaler. The brush is German made (Kitcheniad) and still like new after years of use. I got mine int he local £ shop. Just the right size to scrub the flute (or whatever it is called )

Just a thought - does your fountain get direct sunlight? - I have seen another fountain on Amazon that has a UV light built in to kill bacteria etc. Tempted, but I have had so many fountain fails and the Catmate is the only one I have stuck with.

It's in the brightest part of our kitchen but doesn't get direct sunlight
Maybe that's part of the problem?

I just find it weird, it's only just started happening in the last month or so,
We've had it since December time and I don't think anything has changed??

I only change the water once a week in mine.

From my experience of aquariums/ponds, bright light/warm temps = algae. So it may have been the increasing spring light/temps.

Having said that, also in my experience lol - there is nothing, but nothing, that the average cat (and snake too) likes better than a long refreshing drink of green and algae-laden pondwater, urrgh

That's gross

I know - the odd thing is, that inside, they know when I change their bowls and come straight away for their chlorine fix...snakes too.

But outside (and visiting cats too) chateau duckweed is flavour of the day. Eww and you know what goldfish do in water...well where else would they do it lol?

My two love to drink out of the Bird bath like a couple of strays in spite of the fact that they have a perfectly good bowl of clean water in the kitchen. I think it must taste of sparrow. Hmmmm yum

Ours love to drink out of the pond, but if you tasted our tap water you'd know why, even WE don't drink it. We have a filter tap now and they like that.

You are perhaps MORE likely to get algae building up in a bright room than in direct sunlight. The sun does have a bleaching property in it's UV light - just think what it does to curtains!

Sterilizers often contain some very nasty chemicals. I'd use lemon juice and rinse with water after.

My catmate has never had algae, but it does get brown bits in the corners.

I have one of these fountains and from time to time I sterilise it using a very weak solution of domestic thin bleach (5 ml per 1 litre ) this will also kill any algae and remove anything you can't reach by hand.
First wash it as normal by hand, then dilute the bleach in a separate container and fill the fountain from that.
Plug it in and leave it running overnight (out of the cats reach !!!)
The next day empty it out and refill it with clean water and leave it running again for a few hours, empty and repeat once more.

Would Milton's sterilizing tablets do the trick? Anything safe enough for babies must be safe for cats

I used to use Milton's for snakes, cleaning vivariums etc, before I discovered F10 - you have to be incredibly careful with disinfectants for snakes. I started using Milton's because I once knew some pigeon men who used it. I mean, you'd think a pigeon's a hard bird, but these guys swore by Milton's

F10 SC (super-concentrate) in the correct solution can be used for cold sterilisation; I've washed snake water bowls in it (rinsed with plain water) though the cats' bowls go in the dishwasher - not something I suppose you can do with water-fountain parts.

Kay wrote:Would Milton's sterilizing tablets do the trick? Anything safe enough for babies must be safe for cats

It is probably perfect but it costs TEN times as much
In round figures, Milton costs 1p per litre using the tablets, (1 tablet to 5 litres of water) whereas bleach diluted as I do costs 0.1p per litre.
Using the liquid Milton is even more expensive at 3p per litre ! (15ml to 5 litres of water)

I use Miltons to sterilise beer bottles when doping home brew. Seems to work quite well. I think I'll try it on the Catmate myself.