Cats are particular about how their water arrives, and no single flow style suits all of them. Some want a stream to drink from mid-air, others prefer to lap at a disturbed surface, and a fountain that only does one of those will be ignored by roughly half of cats. Being able to switch between a raised faucet flow and a gentle bubbling surface means you can find out which one your cat actually wants.

The pump runs under 20 decibels, which is quieter than a fridge and quiet enough to sit in a bedroom without waking anyone. That matters more than it sounds, because a noisy fountain gets moved to the utility room and then stops being used. A soft LED glow lights the water so a cat can find it in the small hours, when a good deal of feline drinking happens. It measures 22.6 x 15 x 10.8cm and holds 2.2 litres.

• Two flow modes: T-shaped faucet or bubbling surface
• 2.2 litre capacity
• Measures 22.6cm long x 15cm deep x 10.8cm high
• Pump runs under 20dB
• Soft LED glow for night-time drinking
• Black finish, with a UK plug option

On the plug and the upkeep. Several regional plug versions are listed alongside a USB option, so select the UK one deliberately at checkout. A fountain also needs the pump stripped and rinsed every couple of weeks, otherwise the flow drops off and the water stops being fresher than a bowl.

Who it's for: cats who drink at night, fussy drinkers whose preference you have not worked out yet, and light-sleeping households.