Plastic fountains develop a film. It builds up on the inside of the basin where the water sits, it is awkward to scrub out of moulded corners, and on a cat with any tendency towards feline acne it shows up on the chin within weeks. Stainless steel does not behave that way. It is non-porous, it wipes back to bare metal, and it will not hold the smell of last week's water.

Water is lifted quietly and returned through a gooseneck spout so it falls as a steady stream rather than a spray, and the recirculation keeps 3.2 litres moving instead of standing. The unit measures 209mm square and 124mm high before the spout, and it arrives with everything needed to run it for a good while: the adapter, two filter elements, two pieces of pump filter cotton, a cleaning brush and the manual.

• 3.2 litre stainless steel fountain
• Quiet gooseneck spout with a steady flow
• Clear side window for checking the level
• 209 x 209 x 124mm, excluding the spout height
• Supplied with two filters, two pump cottons, a brush and an adapter
• Choice of a faucet spout or a small floral pattern finish

Check the plug, and expect some sound. This is listed with UK, EU, US and AU adapters as separate options, so select the UK one, and we will query any order that picks a foreign plug by mistake. No pump is truly silent either: a fountain that has run low or dry will hum audibly, so keep it topped up if it lives anywhere near where you sleep.

Who it's for: Owners of cats who drink poorly or have had chin trouble from a plastic bowl, and multi-pet homes that empty a fountain quickly.