Cats are poor drinkers by design. The ancestral desert cat took most of its water from prey, and a modern cat living on dry food often runs a mild, permanent deficit without ever looking thirsty. Moving water helps, because it reads as fresh rather than standing. This one only moves when it needs to, with a sensor that starts the flow as your cat approaches and stops it again once they have wandered off.

The housing and bowl are ABS with 304 stainless steel, the grade used in food equipment because it can be scrubbed hard without going dull and does not hold odour. Rated under 25dB, the pump is quieter than a fridge, so a cautious cat is not driven off by the noise of the thing they are meant to drink from. And because the pump idles between visits rather than circulating all day, it draws less power and the impeller sees far less running time.

• 2.5L tank, several days of water for one cat
• ABS and 304 stainless steel construction
• Rated under 25dB in operation
• 5V/1A power supply
• 22.8 x 20.2 x 14.9cm, 0.93kg
• Clear level window so you can see when to refill
• Motion sensor starts and stops the flow

On which version you order. This line exists in UK, EU, US and AU plug types and in Basic, Radar and APP models, so pick the UK variant unless you have a reason not to. Stainless steel also does not excuse you from cleaning it: biofilm builds inside any fountain, and the pump housing needs stripping down and washing regularly whatever the bowl is made from.

Who it's for: Owners of one cat, particularly a fussy drinker or a cat on dry food, who want a quiet fountain that is not running around the clock.