We bought the PetSafe Stainless 360 water fountain 2 1/2 years ago for our first Maine Coon kitten, Floki. It was a hit but over time it was cumbersome to clean and putting it back together, and after the first couple of cleanings it never would push the water out of the top without me taking it apart at least one more time, usually took two or three tries. I liked that it was stainless but when full of water it was also heavy to move around. So, nice fountain but had it's flaws for us. Next we added Jax, Floki's Maine Coon brother from another littler and that boy is a real water cat! They both love drinking water which is great for their health, and they like to play with it, but Jax really makes an art out it. After watching the way they drink when in the tub and sink and how they tried to use the stainless fountain I realized that what they really liked best was a) a steady flow of water, and b) moving water that was easy to drink and put paws in. The stainless 360 fountain stream that came out of the pillar in the center degraded over time and even when freshly cleaned wasn't a good flow. I came across this Multi Tier found from PetSafe the other day and I thought, ok, this look more like what my cats really want. I debated because it's smaller and I had it in my mind that big cats need a big fountain. When I unpacked it this morning I was shocked at the small box the fountain itself was in and when I took it out I thought, oh, this really is small. Yes, I saw the dimensions online but that doesn't always give me a real idea of a thing. The Coons were instantly interested though, up on the kitchen island investigating the new fountain. Good sign. Getting the main part off in order to clean the pump and put the filter in wasn't easy but eventually it did come loose. The base is small enough that getting both hands in there as shown in the picture instruction didn't make it easy to really grasp ahold of the part that was to lift off, but I got that done, cleaned the pump, washed the fountain, put back together with the filter in place, filled with water and set on the floor mat. The Coons were at it instantly. This fountain design is, IMO, superior to the 360. It has a water well on the second tier and that water moves so the cats can sit there and drink from it or wash paws or play or whatever. The stream of water is just the overflow from that well, nothing to inhibit it so it's a nice steady stream, like having the bathroom faucet running on medium. So there's a good water sound too which cats love. The base well has moving water in it too because the stream flows into it. Jax, younger brother, likes to lay next to the fountain and drink from the base well. Then he sits up and licks the stream, and then he drinks from the second tier well. With the 360 they didn't spend much time trying to drink from the base. So even though this new fountain is quite a bit smaller, the amount of water it holds (100oz) is substantial (the 360 holds 128oz). It's lighter weight, and just being smaller it's easier to handle/move/clean. Not so many parts to finagle back together after cleaning either. Only time will tell how well it holds up and whether we continue to have that nice stream of water but it's a simple enough design that I think it should do pretty well. I may get a second one for another spot because a certain water cat likes to hog the fountain and his big brother might like a second option :) For now, I much prefer this smaller, better-designed fountain over the Stainless 360 though I'll keep that one and maybe set it up on the porch without the fountain head so that they can drink out of the top of the column when they are enjoying the fresh air.
