Drinkwell Hy-Drate Cat Ice (White)

I was really excited when I first saw this product. Even though I clean out my dog's water bowl daily, it always seems to be filled with dust, food particles and his hair. I know it's marketed as a 'Cat' water filter but I figured it would work fine for my dog who isn't much larger then a cat to begin with. As it turns out, they do have a 'Dog' version of this filter and as far as I can tell, it's the exact same product (same size/specs and filter requirements) with a minor difference in price.

First thing to consider before making this purchase... Do you have a low laying power outlet near your pet's water bowl? I know I'm pointing out the obvious for anyone who has the ability to 'look at the photo' but double check anyways. I thought for certain I had low outlets in my kitchen and ended up having to relocate my pup's water bowl into the family room. That aside, I strongly feel that a battery operated device would have been more appropriate for this type of filtration device from both a portability and safety perspective. There's just something about plugging an electrical device submerged into your pets water bowl that gets you thinking... is this safe? Theoretically, I think it 'should' be safe because the outlet remains above the water source but if you have cats that like to play in their water, a playful puppy who sometimes slides into his water bowl, or maybe even just clumsy housemates who often kick the pet's water bowl in the middle of the night (sigh), it seems like an electrical hazard in the making. Maybe splashing water on an outlet in use isn't something to worry about? If anyone is savvy on this and can give me a yay or nay on 'dangerous or not' I'd love to hear from you. Right now, I just unplug it before I go to bed to make sure my housemates don't kick it and start a fire.

The filter itself is easy enough to use. Suction cups hold it to the bottom of your pet's water bowl and once plugged in, water whirs around and is cleaned by the carbon filter. Here's the other 'semi-obvious' caveat of this water filter. You'll need to purchase replacement filters and you need to buy them fairly often - perhaps a little too often in my opinion (thank goodness they're not all that expensive but it'll add up over time). The enclosed instructions say to replace the water filter every 2 to 4 weeks. I know these are small filters but they're pushing relatively small amounts of water, the same water, around and around in the same bowl all day long. 2 to 4 weeks seems too short. If it weren't for the fact that I want to filter out debris that manages to fall into his water bowl on a daily basis (puppy's got a mustache), I'd just continue to give him filtered tap water from my Pur Water Faucet that only requires replacement once every 3-4 months in my home (daily puppy water and drinking water for 3 adults).

Not 'bad' but I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone. I'm going to use the remaining filters I bought and then decide if it's worth the expense to continue using.

I have two cats who are both rather laid-back... for cats. They aren't picky about their food (good thing, since I switch brands all the time depending on what coupons I have), they don't have any litter-box issues and happily share the same one, and they couldn't care less whether their water is filtered or not. But since the humans in our house drink filtered water for health reasons, I thought perhaps I should give the cats the same benefit, too.

When this product arrived, I almost didn't try it. The unit has to be PLUGGED IN, and the cats' food- and water-bowls are no where near an electrical outlet. In fact, there's no convenient place in my kitchen to put their bowls near an outlet, so just to give this a try I had to run an extension cord around the room. Can't say I was happy about that, since it seems like this type of product really would benefit from being battery-powered. (I can't believe I'm the only one in the world who doesn't have a spare outlet near their cat's water bowl!)

Okay, extension cord in place, the unit was very easy to set up and install. I liked that. What I didn't like: it literally took up a third of the water bowl, leaving the cats very little room to drink. They didn't like that, and they particularly didn't like being splashed in the face! So, following the written instructions, I adjusted the flow and hoped for the best. Too late -- the cats already hated the thing.

In fact, they both tried pawing it out of their bowl and wound up getting water all over the floor. Considering that meant I now had an EXTENSION CORD RUNNING THROUGH WATER, I was *really* not happy. So that was the end of our interest in trying this product!

I will say this, on the plus side: it was very quiet. Once I got the flow rate adjusted properly, I didn't hear the thing at all. So that, at least, I was impressed with.

COMPARISON...

We've already been using on the bestselling pet fountains on the market: Drinkwell Pet Fountain (range from about $30 to $46 for the deluxe).

The Fountains are have a large footprint and have to be strategically placed (lots of floor space, and near an outlet). This may be difficult for smaller kitchens. Plus even though they are much larger water capacity (ranging from 50 ounces to over a gallon), you still have to check it daily. Your pet can spill it, there's a chance of leaks, the motor can get clogged with debris, & if it gets empty you can burn out the motor.

Additionally, the Fountains require larger filters that also need frequent replacement (and they're more expensive).

THE HY-DRATE: BEFORE USE...

The complaints about charcoal powder residue are a non-issue. You get the same charcoal powder in home water pitcher filters & home water filtration for human consumption. It's perfectly harmless, but you should read the instructions & rinse off for about 10-20 seconds before use. That goes for human water filters as well - anything with activated charcoal.

As for complaints about the motor safety ...the submersible pump used here is the same type and even same brand used in dozens (maybe hundred) of other products (discussion below). I'm not saying it's foolproof, but rather, if you're going to use a product with a pump such as a Filter or Fountain, this product is no more (and no less) safe than any other product.

THE HY-DRATE: TESTING...

This is a clever little device, almost nothing to it. Easy to take apart & rinse out. Easy to adjust flow rate.

The Hy-drate uses a normal little pump (like a fish tank pump), appears to be the same brand as they use in the Fountain. I find the claim that it's "whisper quiet" a little disingenuous - same noise level as the Fountain, as a fish tank pump, as the pump in our little tabletop zen garden. Not loud, but not any quieter than any other pump.

They claim the device fits in any pet bowl, BUT, the device is bulkier than it needs to be and requires a 3.5" diameter bowl with a FLAT bottom (look at pic - you'll notice they gave the cat a HUGE bowl like 14" diameter). Our pet bowls are not flat like that, so we had to dig out a large soup bowl.

It performs just fine. I think it does encourage my cats to drink more, which is a particular perk if your pet has ever had a urinary infection.

THE HY-DRATE: CLEANING...

PLEASE note, you still have to wash out your water bowl, and change out the water, on a regular basis. One user reported that this product "caused" a slime build-up. This is just a pump + filter. There are no chemicals here that "cause" slime. What he's describing is a build-up of saliva (or, if like my cats who clean themselves in the water, possibly a buildup of dirt & hair, too).

There's nothing we can do to stop our little guys from playing in their water bowl :) ... which is why we like the idea of a Fountain or Hy-Drate filter. But please realize, a little 3-inch pump isn't going to "clean" and disinfect the water, the bowl, and itself. We wash our bowl once or twice weekly (dishwasher/sterilize), which seems to do the trick.

MONEY & TIME SAVING TIPS...

(1) Make sure never to run it dry - it will kill the motor faster than anything.

(2) Turn off at night (alternatively, only turn it on at night, whatever is best for your schedule). It doesn't need to be on all the time to work. This will almost double your filter life, save electricity, save motor life, dramatically reduce the chance of motor or adapter overheating, and your pet still gets all the benefits of filtered water.

(3) Filter Replacement - These filters are super-tiny, need replacing very frequently if you run it 24/7.

However, I took the unit to the pet store and there are lots of activated charcoal filters that fit just fine in this unit - that both last longer, & are less expensive. I know I'm cutting into the company's profit model by suggesting this. Also, ask for help at the store to make sure the replacement filter doesn't block water flow or disrupt your device's normal operation.

DRAWBACKS OF CHARCOAL FILTER...

This is just a charcoal filter. In my book, it's better than nothing, but I'm not sure I consider it "filtered" water (i.e., not distilled, not reverse osmosis, etc).

Charcoal filters will trap and remove chlorine, water sediment, and dirt/cat hair that your pet tracks to the water bowl. This is all very good.

It will NOT filter most toxins in water (sodium nitrates, etc). One recent study found traces of 80,000 chemicals in city water, and this was in one of the top rated cities! (traces of drugs like Prozac, herbicides like Atrozine, etc). For this reason, many users report putting filtered water in the bowl to start with.

NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS OF FILTERED WATER???

Ok, if you restock your Hy-Drate or Fountain with filtered water (like distilled, or through a good tap water filter), this is great for removing toxins, but may also deprive your pet of essential trace minerals found in the water supply. I AM NOT A VET, however, I know that ALL mammals (yes, especially humans) require trace minerals.

So we supplement their food once a week or so with a small dose of something like this: (Barefoot Coral Calcium) - which has 80+ essential minerals. Our vet has given us his gold stamp of approval. Our dog is 13, our cats are 14, and they are happy & healthy as horses. Check with your vet first - don't take my word for it, especially if your pet has special medical needs.

Here are our other recommended practices for most pets: In addition to filtered water, we give our pets a daily (Vitamin & Mineral Spray) on their food, a healthy dose of fresh/raw food (like carrots) to make sure they get some enzymes, fish oil supplements for brain health & coat/skin health, and other supplements as needed.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

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