Catit LED Fountain & Zeus Cascade Fountain Replacement Pump

The Catit LED Fountain and Zeus Cascade Fountain Replacement Pump is the genuine spare pump for three of Hagen's fountains. The pump is the one part of a fountain that genuinely wears out, and buying it separately turns a dead fountain into a working one for a fraction of the cost of a new unit.

Key Features

• Which Models: Catit list it for the Flower Fountain with LED Nightlight (HA43747W), the Zeus H2EAU Dog Drinking Fountain (HA91400) and the Zeus Cascade Fountain with Stainless Steel Top (HA91405)
• Cord Included: The pump comes with its electrical cord, so it is a straight swap rather than a rewiring job
• Cats And Dogs: The Zeus fountains in that list are dog fountains and the Catit one is for cats -- the same pump serves both
• Genuine Part: A third-party pump of roughly the right size usually sits proud of the recess and leaks around the base

Why A Fountain Helps

Cats are poor drinkers. The domestic cat descends from a desert animal that took most of its water from prey, and a cat on dry food alone often does not make up the difference at the bowl. Moving water gets more cats drinking than still water in a dish does, partly because it is obviously fresh and partly because a cat can see where the surface is without dipping its whiskers in. Drinking more is worth having on its own terms -- it is not a treatment for anything.

Keeping It Clean

• Strip it down and wash every part once a week. A film builds up inside the bowl and under the pump cover that you can feel before you can see it, and that film is the usual reason a cat stops using a fountain.
• Rinse all detergent out. Cats are far more sensitive to the smell of washing-up liquid than we are.
• Never let it run dry. The pump is cooled by the water it moves, so an empty bowl kills it.
• Change the filter pad about once a month, sooner in a dusty home or with a long-haired cat.
• Top it up daily rather than waiting for the low mark.

Who Makes It

Catit is the cat brand of Rolf C. Hagen, the Montreal company founded in 1955. The Design Senses and Flower Fountain ranges are its best known, and parts for them are sold separately so a unit can be repaired rather than replaced.

Good To Know

• A pump is a wearing part, not a fault. Most fountain pumps last a year or two of continuous running, and a slowing flow or a new rattle usually means limescale in the impeller housing rather than a dead motor -- take it apart and soak it in a weak vinegar solution before you replace it.
• Unplug at the socket before putting a hand in the water, every time.
• If you are replacing a pump that burned out, work out why. A fountain run dry even once, or run for months without the filter changed, will take the new pump the same way.