Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought one of the first versions of this about 4-5 years ago and I'm still using it...with no problems. Please remember - this thing was assembled by human beings - so don't be afraid to take it apart to clean it. Also, according to the manufacturer - YOU DO NOT NEED THE FILTERS FOR THIS UNIT TO OPERATE. 1 - Therefore - I don't use the filters - they are expensive and seemed to clog up quickly with sludge. From a consumer's perspective - my two 18 year old cats have actually had to share their fountain with Great Danes, Bassett Hound and English Springer Spaniels and they all could care less if they are drinking filtered water. 2 - If you clean it often enough (and thoroughly - which is key) you get efficient at doing a thorough job and everyone is happy. 3 - Get a set of decent brushes (or assemble things that work for you) I recommend OXO Good Grips Bottle Washing Set available here on Amazon for about $10.00. You can use them on your sports bottle too if you want. 4 - Take the whole thing apart when you clean it - yes, all those little nooks and crannies are where all the bacteria and junk grow!! 5 - The black pump is held in place with suction cups - get it loose and clean it. It will easily go back in place. Spoiler alert: If you've owned one of these for awhile and haven't looked under the pump before - you're gonna be surprised/grossed out/gag when you finally do! Nasty things grow in the dark and that's where those "floaters" may have been living that you thought you'd washed out. Some people complain about the pump making noise...mine has never made a sound and I take it out/off and bang it on the sink while I'm running water through it to get the gunk out of the little slots. Yet, the only sounds I've ever heard from our fountain is the running water or a family member yelling for one of my nephews to stop drinking out of it. ;o) Points to Ponder: The first few times you disassemble it for cleaning, the parts are stiff (getting the cone to slide and unclick from the base was a huge pain for me until about the 3rd time) but once you start doing it more often, it all gets easier. I can now take it apart, clean it and put it back together AND do a test run to make sure I don't have any "floaters" coming out before I put it back down for my "kids"