Is there a solar powered bird fountain that won't poison my cat if she drinks out of it?

August 19, 2007 1:24 AM

I would like to get a solar powered bird fountain for my backyard. I want to make sure that the fountain isn't constructed of a material that is going to be toxic to my cat if she drinks out of the fountain. She's an outdoor cat and loves to drink and play in running water. I suspect that she'll be drawn to the running water in the fountain and try to drink out of it. Does anyone know which solar powered bird fountains are made with materials that are safe for cats?

Don't worry about the local bird population. My cat is an outdoor cat, but she doesn't kill birds. She actually likes to sit in our trees and meow at the birds. They seem to pretty much ignore her. Bugs are the only things she shows any interest in chasing or hunting.

posted by alleycatd to Pets & Animals (5 answers total)

i cannot think of any material that would be used to construct a fountain that would not be safe for a cat. birds will drink out of fountains and are much smaller - any poisonous fountain would kill birds and rapidly become notorious.
posted by andrew cooke at 5:50 AM on August 19, 2007

There would probably be more of a problem from the water, rather than the fountain material itself. We have had a fountain that sits in a sunny spot, and periodically I have to clean it out due to the growth of algae. The birds also drop seeds in it sometimes, which can clog the pump or add to the need for cleaning.
posted by Robert Angelo at 8:17 AM on August 19, 2007

but a cat wouldn't drink water that is "naturally dirty" and going to harm it - they are animals that can survive in the wild, where stagnant dirty water is often present.
posted by andrew cooke at 8:45 AM on August 19, 2007

Not about the birdbath material, per se (ceramic, glass, powdercoated metal will all be fine), but just make sure that the pump is a low-voltage type. Pretty certain most of them are, but this is critical to your cat's safety. There are beneficial bacterial water cleaning agents you can use to keep the water clear that will not be harmful to your cat, as well.
posted by vers at 1:29 PM on August 19, 2007

a solar powered pump (ie with no mains connection) will not be high voltage.
posted by andrew cooke at 1:36 PM on August 19, 2007