'Aesthetically, this is the best fountain,' one tester said. With accessible streams of water, easy-to-clean ceramic construction, and fun color options, the Cepheus 360 Ceramic Pet Fountain was a clear favorite of our testers.

Here are the very best cat water fountains, with data gleaned from hundreds of hours of combined testing. But we found several other cat water fountains that may work better for your specific needs.

Our favorite overall cat water fountain is the Cepheus 360 Ceramic Pet Fountain, which uses dishwasher-safe ceramic parts for an attractive water bowl with a lot of different ways for your cat to drink from it. Each was scored in multiple categories, including ease of cleaning and design attributes, with testers also noting when a fountain was difficult to set up or noisy. We tested 19 of the top cat water fountains in our New York Lab and at home with enthusiastic feline volunteers. Meanwhile, you'll be providing them with cleaner, filtered water. So while a water fountain may not guarantee perfect hydration, some cats prefer it to a bowl, and there's a chance your cat will love it. Scientists have found limited evidence that cats drink more from a flowing water source but have found that cats express strong individual preferences. A cat water fountain is one possible solution to your cat's reluctance to drink from a water bowl, as it's often thought that cats prefer drinking running water. Sometimes cats don't drink enough water and aren't sufficiently hydrated by either wet food (which can be up to 80 percent water) or their water bowl, resulting in lethargy, a loss of appetite, and other negative effects.

Cat high fives runners