Feeders, Fountains & Bowls
Drinkwell 360 vs Catit Flower Fountain
One is bigger, steel and silent about its power draw. The other is smaller, plastic and the only one of the two that tells you what it costs to run.
Affiliate disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we rank first — here is how we're funded.
Everyone in this category says they tested twenty litter boxes. We have not tested any, and we say so. What we do instead: compile the published specs, read the manuals, and do the arithmetic on what this gear costs to run and how it behaves once there is more than one cat using it. Every spec is linked to the document it came from. Prices are checked daily — last verified September 25, 2026. Here is exactly how we pick.
These two fountains are chosen by different people for different reasons, and both reasons are sound. The published specifications make it obvious which is which.
What each one publishes
| Specification | PetSafe Drinkwell 360 SS | Catit Flower Fountain |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 128 oz (3.8 L) | 3 L |
| Material | Stainless steel | Plastic |
| Access | 360 degrees, open bowl | Single drinking area, three flow settings |
| Power | Pump wattage not published | 120 V, 12 VA, 60 Hz, 300 mA |
| Filtration | Charcoal plus foam pre-filter | Triple-action filter |
| Cleaning | Top-rack dishwasher safe | Multiple small parts |
| Streams | 5 interchangeable stream options | 3 flow settings |
Manufacturers' published figures. PetSafe's blank on wattage is the single biggest gap between the two spec sheets.
Capacity, and what it means per cat
Drinkwell 360: 128 oz is 3.8 L. Across three cats that is about 1.27 L each before the reservoir needs topping up.
Catit Flower: 3 L, or 1 L each across the same three cats -- roughly 21 percent less.
Neither figure is about how much a cat drinks in a day; it is about how often you refill and how much margin you have if you are away for an evening. Our multi-cat fountain page uses the same arithmetic across the category.
The shape of the bowl
The 360 is a cylinder with an open bowl all the way round, which is why the name is the specification. In a multi-cat house that matters more than the extra 800 ml: our resource competition guide describes how a single approach line to any resource turns it into something one cat can guard.
The Flower has one drinking area and three flow settings, including a gentle bubbling mode some cats prefer to a visible stream. For a single cat that is a feature rather than a limit.
Steel against plastic
Our fountain materials page makes the case in full: plastic picks up fine scratches with washing, and those scratches are where biofilm gets a grip. Steel stays smooth. It is also heavier, which stops a fountain being pushed around the floor.
That is not an argument for throwing away a plastic fountain. It is an argument for cleaning one more diligently, which our cleaning guide covers pump by pump.
Running cost, as far as it can be computed
- Catit: a 12 VA supply at the EIA average of 18.34 cents per kWh gives a ceiling of about $19.28 a year if it ran flat out.
- PetSafe: no published wattage, so no figure. We do not estimate one.
- Both: filters dominate either way. Our running costs page shows filters running roughly twelve times the electricity on the fountain that publishes both.
The verdict
- Three or more cats: the Drinkwell 360, for capacity and all-round access.
- One cat, lowest cost: the Catit Flower.
- A household that will not clean weekly: the steel 360, and put it in the dishwasher.
- A cat that is put off by a visible stream: the Catit, on its gentle setting.
The gear discussed here
Specs are the manufacturer's own, linked to the page they came from. Prices come from a live daily check; where we have no verified price we say so rather than print a stale one.
PetSafe Drinkwell 360 Stainless Steel
PetSafe · Water fountain · Our score 8.0/10
#ad Price as of September 25, 2026. Prices move; we check daily. How we're funded.
128 ounces and access from all sides -- the only fountain here designed so two cats can drink without one of them being cornered.
Published specs
| Capacity | 128 oz (3.8 L) |
|---|---|
| Streams | 5 interchangeable stream options |
| Access | 360 degrees, open bowl |
| Filtration | Charcoal plus foam pre-filter |
| Cleaning | Top-rack dishwasher safe |
| Pump | Submersible; wattage not published by PetSafe |
Source: PetSafe -- Drinkwell 360 Stainless Steel Pet Fountain product page
3.8 L divided three ways is 1.27 L a cat between refills -- far more than any cat drinks in a day, so the constraint is not capacity, it is how long water stays fresh. At fortnightly filter intervals the practical refill cycle is what governs, not the tank.
What the specs favor
- Largest capacity here at 128 oz
- 360-degree access removes the cornering problem in a multi-cat house
- Five stream options, so a fussy drinker has somewhere to go
- Top-rack dishwasher safe
What they don't
- PetSafe does not publish pump wattage, so electricity cannot be computed
- Two filter types to buy rather than one
- Big footprint for a water bowl
You want to know what it costs to run. PetSafe publishes no wattage for this pump, and we are not going to invent one.
How it scores
Scores are our editorial weighting of the published specs above, not a test result. They are deliberately kept out of this page's structured data.
Catit Flower Fountain, 3 L
Catit · Water fountain · Our score 7.1/10
#ad Price as of September 25, 2026. Prices move; we check daily. How we're funded.
Three flow settings and a low price -- the sensible way to find out whether a fountain changes anything in your house before spending on stainless.
Published specs
| Capacity | 3 L |
|---|---|
| Power | 120 V, 12 VA, 60 Hz, 300 mA (North America) |
| Flow settings | Three (gentle, bubbling, calm) |
| Filtration | Triple-action filter |
| Material | Plastic |
Source: Catit -- Flower Fountain product page
Catit publishes 12 VA, which is apparent power at the adapter, not watts drawn -- so treat it as a hard ceiling. 12 W x 24 h x 365 = 105.1 kWh, x $0.1834 = $19.28. The real draw is lower, and Catit does not publish it. We are not going to pretend a VA rating is a wattage.
What the specs favor
- Three flow settings, so a cat that ignores one may take another
- Cheapest way to test the fountain question at all
- 3 L capacity matches the stainless models here
- Catit publishes an adapter rating, unlike PetSafe
What they don't
- Plastic, which scratches and then holds biofilm in the scratches
- 12 VA is apparent power, not a wattage -- the real draw is unpublished
- Many small parts to disassemble at cleaning time
Your cat has feline acne or a history of chin irritation. Plastic water and food vessels are the standard first thing to eliminate, and this fountain is entirely plastic.
How it scores
Scores are our editorial weighting of the published specs above, not a test result. They are deliberately kept out of this page's structured data.
Common questions
Which is better for multiple cats, the Drinkwell 360 or the Catit Flower?
Which fountain costs more to run?
Is stainless steel better than plastic for a cat fountain?
Which one is easier to clean?
Does either one work without a filter?
Sources
Read next
- Best Cat Water Fountains (2026)
Four fountains compared on wattage, noise, filter interval and material -- and what each one costs across a year.
- Ceramic vs Stainless vs Plastic Cat Fountains
Why the material debate is really about scratch resistance, and what that means for a fountain in a multi-cat house.
- Best Cat Water Fountains for Multiple Cats (2026)
Fountains ranked for households with more than one cat: capacity, 360-degree access, and what a year of filters costs each one.
- Easiest Cat Water Fountains to Clean (2026)
Ranked on part count, dishwasher safety and filter interval -- the three things that decide whether a fountain gets maintained.
- What a Cat Water Fountain Actually Costs to Run
Electricity and filters costed from published adapter ratings and manufacturers' own filter prices, with every sum shown.