What are your views on this...  

Hi Jen,

Apologies for the late reply! As a first time commenter your post had ended up in a moderation queue.

Ourselves and the three overlords have three fountains at home! One per cat just in case.

Fountains provide fresher water to cats and most people report that their cats drink more water.

Just two of the fountains we've tested:

Renegade & Nubia: The new Water Fountain

Product Review: Lucky-Kitty Drinking fountain

They really drink more water and it's fresher and better for them? What's the cost and where can you get them?

I don't know if you answered my questions but can't wait to read your answers. Thanks.

Marc I'm trying to subscribe to topics but the Forum refuses to send confirmation e-mails. Why? Sent you an e-mail about this problem too. Answer me either through mail or Forum whichever you prefer. However, please note that I'll see it quicker by e-mail.

my cat is drinking mostly water, it doesn't touch milk,

not at all.

although my vet in Oldham highly recommended to give him milk frm time to time.

No need to answer this. This is just a test.

We have two water fountains that our seven cats use. These are in addition to two water bowls. 

We initially got our first fountain a number of years ago, after a vet suggested we look into them.

One of our cats had been having recurring water infections, with no obvious cause for them. So the vet suggested we look into getting a water fountain, in order to ensure the cats were drinking well.

All the cats we had at that time had outdoor access, and we knew they drank outside, so weren't concerned that we didn't see them drinking inside much. This changed though as soon as we bought our first fountain. There was a definite increase in the amount we saw our cats drinking, which is of course great for their kidneys. 

So for our cats (and many others I've heard of and read about), they do prefer to drink from a fountain. 

Regarding what they drink, cats shouldn't be given cows milk, as they are lactose intolerant (according to many articles I've read). You can purchase specific cat milk, although water is the ideal drink for them. If you really feel the need to give them milk, then use specific cat milk, and only give it to them from time to time.

Is the water fountain plastic? Our vet told us that glass or metal is better because plastic can cause infections. In my opinion, I would stop use of the plastic water fountain completely and see if the infections heal and/or go away. If they do and you still want a water fountain, use glass or metal. Please keep me updated.