I was so excited to test and review this item as our cat has a major affinity for water. I took the unit out put it together as described in the instructions and was disappointed by how cheap the plastic feels. Although she likes it very much it's hard to tell when it's running empty and seems to be a bit of an annoyance to maintain the filters and cleanliness. I have not used any other cat fountains so I have nothing to compare to but I'm not impressed with this one.