I have a dog and cat at home and sometimes they will fight or guard the water from each other and it's tough finding new spots for them respectfully. For my dog she always ended up with food particles and hair in her water but I just emptied it everyday and figured that was just the way it was. The premier pet fountain was a great alternative, it filters the water, it encourages animals to drink from it, and I only have to fill it about once a week and it's good. Highly recommend for all pets.