Petmate Replendish Automatic Gravity Waterer for Cats and Dogs, BPA-Free, No Batteries Required, Includes Charcoal Filter, 4 Gallons,Green, Made in USA

I bought the 4 gallon waterer for my elderly friend, who has 2 dogs and 3 cats. She doesn't remember to fill their water dish, and I don't have time to go there every day and do it for her. I chose this model because it's easy to clean after you take it apart. As other reviewers have said, it's a major chore to fill, because 4 gallons of water is over 30 lb. The water container is *very* slippery when wet, and there's no handle to grab it by. And there's no way to shut off the water flow, so you have to get the water container into/out of the base quickly. I recommend that you put this waterer on a water-safe surface like concrete, or else buy a silicone mat to catch the inevitable spills. Having said all this, I still think this waterer was the best choice and I would buy it again. The best fill technique I've found is to set the water container on the floor, right next to the base, upside down, and pour in water from gallon jugs. Then I put on rubber gloves, get down on my knees, grab the water container and flip it onto the base. Once it's on the base, rotate it until it locks.

Note: The lone product picture on this page (as of 4/28/2015) doesn't match the packaging on the Replendish I received. The paperboard on mine contains helpful information I would've liked to know prior to purchase, so I've added several pictures to this review to help other shoppers.Here are answers to two common questions I noticed in the product page Q&A, and wondered myself before receiving the Replendish: yes, the unit is BPA-free; and, yes, it comes with one filter.____________________________________First impressions:We have three cats, though I purchased the Petmate Replendish 1/2 Gallon Waterer specifically for two of them: they happen to be water connoisseurs. Their preference is drinking from faucets, and no unattended glass of water has been safe in this house for the eight years that we've had them (sisters from the same litter).After rinsing the pieces of the unit this morning and filling it from the connoisseurs' favorite faucet (judging by their preference, we ought to bottle the water from our guest bathroom's faucet and sell it at Acqua Panna prices), they immediately took to the Replendish without the scrutiny with which they typically regard new things. Our third cat, however, who daily goes into what we affectionately refer to as "stealth mode," crouching low and nervously gliding across the floor each time she notices anything is out of place in a room, regards it with her typical level of suspicion--but after about an hour, she drank from it several times.The Pieces:Altogether, the Replendish unit consists of five pieces: the base, the clear reservoir, a black cap that acts as filter housing at the mouth of the reservoir, a filter, and a plastic strap that secures the filter inside of the cap. The plastic strap is a bit of a pain to snap into place over the filter; it took me three attempts, even though I have small hands and wear my nails short. The mouth of the reservoir is threaded, so that the filter housing cap screws on to it. Then, the entire assembly of the reservoir twists about a quarter turn into the base, locking it in place.Observations:First, I'm very pleased that, with the filter in place, the water flows slowly from the reservoir into the bowl; the result is that it isn't noisy. We bought Drinkwell Platinum Fountains at two different points over the years, and the cats never got used to the loud (and sudden) gurgling and bubbling that occurred each time the equilibrium shifted enough for the reservoir to dispense water. When I first put the Replendish down, our connoisseurs began drinking without any regard for the fact the reservoir was actively dispensing and quietly gurgling.Next, one reviewer had mentioned the 1/2 gallon size didn't work for them, as the opening of the bowl was too small and too near the reservoir, so that their cat didn't like it due to its ears and whiskers being crowded. I nearly purchased the 1 gallon model as a result of that review, because our cats won’t eat out of small bowls that crowd their whiskers. However, being a starving college student, I opted for the less expensive 1/2 gallon, and the cats don't mind it. The only trouble with this size is that only one cat can drink at a time.Another reviewer indicated no instructions came with the unit, and so it took trial and error to figure out that the filter needs to be removed from its plastic wrap, and secured by a plastic strap included with the unit. As I noted above, the paperboard that came with my unit is different than the product picture, so perhaps it didn’t previously come with instructions, already assembled, and clearly labeled. However, mine arrived with instructions; the pieces were already assembled, so that by disassembling them it was impossible not to see how to reassemble them after removing the plastic from the filter and rinsing the pieces. Further, the filter housing and strap are clearly labeled as to their function. Bottom line: assembly and disassembly are simple and fool-proof.Many reviewers (and those that provide answers within the product Q&A section) seem to omit the filter. I don’t know how useful the filter is for actual filtration, since, unlike in a powered fountain, the water from the bowl--which tends to accumulate fur and crumbs of food--isn’t being continuously circulated through the filter. However, I will continue to purchase filters for the simple reason that using one causes the water to dispense slowly and quietly from the reservoir.Overall, our cats are happy with the Replendish thus far, so I’m happy with it, too. Though the opening of the reservoir (see pictures) is small enough that a bottle cleaner is required, the base doesn’t have any awkward or tight spots to clean, like Drinkwell Platinums, which are full of nooks and crannies.I’ll revisit this review in one month with an update as to whether the cats and I continue to love it. In the meantime, feel free to post comments on this review should you have questions!_________________________________5/29/15 Update: I still consider this a five-star product for what it is: a waterer. The cats still like it, and drink more from it than they would a bowl of water replenished as frequently. However, this is not a be-all and end-all product for me, because it requires more cleaning than a bowl (since the Replendish has more parts) or a fountain (since the Replendish doesn't circulate). I recommend this product to anyone who prefers a waterer, but will continue my search for fountains, as I do prefer something that circulates and filters the water supply.

I love this gravity water bowl for my cat. It is very durable, but do have to clean the inside of the bowl regularly for moldy like substances. It holds a lot of water and doesn’t leak. It makes me feel better about the safety of what my cat is drinking.

We have 2 golden retrievers that can drink a crap ton of water per day. We had a 2 gallon water fountain and they would literally drink that thing dry before evening, which then would run the pump dry, which then broke the pump. After a few rounds of CPR on the 2 gallon water fountain….. my partner ordered this 4 gallon water feeder.Let me start by saying…. this thing is massive. It’s a giant dog water barrel water keg. And I’ll add to that by saying this: one gallon of water = 8.34 pounds. X 4. = 33.36 pounds. THIRTY THREE POINT THREE SIX POUNDS of water in a keg. That you are going to PICK UP like a fat greased pig and FLIP OVER aiming the lid (which does not prevent water from coming out)…. aiming that into the properly aligned notches…. And then TWIST to lock it in.Sounds super easy.It goes more like this….. keg runs dry. You unscrew the barrel while steadying the base with your feet. No problem. Unscrew the lid and set it to the side. Clean the keg so your dog has clean water. Fill the keg on the counter by stretching your kitchen sprayer over to it (bc you can’t pick it up out of the sink without causing a hernia). After about 5 minutes of water running, your keg is full. You clean off the lid and screw that back on. Right about now you’re feeling confident… until you go to pick this keg of water up off the counter… then the awkwardness of the whole ordeal is suddenly realized. You may set the kegger back down and try a different approach. Feeling certain this new way is an improvement over your first attempt you will waddle on over to your dog bowl looking something like a mother carrying triplets. You arrive at the bowl (which was a whopping 3 steps on a regular day but 10 shuffles carrying this thing). You look at the bowl and plan your descent, visualizing all the ways this could (and will) go wrong. You decide on the controlled approach, but as you make an attempt at this bright idea you realize your kid will not hold the water in when it is upside down and your give the wall a little shower. No biggie, it’s by the down bowl and probably needed a little cleaning anyway. 2nd attempt - the pigeon kneed flip over…. It sounds as wild as this one will go. You squat with your knees together, thinking your knees can support the weight as you adjust your grip for the flip….. aaaannnnnnndddd nope. You drop the whole keg and water is peeing out the holes in the lid and gushing out from around the filter. You scream, scramble to right the keg and stop the flow of water onto your kitchen floor. You curse a little and clean up that mess. Then you realize you still haven’t placed the keg into the water bowl, and the thing is now ON THE GROUND by your feet. Ugh. This time though, you’re wiser. You study the lid and formulate a plan. You get close as possible to the front of the water bowl, line up the notches on the lid to the notches inside the water bowl. And 1-2-3 oof. OMG OMG. Ok. Not too much water. But now what?! Aaaaahhhhh!!!! Hurry up hurry up!!!! SCREW IT IN!!!! And BLOP! The thing is seated. Gulp gulp gulp. The water bowl starts to fill up. Dogs come running at the sound. And you’re standing there wondering how in the world this could be made easier. Hahaha.So. The pros, this thing holds enough water for 2 golden retrievers for 2 days. That’s a fast enough turn over to not spoil the water and a slow enough return that I’m not having to fill this thing (and repeat the above scene) every 18 hours. The dogs love it. The cat tolerates it but really the water bowl is below his level of class.The cons - it’s big, awkward, heavy, slippery, and takes some planning and a towel or two to execute. I would say, whoever is the strongest person in your household…. this becomes their new responsibility in your home.The good points - pretty much the pros repeated. It holds a lot. I’m not filling the 2 gallon water fountain every 18 hours. It’s easy to clean. It takes little square charcoal filters that go into the lid.The bad points - you need muscles and it’s almost impossible to reseat without a pretty good sized cleanupIf you have big animals and a strong person to do this, buy it. If you don’t…. Go another route.

I bought the 0.5 gallon size and it’s PERFECT for what I needed. It’s not heavy. I just have one cat so it’s plenty big. The price was great and it even has a little charcoal filter! Yay! 😸