On The Prowl:

A Feline Purr...spective

The Drinkwell Aqua Garden

The first column I ever wrote for On the Prowl was about the Drinkwell Pet Fountain.  It remains one of my favorite products and I've gone from owning one to owning four, along with a special Big Dog Pet Fountain for my dogs. If that doesn't prove that I'm a huge fan of the company Veterinary Ventures, who manufactures these magnificent products, then I don't know what does. 

Just as I have grown in my column, I now write five columns each week (which equates to a serious case of carpal tunnel), Veterinary Ventures has grown their product line.  Not only have they ventured into the world of dog products, but they have spent time improving their line of cat product, something I didn't really think was possible until I went to the APPMA show in California this year and saw their newest product, the Aqua Garden. 

The brilliance of the Drinkwell products is in their simplicity.  People have known for years that animals prefer to drink running water over still water - just turn on the water faucet and see who comes running.  They also know that animals prefer fresh herbs to dried herbs and, to a cat, there is nothing better in life than destroying a house plant.  Drinkwell's has found a way to combine all of these joys into one remarkable product, and they have named it the Hydroponic Cat Grass Garden, otherwise known as the Aqua Garden. 

What Drinkwell's has done is too simply add a Wheat grass element to their already purr...fect product.  Now your favorite feline can graze while they drink, which just happens to be two of their most favorite things next to napping and bothering me.

A lot of people don't think that their cats like to eat grass, but I can promise that if you put this unique product into your Drinkwell's Pet Fountain, you will be surprised.  They will eat it faster than you can grow it, and you will be able to grow it, no matter how bad you are at growing things.  I should know.  While I may equated to Dr. Doolittle when it comes to working with animals, I am the kiss of death when it comes to plants.  The only plants I have been able to keep alive are cactus and bamboo.  Don't ask me why - if I knew why, I would be running a plant website instead of a pet website. 

At any rate, if I can grow it, you will be able to.  The really neat thing about this product is that it requires very little effort to keep it alive.  You simply snap it into the water bowl and watch it grow.  It needs a bit of ambient light, but not a lot.  It's like the Chia pet for cats.  It waters itself because it's always in water, and as long as the sun or in my case, the light from an aquarium can peek through to it once in awhile, it will be fine.  

It is 100% organic, it contains no soil, no bugs, and not only will your cats (and dogs) love it, it's actually good for them! For those who didn't know, Wheatgrass is one of the best sources of Chlorophyll available. As Chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life, and contains light energy, it is high in oxygen.  It arrests the development of nasty little toxins floating around in bloodstreams and actually helps the body and brain tissue function at a higher level.  It neutralizes toxins in the body and helps the liver function much better.  It has even been proven to improve fertility in bulls.  Really, we should all be eating Wheatgrass, but if you can't get around to doing so, you should not deprive your pets of such a valuable resource. 

If you already have a Drinkwell's fountain, you're a step ahead of the game.  Just purchase the seed pod, snap it on too the inside of the fountain and you're in business. You'll have a nice tall set of grass in less than 10 days, at least we did!  And if your animals are anything like mine, it will be chewed up in less than one day...  So be sure to buy more than one.  I've been told by my secret sources at VetVentures, the geniuses behind this product, that with only a few cats in the household (not like my 18 cats), the seed pod will last a week or so.  Mine lasted exactly an 16 minutes.  I need to buy more. 

And you can purchase more from wonderful stores like Drs. Foster & Smith Cat Products or from Drinkwell's themselves, and for the time being, you will even get free shipping!  Eventually they will be available at PetsMart and PetCo, more than likely in time for Christmas.  

Drinkwell Pet Fountains Replacement Grass, 2 pk

From the cats:

HIsses & Spits:  None!  we love it - pure water, coming from a pure source - plus healthy Wheatgrass! It's good for urinary tract, as well as our brain! 

Purrs:  Unanimous.  The human glories in the low, rumbling purrs of 18  very contented cats...

From the humans:

Two opposable thumbs up!

The Aqua Garden is simple to grow, and it sounds like I'm actually doing something complex. Be sure to buy an extra cartridge!  

Drawback?  When it finally dies, be sure to remove it immediately.  The root system can get rather long and will fall apart, clogging up the filtration system faster.  It doesn't hurt anything, but does make you clean it more often, which is a task we all like to avoid! 

 Read about these other great products:  Feline Furniture, CitiKitty, PawSense Software, CellTei Carriers, DuckyWorld Catnip,  Ssscat, SmartCat Litter System, Urine Off, Animal Pathways, Drinkwell Pet Fountain, AquaGarden, Life's Abundance, PetTemp, and Purrfect Fence