FAQ: Bowls & Feeders for small pets

Replace a chewed bottle, as it may leak and the animal may swallow plastic. Hang the new one outside the cage, or choose a glass bottle or one with a metal guard.

The green colour is algae, which grow in light and warmth, and bacteria multiply along with them. Clean the bottle with a brush, keep it out of the sun and change the water daily.

It is a film of bacteria and limescale that forms when the bottle is only topped up, not washed. Clean the bottle and spout regularly with a brush, and dissolve limescale with diluted vinegar.

It is normal for a few drops to escape after hanging until the vacuum forms. If water keeps running, check that the cap is screwed on tight, the seal is intact and the bottle is not cracked.

Hang the bottle low and push the ball with your finger a few times so the animal sees and smells the drop of water. Leave a water bowl in place until you are sure it drinks from the bottle.

Yes, and it is often a good idea: the animal chooses how it prefers to drink, and if the bottle jams or the bowl gets tipped, there is still water. Look after both every day.

It may have drunk from a bowl or a different bottle before and has not learnt the new one yet. For the first days offer water the way it is used to, and introduce the new bottle gradually.

Mark the water level on the bottle or bowl and watch how much it drops over a few days. That shows the normal amount and lets you notice if the animal suddenly drinks less or more.

Young ones usually learn to use a bottle by watching their mother. So they can reach the spout, hang the bottle lower or add a shallow water dish too.

Change the water in the bottle every day, even if some is left, rather than just topping it up. Standing water, especially in warmth and light, soon goes stale and bacteria multiply in it.

Empty the bottle, scrub it with a bottle brush in warm water with mild detergent, and clean the spout and cap separately. Rinse everything thoroughly so no detergent smell remains, as it can put the animal off.

Soak the spout and ball in diluted vinegar or a citric acid solution until the scale loosens, then clean with a narrow brush. Afterwards rinse very thoroughly with clean water.

It depends on the bottle: glass ones often can, while plastic ones may warp in the heat and start leaking. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and still clean the spout with a brush.

A narrow bottle brush for the bottle and a very thin pipe brush for the spout are useful. Use the brushes only for pet dishes and replace them regularly.

Replace a bottle that is cracked, chewed, leaky, has gone cloudy or will not come clean, or has a bent spout. Ageing plastic is harder to clean and harbours bacteria.

Yes, a spare bottle is handy while the main one is being washed or drying, or if it breaks unexpectedly. The animal should not be left without water even for a few hours, especially on a hot day.

Spare spouts, caps or seals are often available, but they usually fit only the same model and size. If the bottle is old or the plastic is damaged, it is simpler to replace the whole thing.

Besides changing the water daily, scrub the bottle and spout with a brush several times a week. In summer, when water spoils faster, wash it more often.

Most small pets can have the same drinking water people drink, usually tap water. If tap water is very hard or tastes unpleasant, filtered water can be used; the key is that it is fresh.

Better not. Sparkling water is unsuitable, and highly mineralised water may contain too many minerals, especially for rabbits and guinea pigs prone to bladder stones. Plain drinking water is fine.