Petlibro Dockstream Review: Smart but pricey

As the excitement for summer travel season builds, I usually have one nagging hesitation: leaving my cats behind with a pet sitter. I was finalizing my packing list for my first trek of the summer when I spotted the Petlibro Dockstream App Monitoring Water Fountain. Immediately, I was intrigued: Could an app-connected pet fountain ease some of the anxiety of leaving my cats in someone else’s care?

The Petlibro Dockstream not only notified me when the water level was getting low, but told me how much my cats drank each day. I could even receive notifications each time my cats used the fountain. The Dockstream, however, is the sort of smart device gives you more information, not fewer household chores as the fountain requires twice monthly filter swaps that will add to the overall cost.

Petlibro Dockstream App Monitoring Water Fountain

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$75 $80 Save $5

The Petlibro Dockstream App Monitoring Water Fountain tracks a cat’s water habits. Using a Wi-Fi-connected base, the fountain measures the water to determine how much a cat drinks over time. The wireless pump makes refills easy. But the cost of the required disposable filters will add up over time.

Pros

• Data-rich details on cat hydration
• Easy to refill
• Smart design

Cons

• Cost of replacement filters
• Not dishwasher safe

Petlibro Dockstream price, specs, and availability

The Petlibro Dockstream App Monitoring Fountain retails for $80. A replacement pack of 8 disposable filters costs around $32.

What I liked about the Petlibro Dockstream

The fountain has a smart, quiet design

The Petlibro Dockstream has two key parts: a wire-free water tank and a wired base. The water pump itself is housed inside the water tank. To refill, you simply pick the tank up off the base, pop off the lid, and carry it over to the sink. Watching the water pump work without any actual wires connected to it felt a bit like watching a magic trick. Place the tank on the base and the water immediately starts flowing. Sure, wireless charging has been around for a while now, but I still felt an almost child-like wonder watching the fountain magically start when placed on the base. And when the magic wears off, it’s still easy to fill the water tank without worrying about getting any cords wet.

In addition to powering the water thank, the base houses the Wi-Fi and weighs the contents of the water bowl in order to measure how much your cats drink each day. My two cats seemed to love the fountain, which is hardly surprising — my two spoiled felines often jump on the bathroom counter to drink water fresh from the tap.

I also found the fountain to be fairly quiet and wasn’t bothered by the noise, even with the Dockstream placed in the hallway just outside my bedroom. Plus, I admired the design; the wood-like base and white bowl didn’t clash with my home decor. The key feature that the Dockstream offers that basic pet fountains don’t is app connectivity. By far, my favorite feature was that the app could remind me when the water level was getting low, well before the cats started to meow in complaint.

Part of this connectivity includes water level measurements and information on how much your cat drinks each day. Personally, I don’t need to be that knowledgeable about my cats. Getting a notification each time a cat comes up to drink can get old fast. Thankfully, those notifications are highly customizable and you can even set a custom time for when you want to receive them.

That said, I could see a potential advantage for cats with chronic health issues, such as one with diabetes or frequent urinary health issues. I also found the data helpful when traveling: I receive a notification every time my petsitter filled the water, so I didn’t have to wonder if the cats were forgotten.

What I didn’t like about the Petlibro Dockstream

Filter replacements will quickly drive up the costs

First, the Dockstream is designed for single-cat households. When you have two cats like myself, there’s no way to tell which cat is drinking how much. (I never planned on having two cats, but sometimes life happens and a stray comes into your life.)

While I loved the design of the Dockstream, it’s one that requires disposable filters. The company recommends replacing the filters every 2-4 weeks (though the app only says 14 days). An 8-pack runs about $32, which means over the course of one year you’ll spend more on filters than on the fountain itself.

The fountain also needs to be cleaned every two weeks, but that’s less of an issue considering any pet water bowl would also need to be cleaned on a regular basis. It comes with a cleaning brush and the process doesn’t take a whole lot longer than a basic bowl except for the fact that none of the parts are dishwasher safe.

I’m a bit hung up on spending $176 (three eight-packs of filters plus the fountain itself) in the first year all in the name of cat hydration. The app connectivity could potentially highlight early warning signs of some health issues if the cat’s daily average suddenly spikes or drops. However, the only study I found on cat’s drinking habits (admittedly a small one with only 14 participants) demonstrated that cats didn’t drink more water from the fountain than they did from a regular bowl. So while the Dockstream has the potential to alert you to changes in water intake, it may not necessarily encourage a cat to drink more than it would from a regular bowl.

Should you buy the Petlibro Dockstream?

Some smart home products make life more convenient, while others give you more information. The Petlibro Dockstream falls in the latter category. You’ll spend more time and money on cleaning and upkeep, but in return you’ll know more about your cat’s hydration habits.

Petlibro Dockstream App Monitoring Water Fountain

$75 $80 Save $5

Buy the Petlibro Dockstream if knowing your cat’s hydration habits will ease some of your worry, like if you have a cat with regular urinary health symptoms or other health issues. Or, if you travel regularly and can rest your head on that hotel pillow easier knowing your furry friend is well-hydrated. But, before you hit that add to cart button, make sure to factor in the cost of the twice-monthly filter replacements.

Avoid the Petlibro Dockstream if you have multiple cats. Its biggest feature, the water intake monitoring, can’t differentiate between two felines. You should also avoid this smart cat fountain if you don’t have the time and money to spend on swapping filters every two weeks.