Changed monthly, chosen once

Pet fountain filters and foam pads

A fountain filter does two separate jobs that get confused: the foam pre-filter keeps hair and grit away from the impeller, and the carbon pad handles taste and smell. The foam is what protects the pump, and it is washable — which means half the replacement packs sold contain something you did not need to buy. We map filters to models, give the cost per year, and note where third-party packs are dimensionally identical.

By Jean-Benoit Buisson

What we recommend

Catit PIXI replacement filters, 6-pack

A six-pack of PIXI filters. Buying them six at a time is the cheapest way to run the fountain, and the pack size is roughly a year at the usual interval.

Contents
Six filters
For
Catit PIXI fountains
Function
Filters particles; Catit states cleaner, better-tasting water
Manufacturer reference
43722
Amazon reference
B095CFB3VZ (identical on 6 markets)
EAN
0022517437223
- Six at a time is the cheapest way to buy them, and they do not perish on a shelf
- Original fit — no trimming, no gaps for water to bypass
- Proprietary shape: generic pads need cutting and rarely seal as well
Best for: Anyone who owns a PIXI and has been changing filters one at a time.

≈ $15
Check price on Amazon
PetSafe Drinkwell carbon filters

Activated carbon filters that fit across most of the Drinkwell ceramic range — one part number instead of one per fountain.

Type
Activated carbon
Fits
PetSafe Drinkwell 1.8 L, 3.7 L and 7.5 L fountains, Sedona and Avalon
Function
PetSafe states it prevents odor and bacteria naturally
Amazon reference
DE B00ESZGJZS · US B005PPHP44 · GB B00ESZGJZS · FR B00ESZGJZS · IT B00ESZGJZS · ES B00ESZGJZS
EAN
0729849140882
- One filter across most of the ceramic range — no part-number archaeology
- Carbon rather than a plain sponge: it addresses taste as well as debris
- Not listed on Amazon US at the time of checking
Best for: Any Drinkwell ceramic owner, and particularly households running two fountains of different sizes.

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Catit Triple Action filters, 5-pack

Five replacement filters for the Catit Flower range — plastic, LED and stainless versions — catching hair and debris before they reach the pump.

Contents
Five filters
Compatible with
Catit Flower fountain, LED Flower fountain, stainless Flower fountains
Function
Filters dirt and cat hair from the water
Amazon reference
B0748H3GKN (identical on 6 markets)
EAN
0022517437469
- Covers the whole Flower range rather than one variant
- Five-pack is roughly a season at the usual interval
- A five-pack is a smaller saving than the PIXI six-pack per filter
Best for: Flower fountain owners, and the one fountain consumable where generics are a fair bet.

≈ $24
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VANVE 0250728001, 32-piece set

A 32-piece set of carbon filters and pre-filter sponges for 2 L, 2.8 L and 4 L fountains, at $1.06 per filter.

Filters
16
Sponges
16
Price per filter
$1.06
Filter size
3.9 × 3.9 × 0.4 in
Sponge size
1.5 × 1.1 × 1.0 in
Layers
Non-woven fabric, activated carbon, ion exchange resin
Stated fitment
95 oz / 2.8 L, 67 oz / 2 L, 135 oz / 4 L
Change interval
Every 2 to 4 weeks
Preparation
Soak 2 minutes before use
Carbon weight
Not published
Amazon reference
B0FK62DZ77
EAN
0709226266077
- The lowest price per filter on this shelf, at $1.06
- Publishes both the filter and the sponge dimensions, so fitment can be checked with a ruler
- Half the thirty-two pieces are sponges, which are washable and need not be replaced
Best for: A 2.8 L round fountain, stocked up for a year at the lowest unit price here

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Cirfifth 001, 12 pack

Twelve individually sealed carbon filters for 84 oz / 2.5 L round fountains, explicitly not for Catit, with a 12-month warranty.

Filters
12
Sponges
None — filters only
Price per filter
$1.17
Stated fitment
84 oz / 2.5 L round fountains
Stated incompatibility
Catit brand fountains
Layers
Cotton, activated carbon, ion exchange resin
Packaging
Individually sealed
Warranty
12 months
Change interval
Every 2 to 4 weeks
Filter dimensions
Not published
Amazon reference
B08Y734789
EAN
0721223137631
- The only set on this shelf for the 84 oz / 2.5 L fountain
- Filters only, with no sponges padding the count
- No filter dimensions published, so fitment rests on the capacity alone
Best for: An 84 oz / 2.5 L round fountain that is not a Catit

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OPISICEN OP-00003, 34-piece set

A 34-piece set for 2 L, 2.8 L and 4 L fountains, stating plainly that it does not fit 84 oz / 2.5 L, with two pump brushes included.

Filters
16
Sponges
16
Brushes
2, in two sizes
Price per filter
$1.25
Filter size
3.9 × 3.9 × 0.4 in
Sponge size
1.5 × 1.1 × 1.0 in
Stated fitment
95 oz / 2.8 L, 67 oz / 2 L, 135 oz / 4 L
Stated incompatibility
84 oz / 2.5 L
Layers
Activated carbon, ion exchange resin, non-woven fabric
Change interval
Every 2 to 4 weeks
Amazon reference
B0CFJ2D6JW
EAN
0602318848932
- The clearest capacity exclusion on this shelf — it names the size it will not fit
- Two brushes, one of them narrow enough for the pump channel
- Nineteen cents a filter dearer than the identically sized VANVE set
Best for: A 2.8 L fountain whose pump channel has never been brushed out

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Porens psca028, 24-piece set

A 24-piece set with a pump cleaning brush for 95 oz / 2.8 L fountains, at $1.33 per filter.

Filters
12
Sponges
12
Brush
1, for the pump
Price per filter
$1.33
Filter size
3.9 × 3.9 × 0.4 in
Stated fitment
95 oz / 2.8 L
Layers
Cotton, activated carbon, ion exchange resin
Preparation
Soak 5 minutes before use
Change interval
Every 2 to 4 weeks
Sponge size
Not published
Amazon reference
B0C4Q12LH7
EAN
0747165638128
- Includes a pump brush, which reaches the part of a fountain a filter never does
- Publishes the filter dimension, so it can be measured rather than guessed
- The most expensive of the three identically sized generic filters at $1.33
Best for: A single 2.8 L fountain, with the brush its pump has never had

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DOOOB 5006-1, 24 pack

A 24-piece filter and sponge set for stainless steel fountains, with the shortest change interval on this shelf and no published dimensions.

Pieces
24, carbon filters and sponge filters
Price per filter
$1.50 on a 12-and-12 split
Stated fitment
"Most stainless steel cat water fountains"
Layers
Non-woven, activated carbon, ion exchange resin
Change interval
Every 1 to 2 weeks
Preparation
Soak 5 minutes in a separate bowl, rinse 30 seconds
Filter dimensions
Not published
Capacity
Not published
Amazon reference
B0BQM9JH5B
EAN
6975681804480
- The only set here that names a fountain material rather than a capacity
- The soak instruction names a separate bowl, which keeps carbon dust out of the pump
- No dimensions of any kind, so the compatibility it asks you to check cannot be checked on the page
Best for: A stainless fountain whose filter size is already known from the old pack

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PETLIBRO PL-FF005-02W, 8 count

A four-month set of eight filters and eight sponges for PETLIBRO Dockstream fountains, with four named filtration stages.

Filters
8
Sponges
8
Price per filter
$2.30
Stated fitment
PLWF106, PLWF116, PLWF105, PLWF115, PLWF005, PLWF305
Stages
Activated carbon, ion exchange resin, non-woven fabric, pump sponge
Change interval
Every 2 weeks
Set duration
4 months
Preparation
Soak 5 minutes, rinse 30 seconds
Packaging
Filters and sponges packed individually
Filter dimensions
Not published
Amazon reference
B0B7J16VGK
EAN
0752859356622
- Six model numbers named, the most precise fitment statement on this shelf
- Four filtration stages described in order, including what the pump sponge contributes
- $2.30 a filter, more than double the generic sets on this shelf
Best for: A PETLIBRO Dockstream fountain, run on the maker’s own two-week schedule

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Veken FIF3V126 F1 Series, 16 pack

A sixteen-filter set with coconut shell carbon and a scale inhibitor for Veken F1 Series fountains, with four cleaning brushes.

Filters
16
Sponges
16
Brushes
4
Price per filter
$1.62
Carbon
Coconut shell activated carbon
Extra layer
Composite scale inhibitor
Stated fitment
Veken C1, C1 Classic, D1, D1 Pro
Change interval
Every 2 weeks
Packaging
Individually sealed
Weight
227 g (8 oz)
Amazon reference
B0C1FL8358
EAN
0850051133048
- Names the carbon source — coconut shell — where the rest of this shelf says only "activated carbon"
- The only filter here with a scale inhibitor, which matters in hard water
- No carbon weight or capacity, so "lasts longer" cannot be checked
Best for: A Veken C1 or D1 fountain, bought in the size that makes the price sensible

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Veken FIF3V116 F1 Series, 4 pack

A four-filter box of Veken F1 coconut shell carbon filters with sponges, at $3.00 a filter against $1.62 in the sixteen-pack.

Filters
4
Sponges
Included, count not stated
Price per filter
$3.00
Carbon
Coconut shell activated carbon
Extra layer
Composite scale inhibitor
Stated fitment
Veken C1, C1 Classic, D1, D1 Pro
Duration at 2 weeks
8 weeks
Weight
50 g (1.8 oz)
Dimensions
Not published
Amazon reference
B0BHNSFVX4
EAN
0850029083672
- The same coconut shell carbon and scale inhibitor as the maker’s larger box
- Eight weeks of cover, which suits a trial or a fountain on its way out
- $3.00 a filter, the highest on this shelf and nearly double the maker’s own sixteen-pack
Best for: Trying the Veken filter once, or covering the last two months of a fountain

Check price on Amazon
Bengor A-065-06, 24-piece set

A 24-piece filter and sponge set with a pump brush at $1.25 a filter, whose title and first bullet state different fountain capacities.

Filters
12
Sponges
12
Brush
1, for the pump
Price per filter
$1.25
Filter size
3.9 × 3.9 × 0.4 in
Sponge size
1.5 × 1.1 × 1.0 in
Capacities in the title
50 oz, 84 oz, 95 oz, 108 oz
Capacities in the first bullet
95 oz / 2.8 L, 67 oz / 2 L, 135 oz / 4 L
Layers
Non-woven fabric, activated carbon, ion exchange resin
Change interval
Every 2 to 4 weeks
Amazon reference
B0GVY2YFNT
EAN
0792936231404
- Publishes both filter and sponge dimensions, which is what settles fitment
- Eight cents a filter cheaper than the identically configured Porens set
- The title and the first bullet name different fountain capacities
Best for: A 95 oz / 2.8 L fountain, where the measured dimensions settle the fit

Check price on Amazon

Finding your need in fountain filters

Keeping a fountain clean

A saturated filter holds nothing back and slows the flow. It is the consumable that governs the point of the fountain itself.

Catit PIXI replacement filters, 6-pack

Lasting a month in hard water

A cartridge rated for a month saturates in three weeks in a very limey area. The number of cartridges per pack decides the yearly price, which is the real comparison.

Catit Triple Action filters, 5-pack

The buyer behind each kind, in fountain filters

Very hard tap water: Filters clog faster and descaling the pump becomes routine. The most demanding case.
Several animals: Hair and debris arrive in greater quantity. Replacement frequency follows the number of animals.
Changing the cartridge every month: A filter changed in time avoids far more trouble than a premium filter changed too late.

The downsides that come with fountain filters

The fountain maker's cartridge or a pattern one: Original filters fit the housing exactly; generics cost less and sometimes let water past the sides, which cancels their function.
Carbon against foam alone: Carbon acts on taste and odor; foam catches particles. Many filters combine both layers.
Frequency against cost: Changing often costs more and keeps the water clean. Spacing changes out to save money cancels the point of the fountain.

The questions people ask about fountain filters

How often do you change a fountain filter?

As the maker indicates and according to the number of animals, often every two to four weeks. A weakening flow is the main signal.

Should a new filter be rinsed?

Most carbon filters are rinsed before first use to remove the fines. The instructions say so.

Can a filter be washed and reused?

Foam can be rinsed a few times; carbon saturates and does not regenerate. Rinsing postpones the change, it does not replace it.

Are generic filters suitable?

If they fit the housing exactly. A poorly fitted filter lets water past the sides, which cancels its function.

Does the filter replace cleaning?

No. The full weekly cleaning of the fountain and pump is still needed, new filter or not.

Why is the flow weakening?

A clogged filter or a fouled pump. Change the filter first, clean the pump next.

Does the filter change the taste of the water?

Carbon acts on taste and odor. Some cats are sensitive to that change, in one direction or the other.

Is there a filter without carbon?

Yes, foam only, and it catches just hair and crumbs. Carbon works on taste and chlorine; without it, some cats come back to drink less often.

Worth remembering, on fountain filters

A saturated filter holds nothing back and slows the flow: a weakening flow is the signal to replace it. The filter never replaces the full weekly cleaning, and a badly fitted generic lets water past the sides.

Fountain filters in brief

Price per filter: $1.06 to $3.00, on 9 of the 12 models.
Filters: 4 to 16, on 8 of the 12 models.
Sponges: 8 to 16, on 6 of the 12 models.

Fountain filters, side by side

There is no table here, and the reason is in the listings. The figure published most often across these 12 products is price per filter, given by 9 of them — short of the four in five a column needs to compare rather than to display gaps. Each product page says what its own maker published.

Sources, and how we decide

Specifications: manufacturer sheets for pet devices and the matching Amazon product pages. Prices and availability: Keepa.

Most recent revision in this category: October 6, 2026.

The way we judge fountain filters

Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.