According to the New York Times pets in general but cats, in particular, can benefit from pet drinking fountains. According to the times, while there is no indication that drinking fountains induce dogs to drink more (your Leave it to Beaver father was right, just give your dog a bowl of water and be done with it, that doesn't apply to cats. Quoting veterinarian Dr. Michael Lund of the ASPCA, cats tend to keep themselves in a dehydrated state, a state that is not good for their kidneys.