I really love this fountain. It has few parts (none of which are small and difficult to deal with) and is very easy to clean and maintain. You can tell if it's dirty and needs a wash just by looking at it. The basin is wide and accessible for cats and small dogs. It holds a lot of water, though it does need to be refilled daily (for cleanliness' sake & also because it will evaporate since it's not in an enclosed basin like most pet fountains). Parts are readily available if you need replacements, sans the carbon pouch basket, which I wish they would sell! There's not a single other pet fountain brand out there that sells all of the replacement parts you may need (you don't technically need the carbon pouch but it will prolong filter lifespan). I recommend scrubbing all parts of this fountain once or twice per week to prevent buildup of scum and biofilm - a sponge, straw cleaner (for the tube), and dish soap is sufficient. However, the ONLY con to this fountain is a pretty major one. It is VERY heavy, and becomes VERY slippery when wet and covered in biofilm. This makes it legitimately dangerous to wash outside of something like a sturdy farm sink or a bathtub. Do NOT try and wash this thing in any other kind of sink. The basin is seriously so heavy that it could crash through your sink if you drop it. Also, today, I was admittedly in a rush while washing mine & tried to finish up by washing the small parts in my bathroom sink, and I dropped the fountainhead from a few inches up... it shattered the moment it hit the sink basin and cut my finger. I'm technically still able to use the fountain since you can just put the pump in the basin without the fountainhead or tube, but it's not as aesthetically pleasing. So please, PLEASE don't get impatient or try to wash any part of this fountain outside of a bathtub or a super sturdy sink, because this thing weighs as much as a cast iron pan. And DO wear dishwashing gloves that will give you a better grip on the glass parts than bare soapy hands will. Despite this, I still believe that this fountain is the best option when it comes to pet fountains. I'll deal with having to be careful about washing glass before I will ever go back to the plastic-based fountains with a million tiny parts & biofilm that never seems to disappear no matter how much you scrub.