I had purchased another fountain for my previous two cats. But they never got interested. Or maybe I didn't give them a chance. My cat Dinah is always inspecting the faucets so I figured she'd like this. And since the one thing that is sure to shorten cat's lives is kidney disease, and the one thing you can do that makes a difference is make sure they increase their water intake, a fountain that they love to drink out of is obviously hugely important. I'm lucky that my cat really loves this. I can tell it's dirty of the filter needs to be changed when she stops drinking out of it. As for maintenance and the fountain lasting longer, well for one thing, if you get the fountain in your cat likes it and things are going well, I suggest that you get a second. So you can spend some time cleaning the first, letting the electrical parts dry out, putting it through the dishwasher, as I mention below:
It says you're supposed to change the filter weekly. I do wait longer because I have one cat. But if you have more than one, either change it weekly or get to two to begin with. After you try it.
Is it easy to put together? I would say that for most people, yes. And once I figured it out it became easy. But initially I had a friend help me as I have a hard time with spatial stuff. (Although I am an excellent parallel Parker) my friend did it in two seconds. But she of course slowed down to show me
still, when I take it apart to change the filter, I take a photo of it at each stage. Or since I have two, I can just look at the other one. It's crucial to keep it clean. Probably should go in the dishwasher once a month (or so). So again that makes it easier for me to have to fountains because then I can put it together right away using the basin and the swan head from the other box. I don't use the motor or cord because I want to keep that new.
If you don't really wash the basin and neck at least every two months it will get gross . I saw someone say that it stopped working after a few months. It probably seemed like that. But often what happens is it's just dirty. OR the cord that connects it to power gets slightly wet and really needs to get dried out. And one case when that happened to me, it was definitely the cord, and I just set it aside for 24 hours and did use the cord from the second fountain. The cord did dry up and it might've taken less than 24 hours, I'm not sure but it works fine now. Also sometimes it doesn't start dripping immediately when you do all of that stuff and plug it in, it's always good to have a little bit of water in there before you plug it in. But when it really doesn't stop after five minutes I assume it's the cord and I change it and let it dry out. Or, the other possibility is that it wasn't put back together properly when the filter was changed. And that's some thing that would happen to me. So you have to remember how it gets put back and the cord has to go through the Swan's head. My guess is there are videos on YouTube
So again, if it seems like it's not working, I promise you it probably is not broken. The cord may be wet. It may not have been put back together correctly. It may be dirty inside the Swan's head which really needs to be cleaned in the dishwasher. It probably needs a new filter cause it will get clogged. You probably need to put water in first before turning it on. Just a little. And then you can add more. If you see bugs or things like that in there, it needs a new filter. The basin is going to feel slimy if it's not cleaned often enough. Use filtered water. It will last longer and it's healthier for your pet.
Every few days I put some new water in. So rather than dumping it out which is very messy, I put a pot under the spout and I collect water and swap out about half the water in there or even just some of it and I put some fresh water in there. It takes about 72 to 75 Oz to fill the basin full. So I may change out 32 ounces every couple days and then change it all out when I clean it weekly or so.
I think it's well worth the money. And if you want to calculate the vet bills that you'll save on its astoundingly worth the money. Get one first. If you like it, get two. Or if you have multiple cats obviously get one first. If you like it, leave two out and get three.

My cats really love this fountain. One drinks from the faucet, two others drink from the bowl. You really need to clean it weekly. This includes taking apart the motor. There is a tiny piece that controls water flow, that can go down the drain (I've done this twice), so cover the drain when washing the pieces of the motor. It still works fine without that piece, but the flow is a little thicker.
I've found that using vinegar in the cleaning water gets off the slimy stuff that seems to get on the bowl by the end of the week. Also, it is a good idea to get the PetSafe Drinkwell Dog and Cat Water Fountain Cleaning Kit, because there is a long brush that you can use in the spout. Trust me, that needs cleaning out. First time I had this fountain, I didn't clean that spout with a brush. Once I did, gross brown stuff came out. The brush doesn't go all the way, though, & it is hard to pull out once inserted...might look for a more slender brush with a long handle, & try that. Also, that kit has a small brush that cleans the inside of the motor. I don't usually use the large brush, I use a toothbrush instead.

My dog had a learning curve with drinking from stream dufferent from bubble one he has. The fountain takes up a lot of the bowl and it took time for my dog to use the stream as from the bowl is snug. I wish the bowl was higher as it's silent when filled to brim. Otherwise I do love the bowl and it's so easy to fill.

Out of box setup didn't work until I left filter off, might try again but it's very clear where pump and filter go. Oh well still love it 😀

This is the first fountain that my cats don't try to knock over or dig around in with their paws and splash water everywhere. After two damaged floorboards and years of stepping in puddles, some peace of mind. Only thing that sucks about this fountain is that the filter gets blocked almost every day with bits of fur (I have to long haired cats), and it slows down the stream which ends up making a very loud dripping sound until I clean it, but if the fountain head isn't placed exactly right (and it's super fiddly), it'll also make the dribbly fountain sound. Whenever it's clean-cleared and set up properly, it's extremely quiet. So if you like the sound of loud small waterfalls and/or don't mind futzing with the fountain daily, this is a great option, but it does drive me a little crazy sometimes, so tbd on how long I can deal with it. So far I haven't found a better option

My little diva, Pepper, would meow for me to turn on the bathroom faucet so she have a drink. This is the third fountain I have purchased for her. However, this is the only one she goes to drink water. Easy to clean, wash weekly, replace filter every two week. Always make sure water level is filled to correct level. This fountain doesn't make the noise that other make.