Lixit Flip-Top Bottle

Flip-top Ferret bottle stands conventional water bottles on its head. Lixit Flip-Top Ferret Bottle reinterprets gravity-style water bottles to decidedly answer the question: "Why fill a water bottle and flip it upside down when you can fill it from the top?" Innovative redesign makes water refills convenient and drip free so it is easier than ever to ensure a daily supply of clean, fresh water for your pet Ferret. Features stainless steel lever-action drinking tip, flattened, cage-side bottle face and graduated markings for convenient monitoring of water intake. Includes a removable bungee holder to secure water bottle from horizontal cage wire. BPA-Free plastic.

Please click on "More Information" for care instructions.

How to clean your water bottle
Plastic water bottles should be hand washed in soapy water (just like doing your dishes) and rinsed well. A bottle brush should be used to remove any "slime buildup." It is recommended you clean your bottle weekly. A small amount of bleach helps to disinfect the bottles if desired, just add a few drops to your water and rinse well, 10 parts water and 1 part bleach is recommended.

General information, questions and answers on water bottles
Q. Do ferrets, small pets, and birds need to have water bottles rather than water dishes?
A. From the beginning of pet keeping, animals and birds have been offered water in open bowls placed on the cage floor or mounted on the sides of the cage. This is a simple and easy way to offer the water, but we now know that the water in open dishes is easily contaminated. Food particles, droppings, pet hair and any other contaminants carry bacteria into the water and pollute it. Some water dishes attempt to prevent this with partial "hoods", but are still open to having pollutants flipped or tossed into the water supply by playful animals or birds in the midst of wing flapping exercises. The decaying food, fecal matter and disease organisms are then ingested by the animal or bird drinking from that bowl, possibly infecting the pet. The water bottle, in comparison, has a drinking tube that offers a one-way flow of water, preventing particles from entering the water supply. The water remains sanitary for days at a time, drastically reducing the chance of any ingestion of polluted water and subsequent infection.

Q. What is the "Valve" water bottle with a metal rod in the drinking tip?
A. The bottle you describe for Lixit is the Quick Lock Flip Top Water Tank with Valve. The lever-action drinking tip does indeed feature a lever (or rod) rather than a ball bearing. This style of valve does not depend on a vacuum seal to function. When this lever is moved in any direction by your pet, it in turn flexes an internal diaphragm valve that releases a flow of water. The water travels down the metal tube to the end where your pet has access to it. As long as the lever is being moved or held in any position off center (the "closed" position), the internal flexible valve will be open to a greater or lesser degree to allow water flow. As soon as the pet releases the valve lever, and it returns to the centered position, the flexible internal valve seals shut. Please note that this bottle does not have ball bearings and some pets will require training to use it. A ball bearing cap will not work on this bottle.

Q. What should I do when the water bottle drinking tube gets clogged?
A. For lack of a better word, "guck" is almost anything from small food particles to mineral deposits that build up inside the drinking tube. There are two very simple ways to clean the inside of the drinking tube. First, soak the entire cap assembly in a solution of ten parts water and 1 part bleach for 30 minutes. This will start the cleaning process and dissolve any clinging algae or organic deposits caused by liquid vitamins or medications. Using a cotton swab or a pipe cleaner (also known as chenille stems at art and craft stores), wipe the inside of the drinking tube, pulling any debris out towards the open end of the drinking tube. Clean the tube from both ends using this method and soak it again in the bleach solution for about ten additional minutes. Rinse the cap assembly very well. Using this method, it is sometimes quite surprising how much "guck" can be removed from a drinking tube that appears to be clean. With the inner surfaces cleaned and free of any debris that can interfere with the ball bearing's free movement, the drinking tube should return to non-leaking full function.