My fur posse love theirs and they, too, drain it at least once a day, so I'm going to get another one. I worry about the motor burning out, too, when I'm gone, especially if I go away for a couple of days. My cat sitter is here but only at night. She feeds them in the morning, etc. and then she's off to work two jobs so I have to be sure that the fountain is in good running order. So far, so good w/this one.