Well what I did is my own little experiment. Both of my girls were on a bottle from the breeder. I added a reservoir bowl sold for reptiles. They have both in the cage and they rarely touch the bottle. I think they still use the bottle to hear the noise it makes. They may use the bottle once a month if that. The bowl is a big hit and they do drink much more. Drinking more is better for renal health and dilutes the urine so the odor is greatly reduced. I would NEVER just offer a bottle.