A recirculating pet fountain having a cover mounted on a basin in a manner that removably seats the cover on the basin. An inclined spillway of the cover has an intake-defining edge below water in the basin producing a spillway that also is a debris and detritus blocking barrier. The fountain includes at least one removable orifice insert having a mounting stem received in an opening in the cover and a head from which water exits. Interchangeable inserts can be provided with one insert directing a water stream out a nozzle onto the spillway or into water in a bowl disposed below the insert that can be a drinking well. Another insert can be a flow dividing insert splitting flow into a plurality of streams.