How to choose a bowl for a cat?

Bowl material

Plastic (plastic, melamine, bamboo bowls)

The most inexpensive bowls make no noise and are impact resistant. The strength and durability of the bowl depends on the quality of the plastic. Products made of low-quality plastic are very light, often have an uneven and rough surface, scratches easily remain on the bowl, it is poorly washed and, due to its low weight, moves while the cat is feeding. The service life of such a bowl is very short, half a year is enough. Bowls made of denser and higher quality plastic are smooth, relatively heavy, durable and have a much longer service life. Most plastic bowls, however, have a shorter lifespan than bowls made from other materials, absorb odours, build up easily, and it is not uncommon for a poorly cleaned or overused bowl to cause blackheads (acne) on cats’ chins. When choosing a plastic bowl, you should pay attention to the smoothness and weight of the material, the absence of a “chemical” smell. Plastic bowls are convenient as temporary bowls for kittens, for feeding in the country or for trips.            

Ceramics

Ceramic bowls look aesthetically pleasing, do not absorb odors, do not scratch during use, are heavy and do not drive around the floor while eating. Very durable, easy to clean, the downside is their fragility. The most hygienic type of bowls. When choosing a ceramic bowl, it is worth considering the thickness of the walls and the quality of the glaze coating so that there are no cracks, traces of bubbles, uneven coating, or chips.       

Metal

Metal bowls are made from stainless steel. Very durable, do not absorb odors, easy to clean. But they can be very light, and move around the floor while eating, with constant contact with moisture, become rusty, and also rattle, especially if they are on a metal stand, at first scaring the cat and preventing the owners from sleeping if the cat decides to eat or drink at night. Better for dry food. The way out will be downward expanding bowls that do not rattle and are difficult to turn over. When choosing a metal bowl, you need to pay attention to the shape of the product, whether it is even, whether there are metal bends. Rubber feet and anti-slip rings must be intact, without crumbling edges or tears.      

Bowl shape and size

The shape, size and depth of the bowl are just as important for cats. The most comfortable shapes for cats are round and oval. The size should correspond to the size of the cat, the larger it is, the larger the bowl. It is unpleasant for cats when their sensitive whiskers (whiskers) touch the sides of the bowl when eating, therefore, in inappropriate – small or too deep bowls, cats often eat food only from the middle of the bowl, and it is already uncomfortable for them to take food at the edges, and they ask for food again. The depth of the food bowl should not be too deep so that the cat can easily reach the bottom. Flat shallow bowls are great for kittens, as well as cats with a short nose and voluminous cheeks – Persian, British, Scottish, Exotic. It is advisable to choose bowls for water with a larger volume and width than for food, since most often cats refuse to drink from small shallow containers. They usually like a deep bowl of fresh water better, so you can choose a drinking bowl from dog bowls. – For cats with a short nose – wide bowls with a low rim – For water, they can be deeper  

Double bowls – is it convenient?

Often there are double, and sometimes even triple bowls made of ceramic or plastic, motionlessly connected to each other. It happens that when eating, a cat accidentally rolls pieces of food into a nearby bowl of water, and then refuses to drink this water. In addition, it may be inconvenient to wash them if only one is dirty, and you have to wash both. Double bowls are quite suitable for neat and picky cats and when feeding several kittens.             

Bowls on a stand

A more convenient option for double bowls are bowls on a stand. There are still two of them, but they are not interconnected and are at some distance from each other, they can be either metal or ceramic. There are also bowls on an individual stand, as a rule, the bowl in this case is metal, and the stand is plastic or melamine. Such bowls fit well into the interior, are easy to clean separately from each other, and the stand does not allow bowls to roll on the floor while eating and scatter food.   

Other options for cat feeders and drinkers

Auto feeders and auto drinkers

They exist as simple automatic feeders, where a bowl and a feed container are combined on top. As food is eaten, more food is poured from the container into the bowl. The food in the container retains freshness and pleasant aroma. Likewise with car drinkers. Such automatic feeders are suitable only for those cats who have a sense of proportion and are not prone to overeating and overweight. Automatic feeders with a timer – give out a portion of feed at selected intervals. They are powered by mains, accumulators or batteries. Suitable for fractional feeding of a cat during the day, and in case you have to leave the cat for a short time, for example, for a day, alone. Some models may be equipped with a smartphone remote control, camera and microphone. Automatic drinkers include drinking fountains for cats that prefer running water. Usually they work from the mains, they require frequent replacement of water filters. They have a fairly high cost.  

Slow food bowls

Small plastic or silicone bowls with embossing, especially for animals that eat too fast. The terrain makes it difficult to eat too fast and grab a lot of food at a time.     

Useful accessory – bowl mat

Bowl mats protect the floor from fallen food and spilled water, bowls slip less on them, and the mats themselves do not slip thanks to a special substrate. Easy to clean with a sponge and detergent.