5 Tips to Choose the Best Food Bowl for Your Kitty

Finding the best food bowl for your cat is equally as important as choosing the type of food you'll give them. The suitable bowl will keep bacteria out and help with digestion by allowing your cat to stay in a natural body position as it eats.

With a bit of research and some thought, you can find a bowl that suits both you and your cat's needs, ensuring it stays healthy and happy.

We've done some of the heavy lifting for you and come up with a list of tips that will help you get the best food bowls along with durable cat fountains for your kitty.

Plastic Bowls Is a No-Go Zone

Although pet bowls made of plastic are readily available and inexpensive, they're not suitable when it comes to being your cat's food bowl. For starters, plastic bowls get scratches quickly and leave cervices that may be too hard to clean.

Within these crevices, bacteria may grow and become a health risk for your cat. Cats might get chin acne when exposed to the bacteria from plastic bowls for too long. Additionally, some plastics may leach harmful chemicals into your cat's food.

Plastic is excellent if you're going to shop cat fountains made from it. Compared to other types of fountains, such as ceramic fountains, a plastic water fountain is a relatively cheap way to give your cat some water. They're lightweight and shatter-proof in case the cat knocks them over. The only drawback is that plastic might get knocked over by a rowdy cat and make a mess.

Go to the Stainless-Steel Route

The type of material for your cat's food bowl matters a lot. And since plastic is out of the picture, there are many other options, such as stainless steel, which give you a much cleaner and safer way to feed your pet.

Ceramic, glass, and stoneware are also great options, but unlike stainless steel, they can easily break if you're not careful.

A new trend that's also coming up is disposable eco-friendly bowls. These disposable dishes ensure bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and mold don't grow in your cat's bowl since they're a one-time use solution.

If you decide to go with these, make sure they're environmentally friendly or made from recyclable material because you wouldn't want to be filling up a landfill somewhere with your cat food bowls.

The durability aspect of stainless-steel bowls is what makes them so appealing. If you decide to continue with this durability trend while purchasing your cat's accessories, you may want to consider getting stainless steel fountains.

The Style Matters

There are a couple of food bowl styles for cats, but the main ones are separate bowls and double bowls. Going with double bowls isn't a great idea because cats don't like their food next to the water.

However, double bowls are still applicable to cats who eat wet and dry foods together.

Also, choose a bowl that has a non-slip bottom. This will make it easier for your cat to eat or drink if the bowl is not moving while they chow down. Additionally, keeping your cat's bowl still means less of a mess around the dish area.

If you can't find non-slip food bowls, fashion your own by sticking a piece of non-skid material on the bottom of a good bowl. Just be sure to use non-toxic glue.

Design and Versatility

Your cat's food bowl has to be visually appealing, but more than often, this factor gets overlooked. This appeal can come from several features such as its shape, color, and design that contribute to its overall function.

Some bowls are designed to serve cold or dry cat food, but if you want to give your pet something warm, a thin bowl won't do the trick, and it can be uncomfortable for your cat to use. If you're going to microwave your cat's food bowl, ensure it's microwave safe.

You also want to look for bowls that have a wide and shallow shape. Some cats have sensitive whiskers compared to others, and a bowl with a small diameter will end up being bothersome to them because of lack of enough space for them to eat or drink out of it without their whiskers touching the sides.

This can irritate them. Tall bowls ensure the cat maintains a comfortable posture while eating and doesn't stress its neck and back.

With tall bows, the cat's mouth will be above its stomach while it eats, which helps digestion. Swallowing food will also be so much easier if your cat's mouth is higher compared to its belly.

Some cat food bowl materials are more hygienic than others. This mostly depends on how often and thoroughly you wash them. You have to note that not every bowl becomes hygienic even after a wash.

Get a cat bowl that will be easy to clean. The bowl you buy should be able to remain clean and dry quickly, even if all you did was rinse it with some hot water.

Consider Where You Place the Bowl

The cat's food bowl location is just as important as the type of bowl you get. You should place the bowl in a relatively quiet place and not heavy foot traffic areas such as hallways, even if your cat is friendly.

The cats' bowls should be in a clean and odor-free place and not near their litter tray! Cats are surprisingly very clean animals, and similar to us, they prefer to have their food in a different place to where they do their "business."

As a rule of thumb, and to make life a bit easier for you, place your cat's food bowl on a surface that's easy to clean, like laminate or tile flooring. Leave the bowl in areas where your cat can easily access it.

Don't place the bowl on work surfaces and tabletops. If you have many cats, get a bowl for each, even if they love sharing.

Conclusion

Hopefully, these tips enlighten your decision as you set out to get your cat a food bowl. Don't make any hasty decisions while you're shopping. Compare and contrast the benefits of every bowl and the features you're looking for. Choosing a food bowl for your cat doesn't have to be rocket science.