A cat is moving in. As for a baby, you need initial equipment for the house cat: scratching post, cat sleeping place, litter box, transport box and food and water bowls. A single cat needs at least three food bowls. One for wet food, one for dry food and one for water. If you have more than one cat, then the number of bowls multiplies.
Select food bowl
In addition to the design, the material is extremely important when buying a food bowl. It must be easy and hygienic to clean. Proven feeding bowls made of stainless steel and ceramic, which are easy to clean. However, no ceramic flower saucer, because it is not food-safe glazed. A stainless steel food bowl must be high quality, rustproof and suitable for food. The alloy should not contain nickel or chromium. Both substances could cause allergies in the cat. Plastic is less suitable for a feeding bowl cat as a long-term solution. The material tends to take on odors. For cats, plastic food bowls smell either like old food or plastic. Cats do not like this at all. Cheap plastic or silicone food bowls are not scratch resistant. Bacteria can colonize them and cause gum inflammation in cats. Plastics often contain harmful plasticizers, which pass into the food. Should it still be a plastic food bowl, the bowl should be free of BPA. Rubber feet are advantageous, so that the feeding bowl stainless steel does not slip or you put the feeding bowls for wet and dry food on a non-slip rubber mat, which can be cleaned quickly. Water and food bowls should be placed separately so that no food crumbs fall into the drinking water. In addition, most cats prefer separate drinking and feeding areas.
This is what you should consider
The food bowl must fit the cat. Cats with shorter snouts prefer shallower bowls rather than deep bowls as a food bowl cat. Also, the bowl should not be too small: Whiskers should not touch the rim of the bowl when eating. If the whiskers touch the rim, it can be painful for the cat. If the bowl is too small, you will notice that the cat fishes food out of the bowl with its paw, leaves food on the edge or sits in front of the bowl and does not eat. Then put the food on a flat plate and the cat eats immediately, then the food bowl is too small. Experts recommend for the cat food bowl at least 15 cm in diameter and no high rim. The rim should be no more than 4 cm high. The ideal shape for a cat food bowl is oval or round. Then no food remains stuck in the corners. The surface should be smooth and the whole feeding bowl should not be too light, so that it does not slide around on the floor. For older cats, a raised feeding station can make sense if stooping down to eat causes pain. A young cat can safely do without the food bar. A raised food bowl can also prevent gulping. Cats swallow less air when eating. The food is no longer pushed to the edge. It is an advantage if the food bowl is dishwasher safe. Then it can be basic cleaned in the dishwasher.
The best cat food bowl
Food bowl with name
Personalized items are trending and a food bowl with a name is one of them. Animals may not be able to read, but people enjoy them. Either printed or with stickers, the name of the cat or other desired text is attached to the feeding bowl. In a feeding station cat, feeding bar cat made of wood for several bowls the name is engraved. Up to 15 characters and ten different fonts can be applied by the supplier. For ceramics, the desired text is applied before the glaze. Created by hand, each feeding bowl is unique. With stainless steel, the name can be engraved durable and it is even possible to have the feeding bowl cat printed with name and photo as a pretty gift.
Food bowl with lid
Why a food bowl with a lid? The food stays fresh longer, without flies and odors are trapped. As a cat bowl with a lid, you can find food bowls with automatic or manual opening. The first is recommended if you are at work during the day. Manual models, on the contrary, keep the wet food fresh. If the cat or tomcat is very greedy, you can limit the amount of food by putting the lid on. A step further goes the cat bowl with touch automatic. The cat opens the lid by pressing a button when it is hungry. The advantage: the food stays fresh, no flies in the food and no smell of cat food in the kitchen. The cat has to exercise and mentally before it gets to the food. The automatic feeder for two to five meals goes one step further. The lid opens on the feeder with a timer. A battery is necessary for operation. The Pet Safe automatic feeder goes a little further. A cold pack can be inserted underneath the feeding bowls to keep the food fresh. Because the bowls are made of plastic, care was taken to ensure BPA-free quality. Furthermore, a food bowl with lid is available with a housing made of plastic and with a food bowl made of stainless steel. A feeding bowl cat with sensor opens the lid only when the cat approaches the feeding bowl. If the cat leaves the feeding area again, the lid closes a few seconds later. The food remains fresh and free of flies.
Food bowl with chip
If several animals live in one household, a food bowl with chip can be a solution, so that each animal gets its individual food. Also, when medications are given, a food bowl with chip recognition can help ensure that the right animal gets its medication. How does a bowl with chip recognition work? The bowl recognizes the chip number of the cat. So it is only suitable for chipped male and female cats. Or not? Unchipped animals must wear a RIFD collar, which is included, for the chip-recognized bowl.
Is there an ergonomic food bowl for cats?
In the ergonomic version of a feeding bowl, the bowls are slightly tilted and slightly elevated. The tilt is equal to about 15 degrees. When is an ergonomic food bowl used? Cats that vomit after eating and cats with joint and spine problems can eat more easily from an ergonomic bowl.
Which feeding bowl for cats is a test winner?
Many cat owners buy a feeding bowl for the cat made of ceramic. The variety of colors and shapes and customizability are almost infinite, so there is a suitable food bowl for every imagination. In second place is stainless steel, because the stainless steel cat food bowl is easy to clean and it is almost indestructible. As a frame for the cat bowl, stainless steel and plastic are purchased because both surfaces are excellent to clean food residues.