Got a big kitty, a fast eater or an early riser? StyleTails resident cat expert and behaviourist Anita Kelsey picks her top six cat bowls for all types of felines.
We all know that our cats love to eat. With feline faces of all shapes and sizes it’s important to get the right feeding bowl for your cat’s unique needs. Nothing annoys a mog more than a bowl that crushes its whiskers to the sides day and night, a bowl too deep (designed for dogs) and a bowl that slides all over the place making them dizzy.
Here are my picks for six of the best cat bowls to keep your cat happy:
FOR BIG CATS
STUDIO SCOOP BOWL BY WETNOZ
Yes, I hold my hands up. It’s a dog bowl, but I have found it to be the perfect shape and design for Persian or large breed cat faces such as Norwegian Forest or Maine Coon. It stands at a tilt to collect food from messy eaters with low sides so that a cat’s whiskers do not get crushed. It comes in different sizes but the 5 scoop size is perfect for cats.
Studio Scoop Bowl (5 cup) by Wetnoz – £12.99
FOR MULTI CAT HOUSEHOLDS
SUREFEED MICROCHIP FEEDER
For the multi cat household with a piggy in the midst, a cat on specific medication or on a special diet, I highly recommend the Sureflap Microchip feeder. The lid to the feeding bowl opens upon recognition of the programmed microchip which enables the right cat to eat the food allocated and without any piggies eating food not meant for them. A little expensive for a food bowl but the ultimate answer to an age-old problem between cat owners with more than one cat.
Surefeed Microchip Cat Feeder by Sureflap – £99.99
FOR FAST EATERS
GOBBLE STOP BOWL BY SAVIC
I love the name for this one. No explanation needed but if you can’t work it out, the inner design of the bowl helps slow any manic feline eaters down by forcing them to navigate around the inner raised bits. The bowls are not expensive and have a lovely clean simple look to them, until your grubby cheeked mog ruins it all.
Gobble Stop Cat Bowl by Savic – £4.99
FOR EARLY RISERS & WHEN YOU’RE OUT
CAT MATE AUTOMATIC FEEDER
All cat owners should have a food timer for the odd night where they will be home later than usual. This ensures the human can go out from work for the night without worrying that their cat is starving and mog will get his din dins at the correct time.
Food timers are also good for cats that have that 4am thing going on. You know, the one where you suddenly get an unexpected paw on the cheek and a look that is screaming out ‘Where’s my breakfast!!’. Taking the association of food away from the human to the strange bowl that ticks (battery operated) can help to erase that morning/food/human association, although don’t blame me if you still get a paw in the face! Some of the timers need a degree to understand but the Pet Mate is really easy to use and comes with a single or double tray.
Cat Mate Automatic Feeder by Pet Mate – £26.80
FOR THE RELUCTANT DRINKER
CERAMIC CAT FOUNTAIN
Lots of cats love to drink water anywhere other than where we want them to: be it the kitchen sink, the bath water or the water we have poured ourselves to drink so why not appease these crazy dudes. There are many cat fountains on the market but I have fallen in love with these handmade designs by a company called Thirsty Cat Fountains. The designs are modern, ceramic so easy to clean and beautiful to look at. Any cat would be thrilled to be given one to drink from.
Cermaic Cat Fountains by CatFountains – from £75.00
FOR THE PLAYFUL PUSSY
THE CATIT SENSES FOOD MAZE
Again many different designs on the market to make it fun for cats to ‘work’ for they’re ‘healthy’ treat. I love this design because of the funky shape and look plus the many different levels. It’s a great height for cats and I’ve seen it in action many times. Cats do seem to love it!
Senses Food Maze by Catit – £9.99