FAQ: Bowls & Feeders for cats

Wash the bowl every few days, and the hopper and dispensing mechanism at least every few weeks or each time before adding food from a new bag. Fat and crumb residue in the hopper goes rancid and can give the food an unpleasant smell.

Dry food keeps for a few weeks in a sealed hopper, but standing for a long time it loses its aroma and can absorb moisture. Add only as much food as the cat will eat in a few weeks, and do not mix new food with old.

It is best to keep food in its original bag, sealed tightly, and put the bag inside a container. The bag shows the expiry date and batch number and protects the food from oxidation better than a plastic box alone.

An airtight, food-safe container with a tight lid that fits the whole bag works well. Keep it in a cool, dry place out of the sun, and wash and dry the container before adding new food.

Cover an opened can with a lid or film and keep it in the fridge, usually for no more than two days unless the pack says otherwise. Let the food come to room temperature before giving it to the cat.

Yes, when the feeder serves the early breakfast, the cat often stops waking people and waits by the feeder instead. Set a fixed time and do not respond to the wake-up calls, so the cat learns that the feeder brings the food.

A feeder lets you split the daily amount accurately into several small portions, so the cat does not overeat at once and begs less. Check the initial portion size by weighing it, as some feeders dispense inaccurately.

Many adult cats do well on several smaller meals a day, as in the wild they eat often and a little at a time. The key is that the total does not exceed the daily amount stated on the food pack or by the vet.

Clever cats sometimes learn to paw food out or open the hopper lid. Choose a model with a lockable lid and a stable base so the cat cannot knock it over, and keep an eye on it for the first few days.

Put the feeder where you normally feed and at first add some food to its bowl by hand. Some cats are startled by the mechanism’s noise, so stay nearby for the first days and praise the cat when it comes over.

There are feeders with a split or double bowl that dispense food for two cats at once. However, this does not control how much each cat eats, so if one needs a diet food, a microchip feeder is a better choice.

A camera lets you see whether the cat has eaten and watch it while you are away, and some can record a voice message. If your cat is often alone or ill and you need to monitor its appetite, it can be useful; otherwise a simple feeder is enough.

A gravity feeder refills the bowl with dry food from a hopper without electricity as the cat eats. It is convenient, but a cat can overeat, so it suits only cats that regulate themselves, and only for short periods.

A gravity waterer refills the bowl from an upturned bottle or tank as the water level drops. It is handy for short trips or as an extra water station, but the water is not filtered, so it needs washing often.

When dry food is always in the bowl, many indoor cats eat out of boredom and gain weight, and changes in appetite are hard to notice. Splitting the daily amount into several portions or using a timed feeder is often healthier.

Check that the food has not gone off, the bowl is clean and the mechanism has not jammed. If the cat is eating less in general, it may be a sign of illness: a cat that has not eaten for more than a day should see a vet.

A cat, especially an overweight one, that goes without food for several days can develop a dangerous liver disease called hepatic lipidosis. So a broken feeder or a cat refusing food is no small matter, and a cat that has not eaten for a while should see a vet.

Wash the wet food bowl after every meal, the dry food bowl daily or at least every other day, and the water bowl daily when changing the water. A slippery bacterial film quickly forms on unwashed bowls.

Wash cat bowls with hot water, ordinary washing-up liquid and a separate sponge, then rinse well. Avoid strong-smelling cleaners and use bleach only occasionally with very thorough rinsing, as the smell can put the cat off.

Stainless steel, ceramic and tempered glass bowls are usually dishwasher safe, and plastic ones only if stated. A dishwasher at a high temperature removes bacterial film well.