FAQ: Bowls & Feeders for cats

It can be used, but steadier steel or ceramic bowls are more practical at home every day. A collapsible bowl is light, the cat pushes it around and dirt can collect in its folds, so it is better suited to travel.

A general guide is about 40–60 ml of fluid per kilogram of the cat’s body weight a day, including the water in wet food. A cat on dry food drinks more from its bowl than one on wet food.

In the morning pour a measured amount of water into the bowl and measure what is left the next morning, allowing for evaporation. Some smart fountains count it for you. If drinking rises or falls noticeably, talk to a vet.

Some cats find cool water and floating ice cubes more appealing, especially on hot days, and some play with them. It is safe if the ice is clean, but the water still needs changing daily.

Most cats prefer fresh water that is cool, at room temperature or a little lower. On a hot day water in a bowl warms up quickly, so it is worth changing it more often and keeping the bowl out of the sun.

Many cats like the water close to the rim, as they do not have to put their head deep inside and their whiskers do not touch the sides. A wide bowl filled to the top often encourages a cat to drink more.

A little unsalted meat or fish broth made without onion and garlic is sometimes used to encourage drinking, but it should be in a separate bowl changed within a few hours. Clean water must always be the main drink.

For a cat outdoors in winter, change the water several times a day or use a heated outdoor pet bowl. Thick-walled bowls suit the cold better than thin plastic or ceramic ones, and a metal bowl can stick to the tongue.

A heated pet bowl keeps water from freezing rather than making it hot, and usually has a protected cord. Use it only as instructed, outdoors or in unheated spaces, and protect the cord from chewing.

The cat is instinctively ‘burying’ food it does not want to eat now, or showing that it dislikes the food. It is harmless; if the cat often leaves food, the portion may be too large.

A cat often does this when the bowl is too deep or narrow and its whiskers touch the sides, sometimes out of habit or because the bowl slides. Try a wider, shallow bowl or plate and a non-slip mat.

A new bowl may smell of plastic, paint or the factory, be a different size or stand in an unfamiliar place. Wash it before use, put it in the old spot and leave the old bowl next to it for a few days.

Some cats are irritated by an ID tag or bell clinking on a metal bowl and eat less as a result. A ceramic bowl, a raised stand or a quieter tag that sits flat on the collar helps.

With a cone a cat often cannot reach a deep bowl or one placed against a wall. Use a wide, shallow bowl or plate smaller than the cone opening, raise it slightly and keep it away from walls.

For a blind cat it matters most that the bowls always stay in the same place and are stable. A fountain whose trickle the cat can hear, and a mat with a different texture under the bowls that it can find with its paws, help.

Such a cat finds a flat plate with soft pâté or moistened kibble easiest, as the food is easier to lick up. Avoid slow feeders with hard obstacles until the mouth heals, and follow the vet’s instructions.

Diabetic cats often need to eat at the same times and in the same amounts, especially if they receive insulin. A timed automatic feeder helps keep to the schedule, but the feeding plan and how it fits with medication are set by the vet.

The kitchen is often convenient because dishes are easy to wash there, but it can be noisy and busy. Put the bowls in a corner where the cat is not disturbed, not on the worktop, so the cat does not learn to climb onto food surfaces.

On an enclosed, cat-safe balcony bowls can be kept if it is not too hot or cold and the cat feels safe there. In summer water warms quickly in the sun and wet food spoils, so in such a spot they need changing more often.

Keep the cat’s bowls where it can eat in peace, for example on a raised platform or in a separate room. Explain to children not to disturb a cat while it eats, as a disturbed cat may eat too fast or refuse food altogether.