Deciding what food to feed your cat is hard enough. But how do you present your cat with food? What cat dishes or bowls you pick (or none -but more on this later) could make a huge difference to your cat’s eating habits and overall health. Let’s look at the following suggestions:
1. Beware of plastic cat bowls.
The manner in which you serve your cat’s food is in the same way as the type of food your cat eats. Photographs (c)Alena Ozerova Thinkstock.
Bacteria and oils build up within the scratches of the plastic material and can trigger cat acne. It manifests as black dots appearing on your cat’s face. Use bowls made from stainless steel or ceramic instead, suggests Marilyn Krieger, a certified cat-behavior expert in The San Francisco Bay area, who is also known as the Cat Coach.
2. Take a look at the size of cat bowls.
Cats like bowls and dishes which are quite large and shallow. When cats place their heads too far into bowls consume food, they could be uncomfortable, Krieger says.
“Some cats are extremely sensitive to the touch of the food around their tiny whiskers” She explains. “It could be uncomfortable for them. They may make use of their paws to pull food from the bowl.”
Krieger states that cats might be uncomfortable when eating in the size of a bowl, especially as it stops cats from looking up to observe their surroundings when they eat.
Dr. Leticia Dantas, D.V.M., M.S. and Ph.D. Dr. Leticia Dantas, D.V.M., M. as a professor at the University of Georgia’s the Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s Behavioral Medicine Service, says the idea of whisker-irritating theories about shallow, narrow bowls hasn’t been research-based. However, she does endorse the belief that most cats are happier with shallow bowls.
3. Some cats require different food bowls.
What happens if you have an animal with a flat face, like one of the Persian? Purchase special bowls that feature an angle and elevation for your cat’s flat face, so that it will have a much easier time eating from the bowl, Krieger suggests.
4. Take a look at where you find the bowls of food for your cat.
Think about the place of the cat’s food bowls as well, Krieger advises. It’s not a good idea to eat in the toilet, so avoid placing bowls in close proximity to the litter boxes of your cat. Place the bowls in quiet areas in the house and ensure that passersby do not stress cats when they consume food. If you have multiple cats Don’t put the bowls in close proximity because cats are lonely predators and are irritable when another cat is eating too close to them.
5. Make sure you keep your bowl clean.
Rinse the cat’s dishes or bowls for cat food every day using the use of soap as well as water Krieger says. Dry cat food can be oily and soiled, meaning that bacteria may accumulate and odor. In the event that you give your cat moist food, clean the bowls following each use.
6. Beyond cat bowls for food and cat dishes.
You can encourage your cat’s wild hunter instinct by using different feeding containers that are dry for food.
“It’s not just about the bowl, there are many different ways to feed cat food,” Krieger says. “Have your cat chase in a way by throwing pieces of food here and there.”
There are food puzzles available which will test your cat to make a meal or even muffin tins for easy DIY versions. Another suggestion? Dry food items inside PVC connectors, and tennis balls with holes.
“You can play around with your ideas,” Krieger says. “You do not have to make use of the standard, conservative bowl. It is possible to do that as well, but mix it with other ingredients.”
The Dr. Dantas, who is also an official from the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and recommends the use of regular dishes and bowls to serve wet food. She suggests food puzzles and toys to dry food. “It helps their mental health and boosts their level of physical activity too,” she states.
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