Raised feeders aren't just for dogs. Cats, especially flat-faced breeds, also benefit from eating in a more elevated position. Put yourself in your cat's place. Get down on “all fours” facing a floor-level plate or bowl and pretend to eat or drink from it.
Raise your cat's dish
Cats tend to crouch when they eat because it brings them closer to the ground, where their food is usually located in the wild (and often at home). But it's actually easier for your cat to eat when the dish she's eating off of is slightly elevated, and therefore closer to her mouth.
We researched and watched cats of different heights and weight eat. We determined raising the bowl 3 inches was ideal. It raises the bowl to a safe and comfortable height without causing the cat to reach upward for food.
Consider the depth of cat bowls.
Cats prefer dishes and bowls that are fairly shallow and wide. When cats stick their faces too far into bowls to eat, they may experience discomfort, Krieger says. “Some cats are very sensitive to the feel of the dish around their little whiskers,” she explains.
As a cat's sensitive whiskers rub against the sides of a deep bowl, they begin to hurt. Cats prefer bowls with a wide, shallow design that allow their whiskers to remain above the bowl while they eat and drink. Look for bowls designed specifically for cats (most dog bowls are too deep) and that prevent whisker fatigue.
Ingrid King, a veterinarian and author, writes, “Whiskers are extremely sensitive, and when a food bowl is too narrow and too deep, a cat is forced to put her face all the way into the bowl to reach her food. This causes her whiskers to bump against the side of the bowl, which causes discomfort.
Dogs and cats instinctively navigate their food better on a flat surface and it's more natural to be able to pick and choose what they want to eat first.
Whisker fatigue doesn't exactly mean the whiskers are tired, rather, they've become stressed from overuse. The most common cause of whisker fatigue is something a cat does every day – eating and drinking. Small, high-sided bowls typically used for feeding a cat's food and water are usually to blame for whisker fatigue.
Your cat may be avoiding their water bowl because it finds drinking from it uncomfortable. Some cats won't drink from deep or narrow bowls because they don't like their sensitive whiskers rubbing up against the sides.
Cats do not like their food and water right next to each other. Cat behaviorists believe this may be due to cats hunting away from their water source in the wild. Cats also do not enjoy the scent of food while drinking water. In addition, they are turned off by food particles in their water.
It promotes feeding area hygiene and cleanliness.
So for pets who tend to move their bowls around while they're eating, having the bowl elevated in a fixed position will help to prevent this. With the extra height, it's also helps to prevent some dirt, fur and dust particles from getting into your pet's food and water.
"Many elevated bowls are also tilted to make it easier for your cat to eat." Cats with neck pain or senior cats with arthritis and joint pain could benefit from an elevated bowl as well, she says, because they won't have the neck strain while bending over to eat.
The slanted cat bowls are also good for normal cats as it will further prevent the cats from getting any further complications in their neck or back that might cause digestive issues in them. Additionally, the tilted cat bowls will also make it easier to get the food due to the slanted angle.
The elevated cat food bowl puts a cat's mouth at a suitable position in relation to its stomach, which helps cat to swallow easily and reduce occasional vomiting. So your cats could sit and eat quite more comfortably.
Cats love to be up high where they can see everything that's going on; it helps them to spot food when they're in predator mode or feel safe from attack by other cats, dogs or alien birds from outer space when in prey mode. But that doesn't mean that it's a good idea to let your cat eat on the counter.
A raised dog bowl is a great idea for most dogs, even small dogs, but are particularly beneficial to medium and larger dogs. Why? Straining down to reach your food is no fun for anyone and it can also have digestive and physical implications in the form of neck and even back strain.
Cats are biologically programmed not to drink water which is near their food or near their toileting area - this is thought to be their instinctive avoidance of contaminating their water with potential sources of bacteria.
Running Water Tastes Better
Just like us, running water from the faucet may tickle your cat's tastebuds more than the stale, dusty water in their bowl. “Cats, like all of us, prefer fresh cool water,” Wieber says.
Cats are said to follow the instincts of their ancestors in the wild and ignore stagnant water because still water is not safe to drink in the wild. Thus the still water in the bowl will be ignored. The solution is to simply invest in a smart water fountain that will keep the water moving, filtered and fresh.
While it can be tempting to touch your cat's whiskers in petting, you should not touch them often, if at all—doing so can harm a cat's spacial understanding her world. "Simply put, whisker fatigue seems to be an overstimulation of the sensory system of the whiskers," says Dr.
If you just accidentally cut your cat's whiskers, don't worry too much. No, you won't hurt your cat's whiskers, or vibrissae, if they get accidentally cut. The whisker itself has no nerves or blood vessels but is firmly attached to a hair follicle and sinus, which has nerve innervation.
Eating from a bowl that is too deep is the most common cause of whisker fatigue. As cats' sensitive whiskers rub against the sides of a deep bowl, they can become irritated and hurt.
First, many cats have an allergy to plastic and develop a skin condition on their chins resembling acne. Second, plastic tends to nick and scratch, and those tiny fissures become a breeding ground for germs. It's best to avoid plastic if at all possible.
Why don't all cats act picky then? “Cats' personalities span a wide range of pickiness so some cats may express their frustration with a bowl that prevents them from fully enjoying their food, while others might not show any obvious or outward signs they approve or disapprove,” Kulesus said.
In most cases, stainless steel is the best material for cat food and water bowls. It's easy to clean and disinfect and extremely durable. Glass and ceramic dishes are also easy to clean but can chip, crack, or break more easily.