One way to determine the ideal height of your raised bowl is by making sure there are about 4-6 inches between the floor and the top of the bowl when it's filled with food or water. This height is excellent because it allows your cat to eat or drink food and water without bending down too far.
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.
Elevated cat water bowls and food bowls are a good idea, they help to reduce the chance of indigestion, vomiting, and choking, as well as improve your cat's way of standing at the time of eating food. An elevated cat bowl should never be used as a treatment for gastrointestinal issues in cats.
"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.
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.
In Summary, Stainless Steel is the Best Type of Cat Bowl
Unlike plastic and ceramic, bacteria from leftover food and saliva cannot enter stainless steel's hard surface, so stainless steel cat bowls are more sanitary. They are also more durable and easier to clean.
In most cases, dogs or cats do not need an elevated bowl – and elevated bowls do not (as some suggest) reduce the risk of bloat, a life-threatening emergency in dogs that can cause gastric torsion.
【TILT ANGLE DESIGN & LESS MESS】The tilted cat food bowl keeps food piled nicely or falls to the center, it helps keep the food from being pushed off the bowl, easy for your cat to eat; Adding an inner lip to cat bowls makes the food or water will not get all over the floor, thus there will be less mess for you to have ...
The bowl causes "whisker stress."
Whiskers are special "Tactile hairs" called vibrissae with extremely sensitive follicles. These sensitive whiskers compensate for a cat's poor eyesight.
Raised feeders are often used for dogs, especially those prone to bloat, but they can also be great for cats. In fact, when given the choice between raised level or floor level dining, our cats always choose the former.
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.
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.
Find a quiet place.
If there's lots of noise and footfall around where your cat's food and water bowls are located, it could leave them feeling too uncomfortable to eat or drink. Try and find somewhere in your home that's less busy. A quiet hallway is a good place, or maybe a spare room that isn't used.
Some cats may prefer an elevated cat bowl, while others prefer a traditional floor-level bowl. The only way to determine which style of bowl is more comfortable for your cat is to offer both options and see which style of bowl your cat gravitates towards.
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.
When asking yourself, “Should I raise my cat's food dish?” the answer is most likely yes. Even if your cat doesn't have an issue with vomiting or other indigestion, a raised food bowl is going to benefit them regardless.
"Cats have the instinctual behavior of eliminating away from their core living area and then burying their waste so they don't alert predators to their presence," explains Pam Johnson-Bennett, CCBC, author and owner of Cat Behavior Associates and member of Daily Paws' Advisory Board.
The Best Option: Pet Platters!
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.
Give your cat a clean cat food bowl EVERY SINGLE DAY - either wash your cat's bowl daily or have extra bowls on hand. If your cat is on a raw food diet, consider giving your cat a clean bowl after each use. Change your cat's water each day and swap out your cat's water bowl daily or at least every 2 days.
When your cat's bowl is always full of food, she may overeat. That can lead to obesity and diabetes. Measuring her food and having several scheduled mealtimes per day are better ways to feed your cat.
If the water bowl is too small or deep, the whiskers can get squished when the cat lowers her head for a drink. To avoid this discomfort, a cat may learn it's easier to just dip a paw in the water. Ensure your cat's water bowl allows for whisker comfort by using one wide enough to accommodate those long whiskers.
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.
Slapping at the water dish is a way for cats to get their water moving a bit, which makes them feel more comfortable about drinking it. If your cat bats at the water in her bowl before getting a drink and likes to climb on the counter to drink water out of the tap when you turn it on, this might be the reason.