What Is The Best Thing About Using Raised Cat Bowls?

Why use a raised cat bowl for your cat? Raised cat bowls are recommended for the reasons indicated below:

1. Raised cat bowls means there is less pressure placed on the cat’s joints and muscles because they do not need to bend down to floor level in order to reach food bowls. This is particularly relevant for senior cats or if your cat has arthritis, an illness or injury, as it may be painful to crouch to reach food.
   
   
2. Cat owners who have physical mobility issues, will find it considerably easier to pick up a bowl that is raised even several inches from floor level.
   
   
3. For some breeds of cats, with flat faces, it can be difficult to access food from a bowl on the floor. Ideally bowls for these kitties will be wider and flatter than usual.

Contents
Reasons For Choosing A Raised Cat Bowl
Signs Your Older Cat Needs A Raised Cat Bowl
Senior Cats and Raised Cat Bowls
1. Y YHY Raised Cat Food Bowls
2. Neater Feeder Express Pet Bowls
3. PetFusion Premium Anodized Aluminum Feeder

Reasons For Choosing A Raised Cat Bowl

• Cats eat in a crouch by nature, so avoid using a feeding platform that is too high.
  

• The height of the bowl or box (platform) – The ideal height should be around 4 – 6 inches. Our platform box is 4” high, but it will depend on the size of your cat.
  Cats should be eating in a semi crouch position.
  

• How many cats do you have?
  More than one feeding platform may be required or if the platform has multiple bowls, more that one cat could share the same platform.
  

• What is the feeding platform made from? – Will it be easy to clean?  This is important. Practicality will win any day.
  Make sure that it will be easy to wipe down and that the bowls can be easily be removed for cleaning.  
  

• Are the bowls a standard size so that they can  be replaced if or when the need arises?
  

• Can the raised feeding platform be knocked over or easily pushed? Make sure that the platform is not too lightweight or your kitty may push it around while eating. Can it be easily knocked over by a toddler or a dog?
  

• Check the depth of the bowls as this may almost negate the benefit gained from the height aspect.  Make sure that the bowls are not too deep. If kitty has to bend his head right into the bowl, the bowls may be too deep.
  

• As mentioned earlier, if your kitty is a breed that has a flat face (no offense intended here kitty), ensure that the raised cat bowls are reasonably flat and shallow. This also applies to cats that have problems eating because of whisker fatigue. Check the image below for reference.

What Are The Signs Your Cat Needs A Raised Cat Bowl?

1.Your cat is a senior and crouching has become difficult

2.Your cat has arthritis or other medical conditions that make crouching potentially painful

3.Your cat is a messy eater

4.Your cat likes to tip the water bowl or knock food bowls over (shock horror, some kitties do this)

5.Your cat routinely picks up cat food and then drops it on the floor

6. Flat faced cat breeds like Persians, Exotic Shorthairs, and Scottish Folds have short snouts, which can make eating from a traditional bowl uncomfortable.
A raised cat bowl helps by reducing neck strain and making it easier for them to reach their food without squishing their face into the bowl. It also improves digestion and prevents whisker fatigue, making mealtime far more comfortable.

Senior Cats and Raised Cat Bowls

Our senior cat was finding it difficult to crouch to floor level to reach his food bowls. In addition, our hardwood floors made it difficult for him to get any purchase with his hind legs.

As there is a slight raised edge to the box, the bowl cannot be pushed over the edge, plus the liner helps to keep the bowl in place.

Taking into consideration, the non slip mat underneath the box, the raised edge of the box and the non slip liner in the top of the box it is all extremely stable and doesn’t move at all when being used.

Does your senior cat have bad teeth? Having bad teeth and needing higher food bowls are just some of the things we need to think about as a cat ages.

Makes sure that your senior cat with bad teeth is getting the food that he needs to maintain good health through old age.

There are many practical solutions for cat feeding platforms and options to suit all sizes and cat breeds.
Some raised cat bowls are single bowls and some have a platform with double bowls.
You need to work out what will be best raised cat bowl solution for your situation.
We have shown some of the popular types of raised cat bowls below.

1. Y YHY Raised Cat Food Bowls

The raised stand is designed to protect the cat’s neck and make eating easier. It is based on the fact that cats are natural crouch eaters. It is far easier for them to eat from a raised bowl than from one that is flat on the floor.

The base of this raised cat bowl is wide, making this bowl stable.

This raised cat bowl is absolutely perfect for flat faced cat breeds, and the width of the bowl takes into account whisker fatigue.

This bowl is ceramic, which is convenient as it can be put in the microwave and dishwasher if desired.

If cats could speak, they would say that they love this bowl. It is the perfect eating height and makes it comfortable for the cat to eat.

2. Neater Feeder Express Pet Bowls

As seen in the photo, the Neater Feeder raised cat bowl stand has a guard around the rear and sides of the feeding platform, making it ideal for messy eaters. Even the smaller guard at the front will help to contain any wet food or kibble spills.

Also, if any liquid is spilled, it flows to the front of the feeder, where there is a grate that leads to a catchment area that sits underneath the feeder. So there will be no soggy kibble or canned food mixed with water. This is an excellent design idea.

There is space for two bowls, so the choice is yours as to whether it is suitable for water and wet food or wet food and kibble, and so on. Many cats prefer to have their water bowl located away from their eating area.

If you prefer to have the water bowl elsewhere, the two bowls in the feeder can be used on a rotating basis. While one is in the dishwasher, there is a clean one ready to use.

Read this review from the owner of a messy eater.

Some people have commented that this could affect the non slip feet and that it is easy to wash the unit in soapy water when needed.

The Neater Feeder is made in the USA. The stainless steel bowls are made in India.

 3. PetFusion Premium Anodized Aluminium Feeder

The shorter 4 inch raised pet feeder shown in the image is the height that is suitable for cats. The included bowls are stainless steel. The stand is anodized aluminum. This is a definition of anodizing from anodizing.org

Anodizing is an electrochemical process that converts the metal surface into a decorative, durable, corrosion-resistant, anodic oxide finish. 

Anodized aluminium is a highly practical finish for a raised pet feeding platform that is likely to get water and food spills and need cleaning and wiping. The 3 bowls included are made of US food-grade stainless steel: 2 bowls with a capacity of 3 cups and 1 shallow bowl (1.1″), holding 13 oz. The bowls are also available separately, which is always a good thing.

The PetFusion Premium feeder has anti-slip feet and anti-slip bowl inserts, so the bowl will not be rattling around inside the feeder, and your cat will not be pushing this pet feeder around the floor. This is definitely a quality product. The aluminum is easy to clean with a quick wipe and has no water spots.

This is a link to the most recent up to date reviews that includes all reviews, positive and critical.

Some people have commented on the bowl size for a cat as being large.

I have always used this size bowl for the cat and actually prefer to use a bowl that is a little bigger rather than piling up a bowl that is too small.

However, if your preference is for a shallower bowl, there is always the opportunity to purchase another shallow bowl or use a different bowl with the same circumference dimensions that would fit the unit.

Here are some more raised cat bowls.