The best cat bowls for fussy eaters

The best cat bowls to keep your pet healthy and happy.

Best Cat Bowls

by Natalie Knowles |
Updated on

As mindful pet parents, attention should be paid to the best cat bowls for your feline to eat and drink from. We care for our kitties and give them the best cat food that we can afford. How the food is served can be a stress trigger that's overlooked, and it's easily remedied by finding the right cat bowl - whichever their preference.

If you're gifting, you may love the idea of a personalised bowl that has your pet's name on it in fun and cute lettering. Ultimately, every cat has needs that change over time. If your kitten is turning into an adolescent, it may be time to upgrade their dish. Equally, older cats can benefit from senior cat chow in a more ergonomic bowl. So much more than old saucers, we'll guide you through some excellent options, including the best value ceramic cat bowls to high-tech automatic feeders for weight management.

So, what type of bowl is best for cats? Firstly, notice how your cat eats and their preferences for dry or wet cat food. Messy eaters may benefit from a non-slip bowl. Sensitive whiskers are an issue for some cats, offer them a shallow and wide bowl and they'll find eating a lot more comfortable. For cats with neck problems or reflux issues, it's worth trying an elevated bowl to alleviate any discomfort.

The best cat bowls at a glance:

Best cat bowl for weight management: SureFeed Connected Pet Feeder with Hub - View offer on Argos
Best personalised cat bowl: Mary Fellows Personalised Cat Bowl - View offer on Not On The High Street
Best cat bowls for digestion: Tiled and Elevated Cat Food Water Bowls - View offer on Amazon UK
Best value cat bowl: SHINE Stainless Steel Fish Double Diner - View offer on Amazon UK

For greedy moggies who scoff their meals, try dry cat food in a puzzle feeder and turn dinner into a game. A separate water bowl is also essential for cats, they have a very sensitive taste and dislike their water being tainted with the taste of food. For hygiene and cleaning, stainless steel and ceramic bowls are best. With this in mind, we've found the best cat bowls for your lucky little fur baby.

The best cat bowls for fussy eaters

Best cat bowl for weight management

Surefeed's pet feeder is a high-tech solution if you have more than one pet. The sensor detects when your cat is at the bowl by microchip, and it only opens for them. You can monitor how much they are eating and set portion control. SureFeed Connected Pet Feeder with Hub is a great option for weight management.

Customer review: "If my cat could speak, he would say thank you as now he gets to eat his food and the dog doesn't. The whole product is solid and easy to set up. The sensor opens when my cat is close to the bowl."

Pros

  • Insight into your cat's feeding behaviour
  • Great for multiple pet households
  • Easy to set up
  • Microchip or fob-activated

Cons

  • Battery powered
  • Takes a cat some getting used to

Best personalised cat bowl

Put your cat's name on their very own bowl in this fun lettering by Mary Fellows. Reviews have commented that the product photos are very representative of what they received. It's wonderful to treat your cat to a bowl that's a little more unique. Buying this Personalised Cat Bowl is supporting an independent small business too.

Customer review: "Really cute design, was a gift for a new cat owner and they loved it."

Pros

  • Dishwasher safe
  • Perfect for gifting
  • Sturdy material

Cons

  • Sticker design
  • Some reviews suggest the colour is slightly more brown than beige

Best cat bowls for digestion

Two cat bowls, a silicone bowl mat and a cat food spoon comprise this set, with options to buy the bowls individually. The Tiled and Elevated Cat Food Water Bowls provide a stable base, and the mat is non-slip. The bowls can be filled with up to 450g of cat food and 420 ml of water. The spoon measures 50g servings which is useful for portion control. The bowls are suitable for kittens. A tilted bowl aids swallowing and food digestion, it also reduces the stress on cats with neck and back problems.

Customer review: "Love these quirky food bowls. My cat gets regular upper respiratory tract infections, and I thought the raised, curved eating position might help."

Pros

  • Easier for cats to reach their food
  • Colourful designs
  • Easy to clean - clever drainage holes

Cons

  • Slide around without a mat
  • Legs are awkward to attach

Best value cat bowl

Hygienic and dishwasher safe, these stainless-steel bowls hold 180ml of food and water. The simple design of this Stainless Steel Fish Double Diner offers a no-gimmicks solution to elevated cat bowls. Especially good value for money and still an opportunity to spoil the kitty.

Customer review: "Good quality but much smaller than I thought."

Pros

  • Elevated for your cat's comfort when eating
  • Fit in any style kitchen
  • Ideal size for smaller cats

Cons

  • Frame can be flimsy

Best slow-feed bowl for cats

This amazing Bamboo Slow Feeder Cat Bowl has been designed by vets. It's much bigger than a standard cat bowl and makes mealtimes a mission. Some cats can eat too quickly and suffer from choking, bloating and vomiting. This wonderful bowl turns dinner into a game, which is not at all stressful to the cat. The bowl is made from sustainable bamboo fibre and rice husks.

Customer review: "This is a fantastic bowl. Beautiful quality. Our 18-year-old cat needs a big help in slowing down and shifting some worrying eating habits she has developed. It will be a process, but she is slowly adapting to the new bowl."

Pros

  • Slow down the rate at which your cat eats
  • Eco-friendly bamboo
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Some reviews have commented that the bowl is too big and difficult for small cats and kittens

Best stainless-steel cat bowls

These Stainless Steel Non-Slip and Leak-Proof Cat Food Bowls are excellent for keeping your moggies' meals separate if you have more than one cat in your household. More so, if they're frenetic felines, these stainless-steel bowls are durable, anti-skid and leak-proof.

Customer review: "The base has a non-slip rubber covering around the rim which works really well and best of all it actually comes off very easily for cleaning. The bowls wash very easily, the smooth stainless steel helps with that. Not much else to really comment on, my cats like them so therefore I highly recommend them."

Pros

  • Stainless steel is durable
  • Resists bacteria
  • Great value for money

Cons

  • Some reviews commented that the colour lacquer has worn off in the dishwasher

Best eco-friendly cat bowl

Beco Cat Bowl

Rrp: $12.99

Price: $10.95

Made with 62 per cent plant-based materials, the Beco cat bowl is both stylish and eco-friendly. It's a wide and shallow bowl, which cats with sensitive whiskers will prefer to eat from. Available in three lovely colours, reviews have commented on this bowl's durability. Made from bamboo and rice husks, the Beco cat bowl is a wonderful product with top marks for form, function, value and sustainability.

Customer review: "We have had a lot of cats and cat bowls over 40+ years, these are the best ever! The bowls are sturdy, have weight so do not move around (plus little rubber feet) and are well designed. Although the sides are high enough to hold their food, they are low enough to allow easy access to kittens and the clever scooped-away shape minimises the annoying interference with their whiskers suffered from some bowls."

Pros

  • Low rim is more comfortable for cats with sensitive whiskers
  • Better for dry food
  • Dishwasher friendly
  • Made from bamboo

Cons

  • Cats can create a mess because the rim is low, food gets pushed out of the bowl

Best raised bowl for cats

Raised Cat Bowls with Stand

Rrp: $14.99

Price: $9.99

The ergonomic design of these Raised Cat Bowls with Stand is intended to reduce the strain on your cat's neck when they bend down to eat. This helps to limit vomiting and makes eating easier for elderly cats. This product includes two bowls, tilted at a 15-degree angle, a stand and a pet food scoop. Aesthetically, it's a very stylish design and the reviews have praised its functionality too.

Customer review: "Got this for our senior cat, as he was struggling to eat from normal bowls. We heard that standing bowls like this would be better for a cat's digestion, so we got him these. And honestly - they've been great! He got used to them immediately and doesn't struggle with eating anymore."

Pros

  • Reduces reflux
  • Tilted raised design
  • Aesthetically pleasing

Cons

  • Difficult to separate the bowls from the base to clean
  • Plastic

Best shallow cat bowl

Mason Cash Cat Saucer
Price: $15.88
Alternative retailers
Walmart$14.92View offer

This pretty cream cat saucer is heavy ceramic, so won't slip if a hungry cat is over-zealous when eating. It's made from quality stoneware that is dishwasher, microwave and freezer-proof. Cats with sensitive whiskers will find it more comfortable to eat from a wide and shallow dish. With an adorable paw design, this Mason Cash Cat Saucer is a really super durable and reliable cat bowl that's just purrfect in every way.

Customer review: "I was looking for a stable and strong dish for my kittens, as they were tipping over their little dish all the time. It wide enough to put food, but shallow for them to reach the food."

Pros

  • Dishwasher-safe
  • Heavy and sturdy
  • Shallow so less whisker fatigue

Cons

  • Could break if dropped

Take A Break Pet's Verdict

For sheer cuteness, durability and ergonomic design with the comfort of your cat in mind, the Navari Cat Bowls get our paw of approval. Melamine makes them less breakable than a ceramic dish whilst still being dishwasher safe. The non-slip feet and raised bowl help to improve messy eaters and Navari has factored in whisker fatigue to the design, opting for a wide and shallow bowl. Serve your feline friend a three-course meal with a separate dish for water, meat and kibble.

We also praise the Mason Cash Cat Saucer for its value for money and simplicity. A stoneware bowl is naturally heavy so won't slip. It can be washed at a high temperature in a dishwasher so it's long-lasting and hygienic. This is a classic wide and shallow cat bowl which would be a gorgeous and practical pressie for your feline queen.

FAQs

What are the benefits of puzzle feeders for cats?

Puzzle feeders enact some of the challenges that cats instinctively need to feel - it's like they've worked for their treat. It also slows down their eating which is better for their digestion. In addition to balls that deliver treats, some bowls have a raised maze inside them, with the challenge of using paws and tongues to work the food out of the raised grooves.

What is the best cat bowl for my cat to drink from?

A wide ceramic, metal or glass bowl is recommended by Cats Protection as the best water bowl for cats. Plastic can taint the taste of the water and cats don't like that. It's also advised that the water bowl is positioned separately from the food bowl and litter tray.

Natalie Knowles is a Homes & Garden Product Writer for Take A Break Pets, specialising in all things cats and dogs. In her other life, Natalie is a successful artist and illustrator.

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