What is the difference between dog and cat bowls?

March 17, 2023
Dog Food Container
A bowl for canned food and goodies

Wet food in a bowl

When choosing bowls for the cat or dog, its owner seeks to take into account the needs of the pet in order to make food intake for him comfortable and safe. The assortment of the produced dishes for animals is extensive, but not every best storage container is worthy of the attention of the caring owner.

What bowls does a cat need?

In most cases, if the cat feeds on ready-made industrial feeds, it needs 3 bowls:

  • Water bowl;
  • A bowl for dry food;
  • A bowl for canned food and goodies.

If the cat is on the nutrition of natural foods, then the size of the “service” can be larger, since the range of food served is more diverse.

Cat bowls

Of the auxiliary objects that allow you to add the convenience of feeding the cat, you should consider:

  • An anti-slip rug for bowls is needed to increase the stability of the bowl, which makes eating feed more convenient, the process is silent, surrounding space cleaner;
  • A stand for a bowl – it can be very helpful:
    • When feeding cats of large breeds-main cunning, ragdollov, as it avoids tension of the neck muscles when eating feed from low dishes;
    Bowls for a cat on a stand

    It will be convenient to eat large cats from the bowls on the stand

    What is the food container for

    Many owners have already evaluated the advantages of using a food container, since not all manufacturers supply packaging with dry feed packets, and certainly do not have the so-called “brider” packaging for purchase.

    Food containers are usually a plastic, tightly closing container designed for storage. Containers differ in capacity and external dimensions, are used both for storing dry food and wet – in the refrigerator. Food plastic containers are made.

    The main advantages of the container include:

    • Ease of storage of food – they are equipped with lids, and some even dispensers, large containers can have wheels to facilitate their movement;
    • Aesthetic appearance;
    • Obstruction of feed pollution;
    • The impossibility of excessive eating food by a particularly voracious pet;
    • Lack of excess moisture, and therefore mold in the stern;
    • Preservation of the attractiveness of dry food for a cat;
    • The convenience of storage of wet food, because after opening a jar or a dog food storage container with food, their contents can be moved to a container suitable for storage in the refrigerator.

    The container partially protects the food from the adverse effects of the air, slowing down the oxidation process, but at the same time it is not absolutely tight, therefore, choosing a container for storage, you should focus on the volume of feed consumed by a cat in 1 month, since with longer storage it is likely to burn outstern.

    In addition to a large container for storing the main volume of feed, you can have 1-2 small containers for storing canned remains and goodies in the refrigerator.

    Food containers are not at all necessary to buy. They are very often played out in the sales shares of feed manufacturers both in online stores and at retail points. All my containers are obtained in this way; They are completely different in quality – in the best I keep food, in those that are worse – soil for plants. Particularly interested parties can clarify the conditions for obtaining a cherished container on the website of the feed manufacturer. Very often, the container is given when buying a high-quality “starter” – feed for puppies and kittens. Often, the owners of large dogs are “bonus” with small and unnecessary containers who are just suitable for cats.

    Care for the container is very simple – after the feed ends, the container is washed with warm water with ordinary soap and is thoroughly dried. It is impossible to fall asleep fresh food into a container with signs of moisture.

    Video: Using a food container

    Types of bowls and containers

    You can choose the optimal bowls for the cat, guided by a number of its characteristics:

    • The shape of the bowls is usually found:
      • Round, most ergonomic and light for care; Particularly convenient bowls that have the shape of a truncated cone – expanding downwards, since this gives them additional stability;
      • Rectangular – useful for cats with a particularly long mustache
      • Designing bowls are often very beautiful and attractive; When choosing such a bowl, you should pay attention to the convenience of its use by a cat, as well as how easy it will be to wash;
      • Double bowls can be convenient if there is a need to feed two cats at the same time; In other cases, you should pay attention to how much the bowls are distant from each other in order to avoid the food in the water, as well as to whether it is possible to wash each bowl separately (i. E. Is it possible to disassemble the structure);
      Two cats eat from double bowls

      Twin bowls are convenient for feeding two cats at the same time; at the same time, if you put food and water in them at the same time, it will lead to water pollution

      cat eating wet food

      It is convenient for a cat to eat wet food from small and wide dishes

      Cat next to ceramic bowls on a stand

      The benchmark for making cat bowls is ceramics

      • Plastic is a porous material in which small food particles are easily retained and microflora abundantly grows, falling into the bowl both from the external environment and from the cat’s oral cavity, it is unrealistic to ensure the required hygienic cleanliness of such a best storage container, especially if it has been in operation for a long time, and this increases the riskthe occurrence of acne and eosinophilic granuloma in a cat, gingivitis and stomatitis may also occur in a pet, infection migration through the Eustachian tube can contribute to the development of otitis media; existing foci of chronic infection deplete the immune system and threaten the health of the cat;
      • Plastic is not a chemically inert material, and it is impossible to reliably know what it is made of, therefore, the impurities that the cat will receive when eating from plastic dishes will also remain a secret, but it is quite obvious that this will not add health to the pet;
      • Plastic contributes to the accumulation of static electricity, which cats of long-haired breeds will definitely not appreciate;
      • Plastic bowls are light, so the cat often turns them over, can use them as a toy and drag them around the house – but this is the least evil.

      Photo gallery: bowls and food containers

      How to choose the best bowl

      bowl should increase with its growth

      How to wash a dog food container often
      When choosing a bowl, they are guided by the individual characteristics of the cat. Matter:

      • A single portion of food: it is obvious that for a large cat the bowl will be larger, while the size of the kitten’s bowl should increase with its growth; larger bowls can contribute to overfeeding a pet by a loving owner, since not everyone can put a half-empty bowl in front of an adored cat;
      • The structure of the cat’s muzzle: cats of brachycephalic breeds (Persian, Himalayan, British) require smaller bowls than cats with a normal skull structure;
      • Size of the cat’s whiskers: often cats experience discomfort when their whiskers come into contact with the edges of the dishes, as is the case with the use of narrow and deep bowls; in some cases, this forces the cat to leave part of the food uneaten, as well as throw food out of the bowl with its paws and eat it from the floor, so the minimum allowable size of the bowl should exceed the size of the cat’s muzzle, taking into account the length of his whiskers;
      cat eats dry food

      With a small bowl, the cat’s whiskers can touch its edges, which irritates the pet.

      Video: choosing a bowl

      How to care for cat utensils?

      The cat’s dishes are washed with warm or hot water using ordinary soap without fragrances, since the smell of chemical flavors, subtle by the human sense of smell, can spoil the cat’s appetite for a long time. The water bowl is washed daily, on hot days – twice a day, as the rate of reproduction of bacteria in the water increases. Food bowls are washed after each meal.

      If you have a bowl mat or rack, wipe them down with a damp cloth every day as they become contaminated with food particles and cat saliva.

      place that is easily accessible

      Ceramic and steel bowls can be loaded into the dishwasher and, if necessary, exposed to disinfectant solutions.

      How and where is it better to put the bowl

      Bowls are best placed in a place that is easily accessible to the cat, as well as for cleaning, but at the same time not on the aisle. The cat should be able to eat in a calm and safe environment. The location of the bowls should be constant.

      It is important to ensure that the water bowl is never empty, and the remains of wet food, on the contrary, do not linger in the cat’s dishes, as this can cause food poisoning.

      Video: cat bowls

      Owner reviews of bowls and containers

      Recently I decided to update the bowls of a cat and a dog. Therefore, I decided to take something of high quality and good. For the cat, my choice was the Trixie stainless steel bowl. The bowls are made very well, there are no scars, everything is smooth, the cat will not be scratched. They are made of stainless steel, so cleaning them is very convenient and easy. They do not absorb odors, which is also very good. I wash them after every meal with a cat and just pour water into them. Since they are not very large, I put food in 2 bowls, then also water. My cat eats porridge, so I have to impose it at 2. If you feed the cat with dry food, then one bowl is enough for her at one time.

      Use ceramic bowls only for pleasure! The bowl is heavy and the cat does not drag it around the kitchen, as it did with light plastic bowls. It is very easy to wash and keep clean. It does not lose its appearance over time, the paint does not peel off, the pattern does not rub off. Near the plate it became much cleaner, the food is not so scattered around the bowl. Strong, fell a couple of times on the tile, nothing broke off anywhere. The bowl is roomy. Does not absorb unpleasant odors.

      We used to hide food and toys in a bedside table in the corridor, but the cat learned to open it, and besides, he scratched the wooden door of the cabinet. When I saw the Pets container, I decided to order it, hoping for salvation from playful cat paws. The container is made of durable plastic. It’s glossy on the inside so it’s easy to clean. Outside, the plastic is mostly matte, with glossy stripes on the sides and a lid. The handle is also thought out – it has a corrugation along the bottom, and therefore it will not slip out even from wet hands. The most important thing is the fastener on the lid. It is simple but very comfortable. To open, pull the lid slightly towards you and lift it up. The impermeability of food aromas through the container is of great importance for me – both the food itself and the smell in the kitchen remain fresh. In addition to food, I put the cat’s toys in the container, leaving 1-2 things for him to play with.

      Dishes for a cat must be of high quality. Priority is given to ceramic bowls, as well as bowls made of surgical steel. It is not worth risking your pet’s health and feeding him from plastic dishes. When choosing dishes, you should focus on both the individual and the breed characteristics of the cat. The shape and size of the bowl is important. Bowls must be kept clean, as the health of the cat depends on it. There are many dishes for animals, but items worthy of belonging to a cat should be chosen carefully.

Shanna Derrick About Author

Author of dog food articles with a deep understanding of healthy dog nutrition.

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