Should I Elevate My Cat’s Food Bowl? What You Need To Know

The use of raised cat food dishes is a growing trend. But is it really better to use raised bowls? Should I elevate my cat’s food bowl? Yes, a slightly elevated dish, which is closer to her mouth, makes eating easier for your cat. In order to lessen your cat’s stress on its neck and back, Indigestion, and Vomiting, veterinarians now suggest switching to raised cat food plates. Undoubtedly, some cat owners simply adore the way raised bowls appear.

Think about eating while squirming on the ground. Isn’t that unpleasant? It’s the same for your cat as it is for humans; if our necks hurt and we were stooped over, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy our meal as much! Cats have four legs, yet eating from a higher bowl is still far more enjoyable and cosy. In this essay, I’ll go over all the benefits of elevated cat feeders in detail, as well as the reasons you might want to make the move.

Should I Elevate My Cat’s Food Bowl? What Are the Benefits of Elevated Cat Food and Water Bowls?

Your cat will benefit more from using higher food and water dishes for a variety of reasons. For example, lessen neck strain, lower the chance of Indigestion and Vomiting, and avoid contaminated food. You, the cat owner, also have some benefits! An elevated cat feeding station may also make it simpler for elderly or disabled cat owners to pick up the dish when food is being refilled.

1. Reduces Indigestion

Cats frequently have indigestion, which is nearly usually brought on by where their food dish is positioned. Indigestion is the term used to describe stomach pain in people, which is often described as an aching or burning sensation. Even though cats are unable to communicate their dyspepsia, veterinarians presume that it feels the same.

Your cat may show outward indications of dyspepsia in addition to this interior pain. The two most prevalent symptoms are bloating and nausea, while other signs include changes in your cat’s appetite, such as an increase or decrease.

2. Reduce Vomiting

Additionally, cats who have their food dishes on the ground have a higher frequency of Vomiting. This is all because cats’ mouths are lower than their stomachs, so when they eat or drink from bowls that are placed on the ground, they have to resist gravity.

You will frequently need to clean up after your cat as the cat’s owner, which is both tiresome and unsettling. If your cat throws up their meal, it will lose out on vital nutrients from its diet, which can make them miserable and ill.

3. Reduce mess

The utilisation of elevated cat feeders will benefit you as the owners in a few other ways as well. Cats find it challenging to play with their food or water by inserting their paws into raised cat bowls. As a consequence, there won’t be as much food and water splashing in your cat’s feeding area.

Raised cat bowls are harder for cats to dip their paws into and are also harder to entirely collapse over. Again, the height prevents your cat from pressing against the edge, which would otherwise cause the bowls to tumble, so this is another reason. Because of their weight, ceramic bowls are also great if you’re concerned about spills because they’re difficult to shift and tilt.

4. Improves Posture

Usually, food and water bowls are placed on the ground. Then, if your cat wants to eat or drink, it must stretch its front legs and bend its neck down into its bowls. As a result, their spine starts to curve, which might eventually result in poor Posture. Think about how awful our Posture may get if we sit at a desk all day! 

5. Prevents Contamination of Food

Another important, though occasionally overlooked, the benefit of elevated cat dishes is that they keep the food off of the dirt and dust found on the ground. Even if your house is spotless, dust and other particles may always get up on the floor. 

In addition to being nasty, food contamination might be bad for your cat. If they consume hazardous bacteria or germs, they might get sick. They could stop eating or drinking if they see pollution in their bowls, which could indicate that they aren’t getting enough nutrients from their food or water to be healthy.

6. Encourages Healthy Eating

Because of the discomfort and suffering it causes them, such as a stiff neck, backache, indigestion, and bloating, many cats refuse to eat from a food bowl that is at ground level. Therefore, many cats will undereat or drink insufficiently while feeding or drinking from the ground level. Elevated cat feeders help to allay these worries by eliminating the cause, so your cat will stop associating feeding and drinking with discomfort. They’ll be motivated to eat and drink till they’re full.

7. Helps Elderly Owners

The form of the bowl has the advantage of giving you more surface area to grab onto, which makes lifting easier. In addition, because the bowls are higher, it is easy for you to crouch down and pick them up. The elderly or those with disabilities who find it difficult to bend down low may not find this to be a significant issue for many owners, but they will cherish this benefit considerably. 

Find Out: Should I Leave Food Out For My Cat At Night?

Tips – How Should I Choose the Best Elevated Cat Feeder?

Although we’ll talk about the advantages of expanding your cat’s feeder, it’s vital to remember that this isn’t the only thing to consider. Each cat is different and has specific needs, personality quirks, personality characteristics, and preferences that may all influence the accessories you choose for them. For this reason, cat guardians should become familiar with the personality and quirks of their feline charges before choosing toys and accessories for their feline charges. 

When choosing the best cat feeder for you, take into account the following:

1. Size and Age

When selecting accessories and toys for your cat, keep in mind its size and age. The ideal food dish for a large, strong cat, like the Maine Coon breed, will be larger than most because cat feeders are sometimes designed for smaller animals. Because of its age, a kitten needs a smaller, shallower dish to eat from it peacefully. 

One breed known for having a shorter nose is several kinds of Persian cats. Since they can exert pressure on their heads and lead them to often dirty their faces, these cat breeds typically find eating from tiny bowls to be rather uncomfortable.

2. Breed of Cat

Your cat’s breed may have an impact on the elevated cat dish that is best for it. This is done so that the breed-based face form of your cat may be anticipated.

For example, Persian cats may struggle to eat and drink and have flatter features than the majority of other breeds. The best option for feeding these cats is a shallow, wide elevated cat feeder with space for their faces. Furthermore, tilted cat food bowls could make it easier to sip and eat.

3. Diet of Cats

Cat food is often compact and fits within the dish. If you wish to feed your cat a BARF diet, which is focused on consuming raw animal-based food, the heavier food will generally need a bigger dish.

4. Material of Cat Feeders

Cat feeders should be made of durable, impermeable material. We advise getting your cat one. These objects benefit the cat in a number of ways, are more durable, and are easier to maintain. Plastic food bowls are less costly and simpler to clean, but they can absorb smells and aggravate cats.

The feeder’s material can be the fault if your cat develops black patches on its chin. Cat water and food bowls made of glass and ceramic are hypoallergenic and don’t absorb unpleasant odours, but they are more fragile and more prone to break. Because they are easy to clean and shouldn’t be harmful to the cat’s health, the best feeders are frequently constructed of stainless steel.

Elevated Cat Bowls VS Elevated Cat Feeders?

Although “elevated cat bowls,” “elevated cat feeders,” and “feeding stations” are sometimes used interchangeably, they relate to two different items.

Simple cat bowls with a higher lip are what are known as elevated cat bowls. These bowls will be made of an upside-down bowl that is set atop a stand. For easier cleaning, some bowls can be removed from the stand; for others, the stand will just serve as an extension of the base.

Contrarily, cat feeders are composed of two bowls that are attached to an elevated stand. Additionally, since you can immediately grip the stand rather than struggling with the flat surface of the bowl, these are simpler to pick up off the ground.

But if you want to raise your cat’s food and water bowls, I suggest selecting two distinct elevated cat bowls. Cats naturally dislike standing water because it can be a source of disease and pollution near food in the wild. It is, therefore, preferable to place your cat’s food and water bowls in separate locations throughout your home.

Can I Make a DIY Cat Feeding Station?

The benefits of carrying out this are identical to those of buying an elevated cat feeder. In reality, DIY cat feeding stations may be better since you can completely adjust the height of the bowls, and they are tailored to your cat specifically.

They are also very easy to make! You need a cat’s bowl, a circular dowel rod, an old cutting board, an electric drill, four screws, a tape measure, sandpaper, and a saw are the only tools needed. You may acquire the remaining items from your local hardware store. As soon as you have all of your materials and equipment ready, just carry out the following steps:

• To start, sand the whole surface of the cutting board to get rid of any sharp wood pieces or splinters that may be sticking out.
• Put your dishes where you want them on the cutting board, then draw a pencil outline around them. Remember to leave a small gap between the two servings and approximately an inch or so around the border. In each circle, make a small hole.
• After using your saw to remove the circles from the cutting board, sand the edges to make them smooth.
• Determine the base of the bowls by inserting them into the holes so that they cradle them, and then decide how long to cut the feeder‘s legs. For instance, the feeder’s legs would need to be 5.5″ long if the bowl protruded 0.5″ below the cutting board and you wanted to raise the bowls 5″ off the ground.
• The cutting board’s base was secured with screws after the legs of the round dowel rod were measured, cut, and assembled.

Because it will be impossible for your cat to relocate the feeder while it is in use, this is great for protecting your floor. Cutting boards with an edge ridge are also the best option since they can catch any stray cat food! It’s crucial to remember that this only works for bowls with a slight top-to-base width discrepancy. It will all fit through the aperture if you insert the bowl into the feeder in a different way.

The Bottom Line on Should I Elevate My Cat’s Food Bowl?

Consider all of the drawbacks and potential benefits listed before increasing your cat’s food bowl. Their health and sense of cleanliness will also improve if they have an appropriate platform for their bowls. Their joints will feel a great deal less strain because of the higher bowls. Keep a watch out for any adjustments so you can judge their prospective worth.

So, in response to your inquiry, yes! Cats benefit greatly from elevated water and food bowls. They can improve your cat’s Posture and reduce the risk of choking, Vomiting, and indigestion. The older cats stand to benefit the most, as drinking from typical cat bowls may strain their weaker joints. Additionally, the clutter is less, which is an advantage for you. Of course, you will also feel great comfort knowing that your cat will be happier, healthier, and happier.