I’m Just Here For The Food …

Dogs and cats don’t necessarily seem to care where they eat or what they eat from — but their bowls and dishes tend to matter more to the pet owners.

There are lots of choices when it comes to choosing your pets’ dining equipment. Plastic, ceramic, glass, stainless steel, silicone; single diner, double diner, raised diner, not to mention the slow-it-down diners.

When choosing a dish for either your cat or your dog, look for one that is easy to clean. You can scrub it by hand in hot, soapy water or just run it through the dishwasher, but the both the food and water dishes need frequent, if not daily, sanitation. This is particularly important if you are feeding a raw diet. Stainless steel and ceramic bowls can be your best choice for easy cleaning, and stainless steel bowls are more durable.

Ceramic bowls are more attractive and come in a variety of colors and patterns, to coordinate with your decor or simply make a fashion statement. Plastic bowls are generally lightweight, inexpensive, and can be chewed by destructive dogs and can develop scratches and deformations making them hard to clean. Silicone and other soft dishes are great for travel because they fold and pack well.

Many people like double diners — two bowls together in a stand, using one for food and one for water. Again, many styles and sizes so you can select the one that works for your pet and your home. Raised diners, where the bowl is elevated 3-12 inches from the floor depending on the size of the dog, are often recommended for ease of eating and digestion.

One of the most common complaints about dog feeders is that the dog moves it all over while eating. Place-mats, non-skid rims on the bowls, and heavy dishes are all ways to solve that problem. A place-mat can also help contain any spills from an over-eager eater.

There are many specialty feeders on the market. Specialized feeders for puppies look like low flat doughnuts keeping the food to the outside of the dish so the puppies stay out of the dish while eating. Slow feeders have an anything-but-flat bottom surface so that the dog has to eat around the protrusions and thus consume their food more slowly. Cocker Spaniel bowls have a narrow opening so that the long Spaniel ears fall to the outside and not into the food.

Visit your local independent pet store and talk to a sales associate about their selection of pet bowls, dishes, feeders, place-mats and other feeding equipment.