Question
I have noticed that while my cat eats, he has trouble getting his food pellets into his mouth, perhaps because of the shape of the food bowl? The food bowl I use is a small, circular, flat bottomed dish with 2 inch side rims -- pretty standard.
Has anyone done research on the most comfortable food bowl shape for cats?
Answer
The best bowl to use is a bowl that is wide and shallow. So maybe a plate with high sides or something similar. I use a platter with high sides that is metal. The cat will have trouble getting the last pieces into its mouth because the large bowl will make the food slip away from it as it tries to lick them up, this can be stopped by getting a bowl with more traction on it.
From The Cat Bible: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know By Tracie Hotchner:
The shape of the bowl is important because a deep narrow bowl is really uncomfortable for a cat. A bowl of this shape can crowd a cat's whiskers, soil the hair on a long haired cat's face, and cause problems for flat-nosed breeds such as Persians or Himalayans. Cats generally do best with food and water bowls that are wide and shallow.
The book goes on to say that plastic is good, but can cause medical issues in some cats and scratches that can accumulate easy can harbour bacteria. Some other things to make sure of are to make sure the bowl does not move as the cat goes inside it to eat stabilizing the bowl in a cat bowl holder or having a heavy bowl should work. Some cats are also allergic to metals, so you should know what your cat is allergic to.
Additional Info
While these may not be considered research some of these resources are written by Veternarians.
Answered By - Pobrecita