When feeding your Bengal cat you probably are more concerned about what kind of food that’s being put in their food dish than the bowl or dish itself. After all, it’s just a receptacle to hold the food and nothing else, right?
Well, you might be surprised to find out that the food dish you put your Bengals food in could influence how well they eat their food. In this article we’ll cover the following:
- Cats Have Ergonomic Needs Just Like Us
- Signs That It’s Not the Right Food Dish
- Things to Consider When Buying a Food Dish
- Our Top Picks for Cat Food Dishes
Cats Have Ergonomic Needs Just Like Us
As humans, we all know very well that there really no such thing as “one size fits all.” Even when it comes to things like drinking and eating utensils. For instance a big man that is 6' 4” sure isn’t going to feel comfortable eating with a baby spoon. Just like a toddler isn’t going to find it convenient to drink out of a heavy coffee cup.
Well, the same goes for your Bengal. Bengals and all cats have their own ergonomic needs, just like we do. Just like a spoon or a fork for us, a cat food dish should be fitted for your cats needs and yes, comfort.
A lot of people don’t know that most cats, including Bengals, have a blind spot that is right under their nose. What this means is that sometimes they actually can’t see the food unless it’s directly touching their mouth. They can feel and smell the food but if the food gets caught in a tight corner of the food dish, they’ll often press their nose with some force into this corner to nudge the food around.
Since each Bengal has their own unique personality the pickiness that they may display could simply be their frustration with their food dish. Some dishes might actually prevent them from truly enjoying their food and it’s not the food they dislike or disapprove of but, instead it could be the food dish itself.
Signs That It’s Not the Right Food Dish
So, are their signs that your Bengal’s food dish might be the reason why they act like they don’t like their food? Yes there are. Next time your cat seems to be complaining at mealtime look for the following signs:
· Have your recently changed their food but your cat seems to show no interest or is crying to you about it?
· Do you notice your Bengal quickly eating out of the middle of the dish, but then they stop eating once the food has bunched up in the corners and then they cry for more food?
· Does your Bengal knock their food dish over often?
· Does your Bengal knock the food out of the dish all the time?
· Do you see them nudging the bowl all over the place when trying to eat?
· Finally, does your Bengal tend to scoop the food out with their paw and then eat it off the floor instead of the dish?
All of these things could indicate that it’s not the food they’re complaining about, but it’s the dish the food is in.
Things to Consider When Buying a Food Dish
When you are shopping for a food dish for your Bengal, here are a few things you need to think about before you buy one:
· Make sure that the food dish you buy is one that is non-porous. This means that those plastic dishes really aren’t a good fit for your Bengal, even the ones that claim they’re “food safe” plastic. This is because their face and nose come into contact with the dish and plastic tends to be subject to micro-abrasions that let bacteria grow.
· The bacteria that can grow in plastic dishes can even withstand the heat of your dishwasher. Repeated contact with these surfaces can actually lead to feline acne. This is where abscessed appear around your cat’s mouth and nose. The best materials for food dishes would be stainless steel, which is the best, then glass, and finally ceramic. Simply avoid plastic.
· Height of the bowl is important. Some research has shown that often elderly cats can digest their food better if their bowl is slightly elevated. So, if you notice that your cat is having problems digesting or they are older with joint pain, you may want to elevate the bowl to help give them some relief.
· Try to avoid the two in one bowls, those that have one side for water and the other side for food. Most cats tend to not want their water right next to their food. With Bengals especially, avoid putting their food and water together, all Bengal owners know just how much fascination they have with water and they’ll be too tempted to put their food in the water just for the fun of it.
Our Top Picks for Cat Food Dishes
Since there are so many different cat food dishes on the market today, we thought we’d help you out a little bit and try to narrow it down to our top five favorites. Hope that you will find this condensed list helpful.
Here are the top five that we believe could work well for Bengal cats.
Petfamily Stainless Steel Bowl or Cat Dish
ABOUT: Cute set of bowls that can be used for food and water or food dishes for two cats. Designed so they don’t slip on the floor and are rust resistant and meant to fight off bacteria.
OUR RATING:
PRICE:
$$
FEATURES: This is a set of two dishes both having cute cat faces on them and can be used for two cats or for food and water. They come in a nice selection of colors including; green, green & gray, green & lavender, green & orange, gray & lavender, gray & orange, and just lavender. This is a two bowl set that’s made of stainless steel and has anti-skid rubber on the bottom.
PROS: Made from high-quality stainless steel and is rust resistant and anti-corrosion. Good for wet or dry food. Has rubber on the bottom to keep it from slipping or spilling. It’s easy to clean, just rinse and air dry or pop it in the dishwasher.
CONS: Rubber on bottom of dish seems to come off easy.
Pet Fusion Premium Brushed Stainless Steel Bowl
ABOUT: This bowl is one that focuses on superior hygiene and eliminating the bacteria that can cause feline acne.
OUR RATING:
PRICE:
$$
FEATURES: These bowls are made of high-quality stainless steel that have a brushed finish which gives it a nice look and helps to keep down corrosion and eliminate bacteria. It comes in three different sizes; 56-ounce, 24-ounce, and 13-ounce, which is ideal for cats.
PROS: Eliminates acne causing bacteria because of it’s high-quality stainless steel. It’s corrosion resistant. It doesn’t have corners the food will get stuck in and it’s shallow making it easier for cats to eat out of. It’s easy to clean and is dishwasher safe.
CONS: One key concern has been the rim that’s around the bowl which tends to get food stuck on it.
Necoichi Raised Cat Food Bowl
ABOUT: This bowl was designed specifically for comfort and allows your Bengal to eat their food at the optimal height.
OUR RATING:
PRICE:
$$$
FEATURES: This food bowl is great because it's raised and lets your cat eat at the best position. Beyond that, the bowl is shaped so food falls to the center instead of being scattered on the edges for your cat to chase. It's also dishwasher and microwave safe and includes an inner lip to reduce the chance of spillage.
PROS: It’s safe for cats because it’s made FDA/EC&ECC European standard. It’s also durable and has many features to make eating easier for your Bengal.
CONS: The biggest concern is that the bowl is too small and one too many curious Bengals have simply knocked it over and played with it as opposed to eating from it.
OurPets Durapet Bowl Cat Dish
ABOUT: This cat dish is designed to reduce noise while your cat is eating and to cut down on slipping with its rubber ring on the bottom of the dish.
OUR RATING:
PRICE:
$
FEATURES: Has a rubber ring on the bottom that keeps it from sliding and cuts down on the noise some bowls can make when they slide on the floor. Comes in three different sizes; 8-ounce, 12-ounce, and 16-ounce. It also crack proof and scratch resistant.
PROS: Made from durable stainless steel, has a rubber ring on the bottom to stop it from sliding on the floor. Can be quickly and easily cleaned in the dishwasher. It’s also rather inexpensive compared to some of the other food dishes.
CONS: There have been some issues with the rubber rings on the bottom wearing out quickly.
Dr. Catsby’s Food Bowl for Whisker Relief
ABOUT: Specifically designed to relieve the stress from cats whiskers when eating out of a bowl. Also designed to resist the bacteria that causes feline acne.
OUR RATING:
PRICE:
$$$
FEATURES: Made from stainless steel and has food grade silicone rubber on the bottom to keep it from slipping. Has a nice modern look and the design is meant for easy cleaning. Has a finger hole in it to make it easier to pick up.
PROS: Has an ergonomic design to make it easier on cat whiskers. Made from stainless steel that resists bacteria. Comes with a silicone rubber bottom to keep it from sliding on the floor.
CONS: Doesn’t seem to be as good for wet food as it is for dry food.
After checking out all of these dishes, they all seem to have their good points and their own bad points. However, they still seem to all meet most of the criteria one would look for in a cat dish. Still, there needs to be one that stands out above the rest and the one we believe does that is the Petfamily Stainless Steel Bowl or Cat Dish.
We like the Petfamily Stainless Steel Bowl or Cat Dish best because it’s not only priced reasonably, it’s also cute and does seem to meet nearly all the criteria most Bengal cat pet parents are looking for when it comes to a good cat dish.