My cat likes food too much and she can eat at any time and anywhere. It used to be her cuteness until it becomes a big problem: my cat gained a lot of weights and she also suffered from bloating and indigestion.
Her veterinarian advised me to give her a strict diet and slow down her eating speed to ensure she is healthy. After carefully searching for information, I think a slow feed cat bowl is exactly what I and my lovely friend need.
Slow feed cat bowl can come in different brands, styles, and designs even though they have the same purpose: to improve your cat eating habit and maintain their ideal weight.
To find the best slow feed cat bowl, I often considered a number of factors such as the material, sturdiness, functions, durability, safety, design, color and even food capacity.
After testing different models from well –known brands in the market of cat products, I concluded the 11 top-ranking items that should be tried and made the investment.
This bellowing list will help you to make your best decision. If you want to know in detail, please continue to read.
This article will discuss:
- What Are Cat Slow Feeders?
- Difference Between Cat Slow Feeders & Slow Feed Dog Bowls?
- My Favorite Best Slow Feed Cat Bowls
- How To Choose The Best Slow Feed Cat Bowl
| Product name | Dimension(s) | Capacity | Material |
| wangstar Slow Feed Cat Bow | 8 x 8 x 1.9 inches | 9.3 ounces | Plastic |
| IAMUQ Slow Feeders – Cat Bowl | 8.86 x 7.68 x 1.7 inches
8.07 x 8.07 x 1.77 inches 8.27 x 8.27 x 1.57 inches |
1 – 2 cups of food | Plastic |
| UEETEK Pet Cat Slow Feeder | 9.65 x 7.1 x 1.2 inches | 4.3 ounces | Silicone |
| STARUBY 2 Pack Collapsible Cat Bowl | 6.9 x 6.9 x 1.6 inches | 3 cups of food
Or 20 oz of water |
Silicone and BPA free plastic |
| IRIS Slow Feeding Bowl | 8.9 x 8.9 x 2.2 inches | 5.9 ounces | BPA free plastic |
| UPSKY Slow Feeder Small Cat Bowl | 7.5 x 7.5 x 1.7 inches | 2 cups of food | PP resin |
| yoyoung Cat Catch Interactive Feeder Bowl | 10.6 x 9.1 x 3.0 inches | ABS plastic | |
| Vevins Cat Feeder Slow Bowl | Length:19cm. Wide:19cm. Diameter:17cm. Height:4.5cm. | ABS materials | |
| Durapet Our Pet`s Stainless Steel Slow Feed Dish | 11 x 11 x 2.6 inches | 9.6 ounces | Stainless steel |
| Cat Fun Slow Feeder Bowl From DETOP | 7.5 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches | 5 ounces | Silicone |
| Slow Feed Cat Bowl From Simply Pets Online | 10.2 x 12.2 x 1.6 inches | Bamboo fiber and rice husk |
What Are Cat Slow Feeders?
Some cats often gulp their food too fast to digest well.
As a result, it can lead to many health problems for pets such as vomiting, bloating, indigestion, stomach upset and other long-term consequences like overweight and obesity as well as other life-threatening diseases.
It becomes a big problem and challenge in a multiple cat household where cats have to compete with each other for eating as their natural instinct.
This eating habit is not good, according to veterinarians; therefore, it is important for cat owners and cat lovers to correct this habit. C
at slow feeders or slow feed cat bowls are what helps you do that. The makers have addressed most of the problems of fast feeding and found the possible ways to fix that.
Focusing on natural instinct of cats who are habitual hunters, these cat slow feeders aim to increase the feeding by at least 3-5 times, reduce the throwing up after feeding, control weight gain, have better health and create a lot of fun during cat’s mealtime.
As a result, they will come in different designs, structures, and functions to fit every cat’s behaviors and people’s needs.
Difference Between Cat Slow Feeders And Slow Feed Dog Bowls
Because the feeding habits of cats are different from dogs, there are certain differences between cat slow feeders and slow feed dog bowls.
| Cat Slow Feeders | Slow Feed Dog Bowls | Reasons | |
| Design | Difference designs but often puzzles, grass tufts, mazes or zigzag | Different designs but often bowls with high raised edges, complicating shape, puzzle, obstructions | Dogs like licking through the kibble while cats love foraging and scooping food with their paws and claws |
| Size | Large enough in order not to touch the cat’s whiskers but small enough for them to be comfortable while feeding
Wide but not too deep |
Depend on the size of dogs or dog breeds | Dogs have long snouts and tongues. Cats have short tongues and they don’t like whisker fatigue when feeding. |
| Capacity | Around 1 cup | More than 1 cup | Cats are smaller than dogs |
| Type Of Food | Bowls for dry food and wet food | Bowls for dry food and wet food | Both cats and dogs need a healthy and balanced diet. But cats need a greater concentration of wet food than dogs because a full dry food diet can lead to rapid weight gain in cats. |
| Material | Soft and harmless material, anti-scratch | Durable and harmless material, anti-biting, unbreakable | Cat’s tongue is so sensitive and they like scratching, playing during feeding. |
Now, I concluded the 11 best slow-feed cat bowls that should be tried and made the investment.
1. wangstar Slow Feed Cat Bow
wangstar slow feed cat bowl is really a good one to keep your pets from rapid eating, diarrhea, choking, vomiting and tummy aches due to the swirl flower patterns inside the bowl that also makes the bowl look beautiful and attractive.
I also love its non-slip base; therefore, this slow feed cat bowl can not slide or move when your cats are eating. That is better than other similar products I have to fix the base to make sure that it stays well in the place.
I was satisfied that this wangstar slow feed cat bowl is made from plastic, a heavy duty non-toxic and sturdy material. However, using plastic also gives this one the only drawback. Plastic is easily damaged if your cats are aggressive chewers.
But it will be an omission if you ignore this best slow feed cat bowl because of this small minus. If your cat doesn’t chew aggressively, it will the best purchase investment for your cats. After using this one, my cat often finishes the bowl within more than 5 minutes.
If you are interested in the cat water bowl, please don’t feel hesitate to click more here.
2. IAMUQ Slow Feeders – Cat Bowl
People often use plastic to make cat feeder and I firmly believe that plastic is the best material for slow feed cat bowl because it is easy to clean, durable, affordable and antibacterial. This one is n’t an exception.
Also made from plastic and working in slowing down the eating speed, IAMUQ small slow feed cat bowl that is designed for puppies, kittens and other small pets has the cheaper cost than other similar items (This one costs only $10) but still possesses the good quality.
For instance, I was impressed with how strong and durable it is. Even when I accidentally kick it across the room, it is still difficult to break. Furthermore, after a few months, this bowl is still in good condition, which proved that it is a great investment for your cat.
Thanks to the puzzle shape, this slow feed cat bowl makes the food move toward the center in a more difficult level, therefore, your cat can not finish the meal in seconds. Overall, it is a great purchase investment if you are looking for something to improve your pet’s eating.
3. UEETEK Pet Cat Slow Feeder
The UEETEK Pet Cat Slow Feeder is actually a standing feeding pad, not a normal food bowl but why am I highly recommending it as the top-ranking slow feed cat bowl for wet food?
Why did the maker claim that this one can hold dry food, wet food, and water?
The simple reason is that you can put this pad inside a normal big bowl and then it turns into the slow feeder for your pets. Doing that, you can use this pad to hold wet food but it is still really easy to clean because of the silicone material.
Unlike the plastic, silicone is a flexible and heat-resistant material; therefore, it can be folded and bent to fit in any bowl. Furthermore, you can stuff it into your bag or backpack when you want to travel with your pets. Don’t worry about convenience because it is lightweight.
Overall, I really think the UEETEK Pet Cat Slow Feeder is a perfect choice for someone who wants to diversify their pet’s meal or just wants to travel with their lovely friend.
If you want to know more about cat food bowl, please don’t hesitate to click here.
4. STARUBY 2 Pack Collapsible Cat Bowl
For the slow feed cat bowl for traveling, hiking, camping, and other outing activities, I really like STARUBY.
In the outside, it looks like a sturdy bowl but in fact, it is flexible enough to be folded flat to fit your hiking pack or inside the seat of your vehicle.
With this slow feed cat bowl, I can give my cat food at any time when I travel with her and still help her to slow down the eating speed.
Furthermore, unlike other complicating-shape bowls that make the eating time more challenging and frustrating, this one creates a lot of fun because your cat will feel like they are hunting and chasing the food through valleys and ridges. That gives this one a big bonus.
For those reasons, I highly recommend this slow feed cat bowl for cat owners who want to improve the pet’s eating habit but still make dinner time more entertaining. I and my cat, Lucy, guarantee that this purchase won’t make you disappointed.
5. IRIS Slow Feeding Bowl
IRIS has been well-known for amazing cat products with good quality and affordable price; therefore, I would like to give the IRIS slow feed cat bowl a try when I saw it in the stock.
This one costs only about $5 which seems a great price especially when it comes with good quality and effective function.
Although I am a fastidious cat lover and always feel skeptical about something with a too cheap price like that, I have to say the low raised bowl has done a great job in slowing down your pet’s eating and preventing them from digestive issues.
Furthermore, thanks to the non-slip base, this bowl isn’t able to move or slide around when your cat eating, which gives this one a big bonus and adds another reason for me to make the purchase. I also like the fact that IRIS slow feed cat bowl is made from BPA free plastic that is easy to clean even with the white color.
If you like something very affordable but still effective in improving your pet’s eating habit, just give the IRIS a try and I am sure that you won’t regret.
6. UPSKY Slow Feeder Small Cat Bowl
Spirals or puzzles aren’t the only shapes of the effective slow feed cat bowl. The UPSKY slow feed cat bowl is designed with the raised parts inside that slows down the eating speed of your pets and forces them to lose weight.
However, these parts aren’t too high and the gaps between them aren’t too narrow; therefore, your cat can easily get the food without frustration or difficulties.
I like the fact that this one is made of PP resin that is flexible and collapsible; therefore, this slow feed cat bowl can be bent repeatedly without breaking.
Another benefit of products made of PP resin is that they are often less expensive than other materials. So, it is not surprising when you have to pay only $5 to buy this one.
Like human, cats, and pets are easily attracted by the macaroon colors; therefore, the UPSKY slow feed cat bowl with the bright color will definitely interest your cats.
7. yoyoung Cat Catch Interactive Feeder Bowl
I really feel that the yoyoung maker really understands about the natural instincts of cats as they like to chase something and hunt food. They know catching is a wonderful way to turn the mealtime into a challenging and fun game.
It is a reason why yoyoung maker designed a slow feed cat bowl with raised plastic spikes that look like grass to make the mealtime last longer and improve your cat’s eating habit.
In term of entertainment and fun, I would like to give this thing 5 stars because my cat loves this pink slow feed cat bowl very much and it really lengthens her mealtime for up to 5 minutes but it doesn’t make her feel frustrated or difficult to get food among the plastic spikes.
Moreover, despite its basic design and flexibility appearance, this one is durable and what I also like about this bowl is that I can clean it with dishwasher without problems.
However, this slow feed cat bowl is bigger than I anticipated and has the oval shape, not round. So, I think it is not suitable for kittens or small cats. Besides, the spikes are so tall that the small cats may feel difficult and challenging in getting the food.
Although I like the pink color, it is still important to make more color varieties to meet different cat lovers’ need.
8. Vevins Cat Feeder Slow Bowl
Cats often lick the rim and edges of the bowl to eat the remained food; therefore, because of the smooth edges, I really want to give the Kevins slow feed cat bowl a try. Furthermore, the smooth edges are designed for easy cleaning and in order not to injure your pet’s skin, which gave me another reason to make the purchase.
I am also satisfied that this one is made of ABS material that has many benefits including strong heat resistance, strong impact resistance, shock absorbance, high tensile strength, low cost, and scratch resistance.
Besides the smooth edges, ABS material, this slow feed cat bowl is designed with the skidproof rubber feet in order not to rub the floor. If you like the design of Vevins, you should make the purchase because its cost is only about $10. How affordable! There are three colors including blue, green and pink for you to choose.
9. Durapet Our Pet`s Stainless Steel Slow Feed Dish
Most stainless steel slow feed cat bowl items are durable, unbreakable, easy to clean and dishwasher safe. It is a reason why cat lovers or cat owners often choose stainless steel bowls for their pets even though these kinds of material are a little more expensive than other similar products.
If you a fan of stainless steel and want to look for an item with a non-skid rubber base, you should try Durapet slow feed cat bowl. This one possesses the same benefits as other stainless steel products but is designed with a regular-sized ball in the middle that helps slow down the eating speed.
We can not doubt about its durability as after 6 months, this cat bowl is still in good condition. And you can put it in a dishwasher for cleaning without problems. However, the rubberized ring on the base is sticky when washed in the dishwasher.
Another drawback is that this small slow feed cat bowl can be used for dry food only because using it for wet food will be a little messy because your cat may push food out of the bowl and across the floor.
Overall, it is still a good purchase investment for you to consider.
10. Cat Fun Slow Feeder Bowl From DETOP
The slow feed cat bowl looks super interesting. I found the valleys and ridges of the board are really easy to get food out of without making your cats frustrated or want to give up.
If you are looking for something that won’t make eating too slow and will stimulate mental development, this extra small slow feed cat bowl would exceed your expectations.
The jungle-style straw is effective in slowing down your cat’s eating habit while it turns the dinner time into an interesting game.
For strong flexibility, this item is made of silicone material that makes this one difficult to break or deform even with aggressive bending or chewing, which gives this one a big bonus and is another reason why I made the purchase.
Although this slow feed cat bowl doesn’t have a no-slipping ring on the bottom like some products, it is designed to stick to the placemat to prevent tipping and sliding when your pets are eating. Therefore, you should buy a pet placemat.
If you decide to buy this one, it is important to keep in mind that it isn’t resistant to heat, so don’t use the microwave to make it heated.
11. Slow Feed Cat Bowl From Simply Pets Online
This Simply Pets Online slow feed cat bowl was designed by a professional veterinarian to use it in the vet clinics as a solution to improve the pet’s eating habit or slow down the eating especially when they suffer from a digestive problem like regurgitation, bloating, obesity and overeating.
Therefore, talking about safety, no brands can beat this one.
Made of highest quality and 100% natural rice husk and bamboo fiber, the Simple Pets Online bowl are nontoxic, fully degradable, recyclable and dishwasher safe.
I also like the kitty face design inside the bowl that looks super cute and interesting. The kitty features also help slow down your cat’s eating speed effectively and reduce boredom when your cats use the bowl.
How To Choose The Best Slow Feed Cat Bowl
There are a lot of slow feed cat bowls which often come in different sizes, designs and materials, which makes choosing the best slow feed cat bowl to become challenging and frustrating.
But if you know these following simple tips on how to pick the best slow feed cat bowl, you can do it. Before making the purchase, I often consider the major factors such as material, designs, size, capacity, types of food, etc.
1. Material
The first important thing you should keep in mind when you want to choose the best slow feed cat bowl is its manufacturing material. Most feed cat bowls are made from stainless steel, plastic, silicone, bamboo fiber resin, and ceramic.
Despite the fact that stainless steel cat food bowls don’t have a variety of designs, stainless steel is still considered as the best material to make cat bowls because of its durability, safety, easy-to-clean benefit, and stability.
Another material choice for slow feed cat bowl is ceramic that has its own pros such as durability, food safety, stability, heavyweight, elegant looking, microwave and dishwasher safety.
Furthermore, because many cats like cool food and cool water, ceramic is often chosen to make the cool cat bowls. The only drawback is that it is often pricier than other materials.
Plastic is also used to make cat bowls that come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. Furthermore, these bowls aren’t expensive; therefore, many people buy.
However, before making the purchase, you need to know the cons of this material.
For instance, it is likely to get scratching and chewing and if they occur, the bacteria can grow inside. Therefore, buying a plastic slow feed cat bowl means you need to concern about its food safety.
Silicone or resin features a number of pros that are not found in other materials. For example, silicone has great chemical stability, good resistant to cold and heat.
Therefore, due to the high elasticity and flexibility, silicone slow feed cat bowl can be folded or bent easily to fit your bag; therefore, silicone is often used to make feed cat bowl for travel.
Finally, bamboo fiber offers several advantages such as strength, lightweight, low cost, and biodegradability.
Depending on your budget, needs, and purposes, you can determine a particular slow feed cat bowl you want.
2. Size, Shape, And Capacity
The size, shape, and capacity of slow feed cat bowl should not be missed if you want to choose the best product for your pets.
Unfortunately, there is no best size, shape or capacity that fits all pets. Cats have different habits, size, and particular preferences; therefore, their bowls are not the same.
Therefore, I would like to suggest you read the label, information and ask the seller about the suitable size of bowls for your cats.
When you looking for the best shape for your cats, you need to choose the bowls that are wide enough but not too deep. The sides need slopping gradually for cats to easily get the food without whisker fatigue.
Moreover, the capacity of slow feed cat bowl depends on the cat’s ideal weight and cat breed. For instance, a 10 lbs cat needs a bowl that can hold about 1 cup of food per meal.
3. Design
How the slow feed cat bowl works depend on its design. The design will determine the difficulty level, fun, and the type of food the bowl can hold.
For slow feed cat bowl, there are a variety of designs, from the puzzle, maze, zigzag or grass-tuft that all focus on the natural instinct of cats for chasing, foraging and hunting food.
The best design of slow feed cat bowl for cats should be difficult enough to lengthen the time they eat, but not too difficult to make them want to give up.
Furthermore, it is better to buy the ones with an anti-slipping ring on the bottom to prevent sliding or slipping on the floor during feeding and the ones with the design of anti-spill for clean floor after feeding.
Moreover, some slow feed cat bowls are designed for multiple pets to use together at the same time while others are suitable for traveling with cats.
4. Type Of Food
Besides the size and design of cat slow feeder, you should consider the type of food the bowl can hold. Most cat diet requires both dry food and wet food; therefore, it is a great idea to buy the best slow feed cat bowl that can work for both dry food and wet food.
5. Other Factors
In addition to the above factors, I also consider a couple of other features to make the worth purchase investment.
The first one is how easy-to-clean it is. Some feed cat bowls must be washed by hand while others can be tossed into a dishwasher for cleaning. Furthermore, some may require more personal things to do if you want to remove the leftover food from the corners and nooks of the bowls. It is important for you to choose the best bowl that helps you ease the burden for cleaning.
The color of the bowl should also be considered. Most slow feed cat bowls come in multiple color combination, so you can choose the color you like or the color that interests your cats. In my case, I often choose the bowl with color matching my home decoration.
Last but not least, the best slow feed cat bowl will go with the best warranty support and after-sales service provided by the manufacturer.
Conclusion
Slow feed cat bowls are very convenient and feature standard mechanism and standout features that help reduce the eating speed, improve the eating habit and protect the cat’s health. All the options that I listed above have good quality and various price tags; therefore, the purchase won’t make you regret.
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