Feeding Cats People Cleaning Cat Litter
It's a question that many cat owners ask us on a regular basis – Where is the best place for my cat's stuff?
To some, keeping all the cat stuff together seems like the logical answer (this used to be me). To others, placing bowls in the kitchen is the answer. In reality, neither of these common cat bowl locations may be best for your cat!
Choose a Calm, Quiet Location
Pick a place where there is not a lot of foot traffic or noise. A calm, quiet space, such as a spare bathroom, spare bedroom, or a hallway, will help keep cats relaxed, so they can eat in peace. A loud and busy location may cause stress and keep cats from eating or force them to eat too quickly.
Because of its proximity to the pantry, sink, and trash, the kitchen is a common location for cat bowls. If your home is quiet, the kitchen works. But, if your kitchen is bustling with activity, it is not the best location. The commotion could make your cat nervous about eating, or someone could accidentally step on your cat's tail.
Keep Cat Bowls Away from the Litter Box
You don't like to eat in the bathroom and neither does your cat! Food and litter boxes should be kept a considerable distance apart. The main reason is to avoid cross contamination that may occur when cats cover up after themselves. If litter particles end up in the food or water bowl, they may get eaten and cause your cat to become sick.
Also, in the wild, cats go to the bathroom away from their nest, so that predators do not pick up on their scent. At home, having food and litter close to each other may confuse cats, as they are not sure if they should eat or use the restroom, throwing off their usual patterns.
Choose the Right Bowl
Now that you've chosen the location, be sure to choose the best bowl. Cats use their bowls multiple times a day every single day making cat bowls one of the most important products that you will select for your little babies. So, make sure your cats' bowls are safe for them.
We recently wrote about how to choose the safest bowl for your cat. Read our 5 tips here.
This is my baby girl Bella eating from her favorite bowl. We chose these bowls for our cats, because they are made in the USA, stainless steel, lead-free, and whisker friendly.
Separate Food and Water Bowls
Even though dual bowl stands for food and water are very popular at many pet stores, food and water should actually be kept in two different locations. Cats do not like eating and drinking right next to each other.Cat behaviorists believe this may be due to cats hunting away from their water source in the wild.
Cats do not enjoy the scent of food while drinking water. They are also turned off by food particles in their water.
Therefore, keep cat food and water bowls in two separate locations. And if you're using a bowl stand, use a single bowl stand like this rather than a double bowl stand, so that you can separate food and water.
Separate Food Bowls for Each Cat
Veterinarians and cat behaviorists agree that giving cats their own food bowls is best. In the wild, cats eat and hunt alone. They are wired to be protective of their food. Forcing cats to share bowls at home may result in cats eating too quickly, guarding bowls, and fights.
Feeding cats from separate bowls also allows you to give different portion sizes and diets. Even if your cats eat the same food now, that may not always be the case as they age.
Read more about this topic in another blog article we wrote about why cats should not share food bowls.
Consider Your Dog
If you have a dog at home, think about placing cat bowls at a higher elevation, like on a counter. Or, place them in a location where only your cat can fit, like a cat condo. Not only does this help keep your dog from eating the wrong food, but it will also help relax your cat. If your cat eats near your dog, your cat may become too scared to eat or, alternatively, eat too fast.
Pick a Permanent Place
Cats are creatures of habit (just like their parents!) so once you pick a location, keep their bowls there. Moving bowls frequently will only confuse your cat, causing them to disrupt their regular eating and drinking schedules.
This is my cats' favorite type of food and water bowl. A few years ago, I was guilty of keeping all the cat stuff in one place, a spare bathroom. The litter box was in one corner and the food and water bowls were in another. Now, I keep Bella's food bowl in the breakfast room and Penny's food bowl in the hallway by my office. I keep their water bowls in the kitchen (which is quiet in my case) and in a spare bedroom upstairs.
They seem to enjoy the peace of having their own territories. I now understand this is more sanitary and also keeps them from competing with each other for food.
Setup a 2nd Location to Transition
If you've learned that your cat bowls should probably be in different places, don't just move your cat's current bowls. This may confuse your cat. Instead, keep bowls in the current locations plus setup bowls in the new locations. After your cat has adjusted and used bowls in the new locations, you can remove bowls from the old locations.
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Source: https://americatcompany.com/blogs/news/where-to-put-cat-food-and-water-bowls
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