Best dishes/setup for a very messy eater?

Two of my cats fling their canned food all over the place when they eat. I'm currently using a mix of bowls - some are ceramic, crock-style bowls, the other is a stainless steel bowl similar to this in the small size: http://www.jbpet.com/Stainless-Non-Tip-Bowl,1896.html

Does anyone else have a messy eater?

What have you found works best for you?

Have you found that using any particular type of dish helps?

Do you use a placemat? What type?

Any tips for making cleanup quicker and easier?

Thanks!

Cheapest is to use some paper towels. Try that first and see if they keep the food on the towels.

I wipe both dry and wet food after my crew eats. I think everyone of mine are messy eaters.

Dry food goes in a ceramic bowl on a plastic mat. I have a couple of these and rotate them in so that I can move the bowl, dump the food on the mat and replace it with a clean one.

Wet food goes in small bowls and each cat has their own bowl and place to eat. Some of the cats eat on a throw rug in the kitchen. The dogs clean up after them and I wash the rug at least once a week. Some of the other cats eat off the counter and table. That just gets washed down when they are done.

I have stainless steel bowls with a higher side on them, I got them in the dog section of the pet store, and they have rubber on the bottom so they don't move. One for wet, and one for dry. These are both on a large, rubber-type placemat which I wipe off with Clorox wipes and let dry after every feeding. Still, some kibbles always find their way around the kitchen floor. I think it's inevitable.

My Jake (RIP) used to be a very messy eater. What I found that worked with him was a huge, stainless steel bowl normally for dogs. Then the food would just fill the bottom and he didn't push it out anymore. It's similar to this one. It's not deep but big around:
http://Stainless Pet BowlStainless Pet Bowl

Thank you so much for the ideas! Perhaps a combination of high-sided bowl and placemats with rims will do the trick.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

Some of the cats eat on a throw rug in the kitchen. The dogs clean up after them and I wash the rug at least once a week.

Click to expand...

My dog loves to help clean up too! I've been reluctant to let her because I don't want her to get fat from nibbling cat food, but I'm sure I could go ahead and let her help, and just cut back on her food a tiny bit.