Keeping the floor clean

My cats like to pull food out of the bowl and eat it on the floor, so there is always a bloody mess around the food bowl.  One of my cats even sometimes takes food to the adjacent room and eats on the wood floor, or the wool rug (yuck).  So I'm constantly having to clean the floor.  I keep paper towels and a non-toxic spray cleaner handy.

What do all of you do to contain or deal with messes?  I've read about some people laying down towels and then laundering afterwards, but since laundry is not exactly convenient for me (communal laundry room is down the block) this isn't an option.  I tried plastic place mats, but that actually is harder than just cleaning the floor since food tends to get under them.  It's just one of those little annoying things that I'm sure people have thought of creative solutions for, and I'd love to hear them!

If my boy eats on the kitchen counter, I'll place a piece of old newspaper beneath his dish and if he spills food onto the counter, at least it's on the newspaper and after his meal I'll just wrap up the empty can and throw away. This way there's no mess and newspaper are aplenty as after reading new news it'll become old news and therefore old newspapers are best. No need to wash, just throw.
If he eats on the floor, I'll just wipe off any spill with a damp tisssue.

I know of one person who actually feeds her raw fed cats in a large crate, I'm guessing to prevent just what you're describing. 

I  always feed mine on placemats, and luckily they keep their food either on their bowls, on their placemats, or within just a few inches of the placemats.  

I wonder if you don't want to use a large crate, if you could put of double high baby gates to block them in the kitchen, at least, so all you have to do is clean the floor with those paper towels and non-toxic spray.  It would save your wood floor and rug   

Thanks!  Sounds like my spray and paper towel solution is about as good as it gets.   I've thought of getting a low table or shelf so at least I wouldn't have to bend down to get at the floor.  

You could feed in a crate, which a lot of PMR feeders use. My cats do pull food out of their bowls sometimes but I feed them in the kitchen on tile, so usually it's easy to clean up. I wipe everything down after feeding time with disinfecting wipes.

I've got two of these, side-by-side, on my hardwood floors for my two cats. Food cannot get under them & once a month I throw them in the washer/drier.

Those look like they are worth a try - thanks!  I would probably throw them in the dishwasher (no w/d in apt).

Yeah, my cats, one in particular, basically pull all their food out of their plates and onto the hardwood. It's annoying to me to clean it, but ultimately only takes a minute. So far I've left it. I tried flat plates instead of shallow bowls but they do this regardless. I've considered feeding them on a mat or some kind, or putting one under their plates, but my understanding is that it's better for them to eat off ceramic/glass/metal/wood, compared to plastics. Maybe silicone is okay? I do like those mats. I'd been thinking maybe putting down a cloth so that I could toss it in the wash would be preferable to the floor scrubbing (but I have a w/d and no dishwasher).

EDIT: when they were young I got my cats these cute raised bowls and wooden stands. haha. maybe they'd eat ground/canned out of those, but chunks they will only eat on the ground 

You know the box that cans of food come in? I put those on the floor and put the dishes in it, one for kibble and another for wet food. The rim of the box is just high enough to keep kibble from dancing all over the kitchen floor but low enough that it does not interfere with the cats access to their food. It has not completely eliminated the mess but it has cut it down at least 75%. When the box is messy itself there is usually another one ready to be put down. I recycle EVERYTHING!

Primula said:

I've got two of these, side-by-side, on my hardwood floors for my two cats. Food cannot get under them & once a month I throw them in the washer/drier.

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I tried this with a similar mat, didn't help, kibble was still all over the place.

we just let our cats eat on a tile for it is easy to clean up. 

I know what you mean, I can put a giant plate down, a bath towel underneath & my cat grabs a chunk of meat & runs off with it. I don't think there is a good answer cause if that's what your cat wants to do it's gonna do it unless you confine it.

I've also tried feeding in the bathtub with the doors closed, that's an option for confinement. I guess a shower would work as well. Another thing I've done is take the cat outside on the patio. They are so interested in eating, they aren't concerned about trying to run away. When the last chunk is gone, I grab the cat & back inside they go.

Oh im hoping to hear a wonderful tip on this one myself!!  I just know i do this every night when i come home .. i have a place mat under the raised bowls.. doesn't matter.. he drag's out food onto my hardwood.. every time.. and he thinks his litter boxes are a throw confetti-party!! Whoo hoo!!!! So every night when i get home i have to hit the floors with this.. Shark Navigator Freestyle SV1106 Stick Vacuum cordless.. picks up teeny tiny and big hunks of food..wet or dry..  litter no problem..picks up HUGE amounts.. no kick back..  whatever i throw at it!  Its bag less,,and works like a dream!! Picks up a ton of hair daily i have no idea where it all comes from!!! Then i hit it with some murphys oil soap and a swiffer like mop i got at Walmart that u can put your own solutions in.. the heads are washable and u can put a dry or wet swiffer like thing on it.. Lets hear what the creative cat people have come up with for our kittie draggers..

I was wondering if getting a small table would help, as the cats might mostly stay on the table even if they insist on pulling food out of the bowl.  At least it would be easier to clean.  I might also try that food mat recommended a few posts back.  If my cats decide they like to eat on it, it'll be easy to throw it in the dishwasher.

In the meantime, I keep paper towels and this spray bottle near the feeding station:

https://www.thecleanteam.com/Red-Juice-Ready-To-Use-16-oz-spray-bottle_p_53.html  (they sell the concentrate so you can refill easily)

I used to clean the floor with white vinegar, not wanting anything toxic near my cats' food bowls, but this stuff (also non-toxic) works much better. 

I got a silicone mat to cover the feeding area.  BINGO!!!  Thank you to whoever made the suggestion!

The mat stays put, and due to the texture and the lip at the edge, food dragged out of the bowl doesn't leave the mat or get under it. To clean it I just knock off the dried out pieces and throw it in the dishwasher.  No stooping to wipe ceramic floors, and no more red-stained grout. 

I just got one mat but may order more.  It would be great to put by the door as a place to park muddy/snowy/wet shoes.