Elevated feeding dish???

chandler49

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Should the bowl be placed right on the floor or should it be raised up a few inches? When I watch my cat eat, if dish is flat on floor, she bends way over to eat.  She stays upright & doesn't crouch down. If dish is raised 2" she doesn't bend as much. A Vet told my friend to elevate dish because otherwise it's like standing on your head to eat.  Also what room do most people feed in? My place is small so I feed in kitchen. I use Corelle dishes only,
 

tiptopper

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We also use Corningware for the cats food, the water dish is metal, and all are raised off the floor. Their eating area is in the kitchen.
 

lisahe

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@C-Attila, that's a great use for a cake stand!

We feed one of our cats--the one who has a tendency to eat too fast and vomit--on tray-like platforms that my husband built from wood. I do think they help. I may borrow the cake stand idea for our other cat, who eats all over the house, often by glass doors, depending on what meal we're feeding.
 

PushPurrCatPaws

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I've found with cats who have some issues with arthritis or other leg ailments and find it painful to crouch for several minutes at a time, that an elevated food dish is much easier for them.
 

dorimon

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We have this elevated feeder:


We call it Coco and Callie's "dining table."  Coco objected at first, but now they eat side-by-side four times a day...

 (You can really see how small Callie is in comparison to Coco here!)

Coco used to fling food all over the place as she ate, but this "dining table" set has eliminated that issue.  Also, we really like the bowls.  They don't have any corners/edges, and are very shallow and wide.  And the cat ears are super adorable! 
 
 

JMJimmy

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The natural position would be on the ground.  Mice and such don't elevate themselves after all
The lid from the Rubermaid bins I use for their litter boxes fits a cat nicely, allows them to feel protected while they eat, and contains the mess they make very nicely.  Total cost: $1 for the dollar store bowl, $7 for the bin
 

tiptopper

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We call it Coco and Callie's "dining table."  Coco objected at first, but now they eat side-by-side four times a day...

 (You can really see how small Callie is in comparison to Coco here!)

Coco used to fling food all over the place as she ate, but this "dining table" set has eliminated that issue.  Also, we really like the bowls.  They don't have any corners/edges, and are very shallow and wide.  And the cat ears are super adorable! 
 
That is the best looking elevated feeder I have ever seen!
 

louche

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Grimmy is fed in the laundryroom. If you decide on these types of feeders, take the height discrepancy due to bowl depth into account. If you're sticking to your Corelle dishes, then bring one along for a fitting.

This raiser is 3 inches high but the bowls that come with are about an inch deep which in an obnoxious design. I don't know how your cat eats but deep bowls without good width don't work with Grimmy.

That wooden one with the slant is ideal for Grimmy, and the cake stand is a great idea, and probably cheaper first raiser.
 

oompah

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I've used raised dishes for years, no plastic of course. Last night I observed the boys nibbling on grass standing in normal position. Think I will do experiment and share later
 

raysmyheart

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When Speedy came to live with me about 5 years ago, she was a young cat and I placed her food bowl on the floor.  However, I noticed for awhile that every time she ate, she would get hiccups that looked like they might hurt.  I got the idea to put her food on a box about 6-7 inches off the ground and have since.  Speedy has NOT had any hiccups since I raised her dining surface, so I really feel strongly that she must be more comfortable with the food raised.  I also have her water about chin height for her to drink.  I used to feel so bad when she had the forceful hiccups.
 
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lisahe

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When Speedy came to live with me about 5 years ago, she was a young cat and I placed her food bowl on the floor.  However, I noticed for awhile that every time she ate, she would get hiccups that looked like they might hurt.  I got the idea to put her food on a box about 6-7 inches off the ground and have since.  Speedy has NOT had any hiccups since I raised her dining surface, so I really feel strongly that she must be more comfortable with the food raised.  I also have her water about chin height for her to drink.  I used to feel so bad when she had the forceful hiccups.
That's a good point @raysmyheart: hiccups and gas can be a problem, particularly if a cat eats fast and gulps, as one of ours does. The platforms really do seem to help our fast eater and the cats look more comfortable when they at at that height than when they crouch to eat off the floor.
 

hellomisskitty

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We have this elevated feeder:


We call it Coco and Callie's "dining table."  Coco objected at first, but now they eat side-by-side four times a day...
 (You can really see how small Callie is in comparison to Coco here!)

Coco used to fling food all over the place as she ate, but this "dining table" set has eliminated that issue.  Also, we really like the bowls.  They don't have any corners/edges, and are very shallow and wide.  And the cat ears are super adorable! :catguy:  
I have this one too...I love it [emoji]10084[/emoji]️
 

SeventhHeaven

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 I offer both majority prefer to eat from raised food dishes 

And of course best not to use plastic  
 
 

kittyluv387

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We have this elevated feeder:


We call it Coco and Callie's "dining table."  Coco objected at first, but now they eat side-by-side four times a day...
 (You can really see how small Callie is in comparison to Coco here!)

Coco used to fling food all over the place as she ate, but this "dining table" set has eliminated that issue.  Also, we really like the bowls.  They don't have any corners/edges, and are very shallow and wide.  And the cat ears are super adorable! :catguy:  
Would the liquid from cat food leak out of those shallow bowls? I dont add a ton but i do at a little bit of water to my cats foods.
 
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