How often do you wash food and water bowls?

jili

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My kittens use ceramic bowls for their dry food and water. I just use kitchen saucers for their wet food and the plate just goes in the dishwasher when they are finished. I usually hand wash their bowls in soapy water in the sink each night, sometimes every other night if we eat out and I'm not washing dinner dishes (though I do change their water frequently and replenish food as it is needed). I guess I was just wondering if this is overkill--but I guess you can't be too careful.

Here's kind of a funny story about this. When I'm washing the bowls I will usually dump the dry food that's in the bowl onto a paper plate or paper towel and leave it on the counter until I can get the bowl washed and dried (and then it goes back down for Ruby and Max). Well, my 8-year old dd came into the room, saw the plate of food on the counter, picked up a piece (it's Natural Balance) and said "umm, chocolate chips". (kind of reminded me of Homer Simpson the way she said it). She was about to pop it in her mouth when I asked her if she realized that it was cat food. She screamed a loud "eww" and practically threw the piece back onto the plate. She just hadn't looked carefully enough. It was really funny.


Jill
 

kumbulu

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LOL at your daughter! With regard to washing their bowls, I think what you're doing is perfect. Even though the bowls are holding water and dry food, other things such as cat hair and dust and can get into the bowls.
 

turtlecat

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I usually change the water they have *they have an automatic water feeder, you know, the sort witht he jug on top every other day, because honestly, I don't like the idea of having stale water there for my cats, but I do it more often if i look and see that Paige got confused while eating and tried to drink while holdin a piece of food in her mouth.. (woke up to disintegrated catfood in the water...) as for kibble, I wash the dry food once a week and their treat bowls (for milk or chicken or tuna) I get as soon as they're empty (usually a couple of hours.)
I dunno if that's how one should do it, but that's how we did it for my dog, so that's how it goes for the cat.
 

squirtle

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I give Dori fresh water daily, and wash the bowl when I change it. The dry food bowl I wash every 4 or 5 days. She uses ceramic bowls.
 

jcat

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I have stacks of bowls and dishes (glass, ceramic and stainless steel) for JC, and simply put them in the dishwasher after each meal. That will probably gross some people out, but I've been putting the pets' bowls through the dishwasher for over twenty years, and neither of us has ever gotten worms. I rinse out his water bowls (3) with very hot water before refilling them every morning, and put them all through the dishwasher at least once or twice a week.
 

cilla

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I wash my cats dishes after each meal. They are easier to wash if you wash them straight away anyhow.
 

sbbeatnik

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I rinse the water bowl every day and give Dylan fresh water daily as well, and give it a thorough washing twice a week with soap. As for the dry food bowl, I rinse that about once a week/ week and a half.

For wet food, I rinse after each meal.
 

sashacat421

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I use stainless steel bowls for Sasha. I lightly wash the water 2x a day when I change it - I gues I'm a little obsessed w/clean water, and the food about every other day (before he was on the sryinge feeding). I hadn't known the risks of putting stuff in the d/washer or plastic bowls until recently as in 3 decades of kitties, none have ever gotten sick! I have always used stainless steel, too.
 

momofmany

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I use 4 large ceramic bowls for the dry food which is free fed. Anything left in the bowls in the morning gets dumped and I wipe out the bowls before refill. I keep a constant rotation with spare bowls each time I run the dishwasher.

I have a Drinkwell and Petsmate fountains - those get cleaned out anytime they start collecting hair - at least once a week if not more often.

I have 3 stainless steel water bowls that get rinsed and wiped out daily. Periodically get dishwashered.

I have a small ceramic bowl for each cat where they get their nightly canned snack. They get hand washed each night and dishwashered about 1-2 times a week.

I got rid of all my plastic when one of my cats got feline acne. I'm much more cautious about cleaning since that incident.
 

stingy

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Food wash when Spot eat all. Water wash every day. Bowls are metal.
 
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jili

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I think I need to get some more ceramic bowls so I can rotate them in and out of the dishwasher since that would be less effort than handwashing every day.

jcat, I don't think it's gross to put cat dishes into the dishwasher. Honestly, and maybe this is something I shouldn't be doing, but I just pull small saucers out of our cupboard for their wet food. We might use these ourselves on occasion for small snacks (we're not coffee or tea drinkers). I never figured it was anything to get worried about, since they do go in the dishwasher after use. I didn't think it was any different, really, than having other people come over to eat and use our silverware, and then putting that silverware into the dishwasher. I know my cats are healthy. We haven't had any problems yet, but maybe I'll reconsider this. another poster mentioned risks with putting cat dishes into the dishwasher, can anybody tell me what they are?
 

weatherlight

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Kitty and Robin are healthy and indoor cats, so I don't mind sharing bowls and such with them either.
 
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