hey guys i as wandering for a cat should i get a regular food and water dish or should i get automatic feeder and a fountain water? thanks
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feeder?
- Thread starter sean98
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water fountains are wonderful, I do not have one since I cant find one for a decent price that is not primarily plastic and I have a kitty with plastic allergies. Auto feeders can be good if you have self regulating cats otherwise they are a recipe for overweight kitty. I prefer regular food and water dishes that I wash daily .
My sister uses an automatic water/feeder for her cats. She only has good things to say about it! It allots the cats a specific amount, and there seems to be less mess.
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Your sister must have one of the timer ones which are great for monitoring feedings but they are also$$$... I think the OP is talking about the gravity free feeding and water dishes
Like an above poster said, auto feeders can be a recipe for an overweight kitty if he lacks self control. Personally, I like scheduled feeding, as I get to monitor what my cats eat to be sure they are eating. Feeding twice a day helps keep the metabolism up and they are less likely to gain excessive weight. Keeping active is a key component of weight maintenance, as well. Laser pointers are great for that!!!
Okie
Okie
Yes to the water fountain (less dirty water from cat paws since they can drink from the filtered stream of water) but no to the auto feeder, the timers may not go off properly, and a non timed one is just a recipe for an overweight cat as mentioned above
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I don't use a fountain for the same reason, I won't use plastic anything for my cats eating or drinking.
The stainless steel 360 is nice but the cat who needs a fountain prefers water that trickles down a surface, not a spout, so it would be pointless.
It just seems so...unhygienic. I clean my cats dishes with scalding water between every serving.
Originally Posted by Okie89
Like an above poster said, auto feeders can be a recipe for an overweight kitty if he lacks self control. Personally, I like scheduled feeding, as I get to monitor what my cats eat to be sure they are eating. Feeding twice a day helps keep the metabolism up and they are less likely to gain excessive weight. Keeping active is a key component of weight maintenance, as well. Laser pointers are great for that!!!
Okie
Not only do I think it is better for them, I also find meal times to be special bonding times. Each cat has developed his or her own special rituals with meals, and it's a delight to see.
IME, the timers aren't a problem as long as the battery has juice. I only use an auto feeder for breakfast, though, because I don't want to get up at 5 a.m. every day.
The thing I don't like about them is the plastic tray. I've replaced the tray in Jamie's with a china bowl.
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How hard was it to modify with a different dish? I take it the lid still opens and closes?
I just pulled the tray out and tried the bowls I had. Two fit, so I got a few more the same size. The feeder I have is relatively simple - it's this one, but a single rather than a double: http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/c.../feeders/13600
We use a fountain (Drinkwell Original) and elevated standard cat bowls for their dry food.
Just an FYI, there are several stainless fountains available now. There's the Drinkwell 360 stainless and Esmartcat came out with a ceramic AND a stainless water fountain for cats. I think Petmate is supposed to have a stainless fountain too.
Just an FYI, there are several stainless fountains available now. There's the Drinkwell 360 stainless and Esmartcat came out with a ceramic AND a stainless water fountain for cats. I think Petmate is supposed to have a stainless fountain too.
I was using the plastic Petco fountain, which was a great deal at $18. But have since switched back to the water bowl because of a number of issues. The plastic was too lightweight for one of my cat's swatting prowess. Water everywhere. I stuck velcro on it to prevent her hijinks. But then when I needed to peel the fountain from the velcro...water everywhere. Got tired of dealing with it everyday. So instead of switching the water daily, I was doing it every 4-5 days. Which led to a slimy film on the plastic bowl.
I also use the feeder linked. Pricey, but I've been very happy with it. It's a little complicated but the ability to micro-measure each feeding and to set up to 24 feedings daily is great. I feed wet food twice daily and have the feeder go off once in the early evening (when I'm still at work). When I travel, I set the feeder for 2-3 feedings, depending on the serving size.
http://www.amazon.com/CSF-3-Super-Fe...8703614&sr=8-3
I also use the feeder linked. Pricey, but I've been very happy with it. It's a little complicated but the ability to micro-measure each feeding and to set up to 24 feedings daily is great. I feed wet food twice daily and have the feeder go off once in the early evening (when I'm still at work). When I travel, I set the feeder for 2-3 feedings, depending on the serving size.
http://www.amazon.com/CSF-3-Super-Fe...8703614&sr=8-3
I use the CatIt dome fountains, but they come with a plastic mat that holds them in place (it has little lips that grip the fountain) I velcroed the matt to the floor and can peel away the grips from the fountain to clean/fill
