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Tags: Cats, Felines, cat information, cat health 

Reply Owning a Feline: The Essentials
The Feeding Station

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Punkin Avis
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 1:44 pm


The Feeding Station


The cat feeding station is of great importance. Food placement and types of bowls vary greatly. They should each have their own set of food bowls and the placement should be considered. Kitchen? Laundry Room?

Keep in mind that you should never feed your cat in the vicinity of her box. It is a cats natural inclination to defecate away from her nesting area. If theres not an option (as illness requires the cat confined, or a new addition), place them as far apart as you can. Failure to do so will lead to litter box aversion or not eating.
PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 12:51 pm


Types of Bowls


There is so many options of bowls out there, how do you choose? Generally there is 3 types of bowls of common practice with pros and cons to each.

Plastic Bowls

Inexspensive, and a wide variety of colors and shapes, the plastic food bowl is most common. They come in many diffrent styles and can be purchased just about anywhere. They can come in grip bowls (ones that dont slide) or double dish, where water and food go in the same area. (I would avoid these due to the fact that kibble gets into the water side and is horribly messy.

Cons: Scratches in the bowls structure can lead to bateria in the bowl and make smells harder to erase during cleaning. Also make sure the bowl is safe for kitty to use as certian plastics contain chemicals. It has also been known to cause acne underneath the chins of cats, though rarely.

Pros: Inexspensive

Ceramic Bowls

Generally a little more exspensive, these bowl come in cute shapes, colors, designs, and styles. A little heavier than the plastic bowls, the kitty has a hard time knocking it over and scooting it around. Keep in mind that if it becomes chipped or cracked, it must be disposed of to prevent harm to the kitty.

Cons: Same as with the plastic dishes, ceramic bowls can be breeding ground for bacteria and smells. It can be chipped or broken as with any glass dishware, and replaced.

Pros: Cute, heavy duty

Stainless Steel

The best options for the feline, are the stainless steel variety. Usually circular, they can be made with no slip grips to avoid sliding. Generally not easily scratched, they are the safest option for kitty to use.

Cons: The clanking of tag against the side as they eat.

Pros: Safe for kitty to use, middle range of food bowl prices

Punkin Avis
Captain

Chatty Cat

12,000 Points
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Punkin Avis
Captain

Chatty Cat

12,000 Points
  • Cats vs Dogs 100
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  • Team Edward 100
PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 1:11 pm


Special Feeders


There is a big market for specialty feeders. This includes timed feeders, auto feeders, puzzle feeders, and gobble bowls.

Timed Feeders

These are nice if you cant be home to feed your kitty. They have a timer and the compartments open up at certian times automatically. Its a good idea to NOT use wet food in these, as they are often not refridgerated.

Timed Feeder

Automatic Feeder

This is the ultimate free feeder. It continuously releases kibble and all the human has to do is fill it up upon occasion. These are NOT recomended in multicat homes as one cat can prevent the other from eating. These also promote overeating and leads to obesity in cats.

Auto Feeder

Puzzle Feeders

Have a smarty cat? An overweight cat that needs to lose a few pounds? Or just want your cat to work for their meal? These are often fun and make feeding time fun for your cat. smile It doesnt promote overeating and makes them excersize for their meal, going off of the natural instinct of "Hunt, Feast, Groom, Sleep" lifestyle of cats. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and levels of puzzle.

Puzzle Feeder

Maze Puzzle Feeder

Treat Balls

Gobble Bowls

Have a cat that likes to inhale his food? Have a multi cat household and the cat steals the other cats food? I would recomend a gobble bowl. Available in various shapes, sizes and styles, they have little plastic ridges in the center of the bowl to prevent the cat from getting right in there and devouring his food. It forces them to eat slowly, at a decent pace. This prevents the cat from throwing up (from eating too fast or too much) and retrains your cat to eat at a speed thats good for him.

TIPS for Gobble Bowls: Velcro them down. Your cat will knock it over to get at the food.

Gobble Bowl
PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 1:14 pm


Keeping it Clean


All the bowls, no matter which one you use, should be cleaned up regularly using a very mild dish soap and hot water. Cats have an amazing sense of smell and can pick up on the faintest of scents that our human noses can miss. Never use bleach (unless its HIGHLY diluted) or ammonia to clean a cats bowl. Make sure that all the soap is rinsed thoroughly from the bowl.

Cleaning the bowls on a regular basis also allows you to inspect it for damages.

Punkin Avis
Captain

Chatty Cat

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Punkin Avis
Captain

Chatty Cat

12,000 Points
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 1:17 pm


How Many Bowls?


Cats should have on average, 3 bowls. One for dry food (if fed kibble), one for wet food, and one for water. Each cat should have its own set of bowls.
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Owning a Feline: The Essentials

 
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