Published by: Ingrid King. Last Updated on: June 28, 2023 by Crystal Uys
Have you noticed your cat pulling food out of the bowl, throwing it next to the bowl, and then proceeding to eat it? Perhaps your cat uses her paw to “fish” food out of her food bowl? Does she constantly demand food even though her bowl is half full? Does she consistently finish only part of her meal? If you notice any of these signs, your cat may be experiencing whisker stress.
What is whisker stress?
Whiskers are extremely sensitive, and when a food bowl is too narrow and too deep, a cat is forced to put her face all the way into the bowl to reach her food. This makes her whiskers bump against the side of the bowl, which causes discomfort. In extreme cases, cats may refuse to eat out of deep, narrow bowls altogether.
Dr. Catsby’s Bowl for Whisker Relief
Dr. Catsby’s bowls are wide but shallow dishes. They allow cats to reach their food without having to worry about whiskers touching the bowl. The bowls feature
- A wide but shallow dish
- A non-slip mat to prevent the dish from sliding around on tile or wood floors
- A stainless steel finish, which is easy to clean. The bowls are dishwasher safe.
- A clean, simple design that will fit in with a variety of decors
We put the bowls to the test
Allegra and Ruby love testing food bowls. They’ve learned that they get quite a few treats before Mom gets some halfway-decent photos to use with the review! Even though the bowls are much larger than the small saucer size flat dishes the girls are used to eating from, they had no hesitation about eating off these bowls. You can see from the photo below that there’s not a chance that whiskers will touch the bowl.
I like almost everything about these bowls. My only issue is that Dr. Catsby’s website states that the bowls are recommended for use with dry food – if you’ve read me for any length of time, you know that I don’t recommend any dry food for cats. I tested the bowls with raw and canned food and Allegra and Ruby had no issues licking the bowls clean.
The bowls can also be used for water – the bowl holds about a cup and a half of water – but since they’re so shallow, filling them and then moving them is a bit awkward.
I think Dr. Catsby got everything right with these bowls. The only thing I would like to see in the future is a choice of colors for the non-slip mat.
For more information, and to purchase, please visit www.DrCatsby.com.
About the author
Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.
