You know you need a cat feeding mat to keep everything contained. But what you might not realize is that while the right feeding mat can solve all your problems, the wrong one can be little more than a waste of money.
That’s why we took the time to review 10 of the best cat feeding mats out there. We also broke down everything that you need to look for in a cat feeding mat in our comprehensive buyer’s guide.
A Glance at Our Winners in 2024
Image | Product | Details | ||
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Best Overall | Frisco Silicone Cat Food Mat |
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Best Value | ORE Pet Skinny Recycled Rubber Rectangle Placemat |
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Premium Choice | BarksBar Original Silicone Pet Feeding Mat |
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PetFusion Premium Silicone Cat Food Mat |
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Platinum Pets Food & Water Heavy-Duty Feeding Mat |
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The 10 Best Cat Feeding Mats
1. Frisco Silicone Cat Food Mat — Best Overall
You don’t need to spend a ton of money to get the best overall cat feeding mat. The Frisco Silicone Cat Food Mat is an outstanding choice that doesn’t require you to break the bank. The Silicone construction is long-lasting and completely dishwasher safe, making for a quick and easy cleanup every time.
This mat has raised edges to help contain the mess from sloppy eaters and drinkers, providing everything that you could ask for in a feeding mat. However, this mat is a simple, no-frills design. While that helps it blend in with a variety of room décors, if you’re looking for something that offers a little pop or extra touch of style, this isn’t it.
2. ORE Pet Skinny Recycled Rubber Rectangle Placemat — Best Value
If you’re looking for the best cat food mat for the money, look no further than the ORE Pet Skinny Recycled Rubber Placemat. This placemat is extremely affordable, and ORE made it from recycled rubber, so it’s good for the environment too!
This mat has raised edges to help contain food and water, and the anti-slip grip on the bottom keeps your cats from sliding it around the room as they eat. Still, this mat only has one color and size option, so it’s best to double-check that it will work for your bowls and room layout before placing an order.
3. BarksBar Original Silicone Pet Feeding Mat — Premium Choice
While basic, no-frills food mats can get the job done, if you’re willing and able to spend a little more, you’ll get a few extra features. There are two sizes and two different color options to choose from, and the silicone is both odor and stain resistant.
The mat has gripper patterns that hold the bowls in place, so you don’t have to worry about your cat sliding the mat around the floor or the bowls around the mat! Finally, this mat is entirely dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.
So, while you might be spending a little more on this cat food mat up front, it’s a high-quality and long-lasting option that’s well worth the extra cost.
4. PetFusion Premium Silicone Cat Food Mat
The PetFusion Premium Silicone Cat Food Mat is an outstanding choice for you and your cat. This mat comes in three different sizes and two different color patterns, so there’s sure to be the perfect option for you.
It has a tall outer lip to help contain spills, it’s dishwasher safe, and there are anti-slip bumps on both sides of the mat! You won’t need to worry about the entire mat sliding around or the food dishes sliding around on the mat!
It’s on the expensive side for a food mat, but it’s still extremely affordable overall. Considering that you’re getting a food mat that has everything you could possibly ask for, the extra cost up front is well worth the perfect cat food mat.
5. Platinum Pets Food & Water Heavy-Duty Feeding Mat
A no-frills food mat that gets the job done is this mat by Platinum Pets. While there’s only one size and color option, it’s a heavy-duty food mat that can last for years in any room. The silicone design is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.
But while this mat is available for a great price and even has a no-slip grip on both the bottom and top sides of the mat, there are no raised bumps to give it the best possible no-slip design. Still, the raised edges keep food and water spills contained.
6. PetFusion ToughGrip Food Mat
The PetFusion ToughGrip Food Mat is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s not too expensive, and while it has unique features, it also lacks a few basics. Starting with the perks, this food mat has raised edges to help contain food mess and concave dots to help collect food and water spills.
But while those concave dots help contain the mess, they prevent this mat from having a super-effective anti-slip coating on top. However, it does have an anti-slip coating on the bottom, so you don’t need to worry about this mat sliding all over the room.
Even better, it has an anti-microbial finish and is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. However, there’s only one size and color option, and it’s a bit on the larger size. While that’s great if you have large bowls, the mat can dwarf the entire setup if you don’t.
7. Loving Pets Bella Fish Cat Bowl Mat
The Loving Pets Bella Fish Cat Bowl Mat is unique for having a fish design and a rigid plastic shell. It also has an anti-skid bottom to keep it from sliding all over the room, and it has raised edges to help contain the mess.
However, the raised edge portion for the bowl is smaller than the rest of the mat, which only allows you to use smaller bowls. Still, it’s incredibly affordable and long-lasting, even if it can be a bit difficult to clean compared to silicone options.
8. ORE Pet Recycled Rubber Oval Meow! Placemat
The ORE Rubber Oval Meow! Placemat has a few critical design flaws. First, the 12″ oval shape is small. While that’s not a big deal if you don’t have large bowls, if you do, they won’t fit.
Second, there’s no raised edge on the top. That means if food or water does spill out, there’s nothing to keep it from spreading to the floor. Since there’s no anti-slip coating on the top either, nothing is keeping the bowls from sliding off!
But if your cats aren’t messy eaters, you can get this mat at an affordable price. Also, ORE used recycled rubber to make this an eco-friendly mat!
9. ORE Pet Recycled Rubber Black Cat Face Placemat
This Black Cat Face Placemat’s small size shouldn’t be a problem if you have two smaller bowls. But it doesn’t have raised edges, which means if you have a messy eater, then the food and water will spread to the floor in no time. Still, ORE made the mat from recycled rubber, so it’s both affordable and good for the environment!
The bottom also has an anti-slip design to keep it from sliding all over the room, and it’s incredibly easy to clean. It’s a good choice, though it’s certainly not for every cat.
10. Bone Dry Stripe Embroidered Paw Print Dog & Cat Food Mat
The Bone Dry Stripe Embroidered Paw Print Cat Food Mat has a low price, but we can’t look past the fact that Bone Dry made it from microfiber cloth. While that material is great for absorbing spills, it quickly leads to a dirty mat that you need to wash repeatedly. While you can throw it in the washing machine, it’s best to let it air dry, and that takes time.
But it’s not all bad with this mat, it has a non-slip bottom and comes in three color options, and if you take care of it, it’ll last a long time.
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Cat Feeding Mat
You might be wondering why all these different features and specs matter so much — it’s just a feeding mat, right? Remember, you want a feeding mat that will keep everything where it belongs, so if you get the wrong one, it can slide all over the place and quickly become an eyesore.
So, what are you looking for to keep that from happening? We break that down here.
Choosing Your Material
One of the most important decisions that you need to make when selecting a feeding mat is the material that the manufacturer uses to make it. Manufacturers will use four main materials to make their feeding mats, and each has its own perks and drawbacks.
Silicone
Silicone is the most popular feeding mat material for a reason. It’s flexible, easy to take care of, and long-lasting. What really sets these mats apart is the fact that they are extremely slip-resistant and look nicer than rubber.
Silicone mats can be more expensive than other materials, but they’re often well worth the cost.
Rubber
Another extremely popular option for feeding mats is rubber — more specifically, recycled rubber. This is popular for two reasons. First, it’s incredibly affordable, and second, using recycled materials is great for the environment.
However, recycled rubber doesn’t have the same lustrous look that silicone does, and it’s usually not dishwasher safe. Still, it’s extremely slip-resistant, affordable, and great for the environment!
Plastic
Plastic gets a bad rap for a reason. It’s typically fairly fragile, and many consumers don’t like the fact that it’s not environmentally sustainable. Still, plastic is extremely affordable and easy to maintain.
However, unless manufacturers install anti-slip coatings on the bottom, plastic will slide all over the place.
Microfiber
Cloth feeding mats are among the most affordable options out there. They also absorb messes, so you don’t have to worry about spills leaking to the floor.
But that perk quickly turns to a drawback over time as that gunk builds up and destroys the mat. So, while these mats might be affordable up front, they usually end up costing you more in the long run.
Raised Edges: Why You Want Them
No matter if you have a messier eater or not, you want raised edges on your feeding mat. The reason is simple: Eventually, there’s going to be a spill, and you want it to stay on the mat.
Whether it’s a spill when you’re setting down the water bowl or when your cat comes in for a drink, the last thing that you want is water all over your floor. Raised edges keep everything contained, which is a huge perk of having a feeding mat in the first place!
Anti-slip Coatings
Not all cat feeding mats on the market have an anti-slip coating on the bottom. It’s a big deal because otherwise, the feeding mat will slide all over the floor, and that’s likely the reason that you want to get a feeding mat in the first place.
Also, regarding the top of the feeding mat, not all of them have an anti-slip coating. Whether you need one often comes down to your pet. Some cats won’t move the dish around much while they’re eating, so getting a mat with an anti-slip coating on top isn’t that important. Other pets will slide the bowl all over the place, making the anti-slip coating a must.
Get to know your cat and make your decision.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, our reviews walked you through everything that you need to know so you have the confidence to order your next cat feeding mat. If you’re still unsure, why not go with the Frisco Silicone Cat Food Mat? With tons of grip and an easy-to-clean design, it’s not hard to see why it earned our best overall choice. If you’re looking to save a few bucks, the ORE Pet Skinny Recycled Rubber Rectangle Placemat does everything that you need without breaking the bank.
Of course, if you want the best of the best, the BarksBar Original Silicone Pet Feeding Mat has everything that you could want in a feeding mat.