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Home > Cats > 7 DIY Cat Bowls You Can Build Today (With Pictures)

7 DIY Cat Bowls You Can Build Today (With Pictures)

Cute kitten eating dry cat food

Everyone who has a pet cat is going to need at least one food bowl for them to eat their dinner. However, the food bowls sold at the store can be quite expensive, and the ones that they carry might be the wrong size or color for your pet. You can build a more suitable one for your pet with items you have around the house or can purchase easily in many cases. We’ve searched the internet to find as many plans as we could to help give you some ideas that you can put to use. We’ll provide you with an image of each plan we’ve found as well as a short description so you can learn more about it and see if it’s right for you.

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The 7 DIY Cat Bowl Plans

1. Clay Cat Bowl

DIY Cat Bowl
Image By: Practical and Pretty

The Clay Cat Bowl is the perfect example of an easy-to-build dinner bowl that you can customize any way you want to. It only requires a few clay colors and oven-proof bowls that you can use to bake the clay. You can create a dish in less than 30 minutes, and each one is unique. You can use any baking clay, and they are available in a wide variety of colors.


2. Martha Stewart Travel Pet Bowl

DIY Cat Bowl
Image By: Martha Stewart

The Martha Stewart Travel Pet Bowl is a perfect example of how you can use supplies around your home to make a very special food bowl for your cat. This idea is very inexpensive, and your imagination is the only limit. You can decorate it with words, images, or drawings. Stickers, markers, or paints will work great. And best of all, this bowl is seriously portable!


3. Pet Bowl Stand

DIY Cat Bowl
Image Credit: Dunn Lumber

The Pet Bowl Stand is a little more complicated than the earlier examples and will require some woodwork. It will only require several small boards, finishing nails, and a few other items. A hand saw, tape measure, and a power drill is most of the tools you will need. The finished project will leave your pet with an attractive table where your pet can eat dinner.


4. Modern Pet Bowl Stand

DIY Cat Bowl
Image Credit: Almost Makes Perfect

The Modern Pet Bowl Stand is similar to our last model but is slightly easier to build. It only requires a few materials like wood and wood glue, and you won’t require any power tools to complete. It’s a simple design that you can customize with different stains to create a unique appearance that will match your kitchen.


5. Modern Raised Dog Bowl

DIY Cat Bowl
Image Credit: Centsational Style

The Modern Raised Dog Bowl is another raised table design that we recommend trying out. It’s a bit more complicated than the others we looked at so far and will require quite a few supplies and tools, but it’s highly customizable and will last a lifetime.


6. Cat Water Bowl and Planter

DIY Cat Bowl
Image Credit: The Happier Homemaker

If you hate how classic cat bowls look, we have the perfect project for you! This simple DIY cat bowl is part planter, part water bowl. You can grow cat-friendly plants on the side, provide your cats with plenty of water, and have a nice-looking piece of decor, too.  This is a great option for offices — and your cat will enjoy it! It can even provide some fresh grass that cats love to snack on and can help improve their digestion. These grasses grow quickly and are completely non-toxic.


7. Stylish Book Cat Bowl

DIY Cat Bowl
Image Credit: Hunt and Host

Our final DIY cat bowl is a really unique option perfect for any book-lover! This project turns any cool-looking book into a cat bowl stand, complete with rounded ball feet. You can also make your own book, so go wild with the cat puns.

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Tips

When designing your cat bowl, make sure to choose a durable, easy-to-clean material. Don’t use plastic because it can leech harmful chemicals into the food. Plastic also scratches easily and can allow bacteria to grow.

When designing your DIY cat bowl, make sure it’s wide enough that your cat can eat without touching its whiskers to the sides of the bowl. A wide shallow bowl is better than a deep one. When the whiskers hit the side of the dishes, it can overstimulate them, and it will be harder to enjoy their dinner.

While many of the designs on this list feature two bowls, one for food and one for water, we recommend using a fountain to hydrate your cat because it keeps the water fresher, and the sound they make attracts the cats and will entice them to drink while they play. A well-hydrated cat will shed less and will experience less constipation.

Feeding your cat dry food instead of wet food will promote better dental health. The harder kibble will scrape away tartar as it builds up. More than half of cats over four years of age suffer from dental issues and feeding dry food can help.

Hepper 360 Cat Feeder, Stainless Steel, Anti-Chew...
  • NO MESS - The 360° tray on this cat food and water bowl set has a raised design to catch and...
  • WHISKER FRIENDLY - Shallow and wide metal containers with flat bottoms ensure your kitty can enjoy...
  • CHEW-SAFE MATERIALS - Kittens and cats love chewing on silicone and soft rubber - but it's a choking...

Or, if you’re looking to try something a bit different, the Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl puts an innovative, modern spin on the traditional cat dish. It caters to the specific needs of felines, like offering whisker relief and elevated dishes that improve better posture. Its also a gra option for pet owners! It's contemporary in style and the base wraps around both stainless steel bowls to ensure that any food and water stays in the tray and off your floor. Find out here if the Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl is right for you.

At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool pet company

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Summary

Out of all of the ideas we presented on this list, the easiest ones to build are the first ones. The baking clay is easy to find and inexpensive enough that you can make several attempts to create something you like. If you have several cats, you can also make unique bowls for each pet and experiment with shapes. Just remember to make them wide enough for the whiskers. Decorating your existing bowls can be another great way to change their appearance and create something unique that will personalize them for your cat. If you are good with woodworking, any other projects will make a fine dining area for your pet, and the raised bowls will make it easier for your cat to eat.

We hope you have enjoyed reading over our list and found some ideas you want to try out. If we have inspired you to improve your pet’s eating experience, please share these 8 DIY cat bowls on Facebook and Twitter.


Featured Image Credit: AlexanderDubrovsky, Shutterstock

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