There seems to be quite a bit of debate among pet parents about the best location to keep their cat’s food and water bowls. Some owners put the dishes in the kitchen, while others keep them in the hallway or laundry room.
It doesn’t matter which location you choose. What matters is that the cat is okay and comfortable with the site. If you can, it needs to be a low-traffic, stress-free area that’s easy for your cat to reach. It’s also best to keep the feeding area permanent if you can. If you’re unsure of the best location for your cat’s food and water bowls, we have five smart choices for you below.
The 5 Smart Places To Put Your Cat’s Food and Water Bowls
1. The Utility/Laundry Room
Many pet parents choose the utility/laundry room to keep their cat’s feeding bowls in. The laundry room is an excellent place because it’s usually away from high-traffic areas. Also, most cats have positive associations with clothes that haven’t been washed yet. The clothes retain the unique scents of their owners, and the cats can detect the smell.
If you have a laundry room, it is the perfect place to keep the cat’s dishes; make sure to keep them away from the laundry detergent and other cleaning products, just to be safe.
2. The Kitchen
Most pet owners keep their cat’s water and food bowls in the kitchen where the rest of the family eats. However, the kitchen is usually the hub of a household, meaning you’ll have people running in and out most of the time.
Keeping the feeding bowls in the kitchen might not be a problem if your home life is peaceful. However, if you have a large family constantly in and out of the kitchen, another location in the house might be better for your feline.
If you want to use the kitchen with a dining table, you could put the bowls beneath it. This keeps the bowls in the kitchen but gives the cat a calm place to eat and keeps it from getting irritated.
3. The Garage
If your cat needs absolute calmness and quiet to eat, the garage might be a great place to put its feeding bowls. Most people don’t use the garage that often, so the cat will be comfortable going there to eat. Put the bowls away from any chemicals or equipment so the cat can’t get hurt, and you should be good to go. It’s also a good idea to make sure the cat has a way to get in and out of the garage, so it can eat when it wants and still be able to get back into the house.
4. The Porch
The porch is seldomly used by many cat owners, making it the perfect location for a cat’s feeding bowls. It’s quiet, and the cat doesn’t have to worry about being stepped on while eating.
This works better if your porch is screened in, and the cat can get back into the house quickly after eating. This is the perfect option if you have an outside cat. Just ensure the food is where other animals can’t get into it.
5. The Hallway
The last location on our list is the hallway, but this one is debatable. The hallway may be the perfect spot for your cat’s food and water bowl if you don’t have many visitors. However, if your hall is a high-traffic area, you might want to consider other locations.
Also, many owners don’t like the idea of the food bowls greeting guests when they visit their homes. Remember, cat food can put off quite the aroma at times. However, if it doesn’t bother you, your guests, or the cat, the hallway is a great option.
Where to Put Cat Bowls When You Have Dogs
While the locations above can be perfect for your cat’s dishes, the situation may change a bit when you have dogs. Many cats refuse to share their food and water bowls with dogs, and you’re stuck wondering where to put the bowls so your canine pals can’t get into them.
One option is a cat food and water perch or a sturdy shelf the dog can’t reach. They are wall-mounted shelves that the dog can’t touch, but your cat can because they jump and climb.
There are also microchip feeders on the market today. The feeder will only open up when it senses your cat’s microchip, successfully barring your dog from eating the cat’s food. The only downside to these feeders is that they don’t come cheap. You can expect to pay over $100 for the microchip feeder.
On the other hand, you can go old school with it and install a dog-proof gate. These gates are highly effective and aren’t outrageously expensive like microchip feeders.
If you own a cat house, you could put your cat’s feeding bowls in it since the cat doors are often too small for dogs to fit through. Of course, that will not work if you have a tiny dog, but it’s worth a shot if you own a larger breed.
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Conclusion
Where to put a cat’s water and food bowl has been debated by cat parents for years now. While it might seem like you could plop the feeding bowls down anywhere, and the cat would eat when ready, that’s not exactly true.
Cats are very particular animals; sometimes, they won’t eat if their food isn’t in a location where they feel safe. It’s best to put your cat’s bowls in a stress-free area with low traffic so the cat can eat comfortably. One of the locations above should be the sweet spot for your cat’s bowls. If the cat doesn’t like your chosen location, pick another one and see if that helps.
Featured Image Credit: Jaromir Chalabala, Shutterstock
