Watch an older dog eat from a bowl on the floor. Some stand with their front legs splayed. Some lie down to eat. Others take a few mouthfuls, step away and come back.
A raised bowl brings the food up so your pet doesn't have to reach all the way down. For the right pet it makes mealtimes simpler. It isn't for every pet though. The height matters too.
Who raised bowls suit
- Older dogs and cats who seem stiff or slow when they bend down to eat or drink.
- Taller dogs who have a long way to reach to a bowl on the floor.
- Pets who push their bowl around the floor while they eat. A stand holds the bowls in place.
Finding the right height
Too low and you haven't helped. Too high and your pet has to stretch up, which isn't comfortable either.
- Have your pet stand square on a flat floor.
- Measure from the floor to the bottom of their chest, just behind the front legs.
- Look for a bowl whose rim sits at that height or a little below it.
Smaller cats, kittens and toy breeds usually need only a small lift, if any. Medium and large dogs and big cat breeds suit a taller stand.
What to look for
- Material. Ceramic and stainless steel are easy to keep clean and don't hold on to smells the way some plastics can.
- Removable bowls. Bowls that lift out of the stand are easier to refill and wash.
- Dishwasher safe. Worth checking if you want to put the bowls through the dishwasher with your own dishes.
- Stability. Non-slip feet or a wide base stop the stand sliding or tipping when your pet leans in.
- Two bowls or one. A double stand keeps food and water side by side. A single bowl takes up less room.
Making the switch
Most pets take to a raised bowl straight away. If yours is unsure, put it where the old bowl used to be and add a favourite treat on top of their usual food for the first few meals.
If your pet has stopped eating well, is dropping food or seems to have trouble swallowing, see your vet. A different bowl won't fix those.
Our picks
The Pedestal for most dogs and bigger cats
- Bowls sit about 19 cm off the floor
- Two removable 850 ml ceramic bowls on a bamboo stand
- Food-safe ceramic, microwave and dishwasher safe
- Anti-slip feet and suction cups on the stand
- Stand: 37 × 19 × 19 cm
- For toy breeds, smaller cats and kittens it's likely to be too high
The Dinner Date for cats, kittens and small dogs
- Two stainless steel bowls set into a wooden stand, one for food and one for water
- Stand is 13 cm high (35 × 20 × 13 cm)
- Bowls lift out for washing
- Stable stand designed to stop tipping
The Twin Dish for a ceramic pair on a bamboo stand
- Two ceramic bowls on a non-slip bamboo stand
- Ceramic fired at 1300°C, microwave and dishwasher safe
- Smooth glazed surface, easy to clean
- Bowls 9 cm high × 15 cm across, stand 30 cm long
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