Can New Cat Feeders Help Solve Mealtime Problems?

by Elijah Merrill

Can New Cat Feeders Help Solve Mealtime Problems?

Take a look at the food bowls offered online and in pet stores, and you'll find more than a handful of newfangled bowls designed to solve various food-related problems -- especially overeating.

The DuraPet Slow-feed Bowl, for example, claims to be "ideal for overweight cats or cats that throw up after eating too quickly." The Drs. Foster and Smith Bridgeport Slow Down Bowl for Cats has a "fish-shaped ‘slow-down' feature that curbs air gulping and flatulence." And the makers of the Break-fast Cat Bowl mention, "Slower eating makes an animal feel fuller and reduces instances of re-eating."

The bowls themselves are pretty standard, except they have anywhere from one to three raised bumps in the middle that cats have to work around to get their kibble. They don't tend to cost much more for this minor design change (prices range from $5.99 to $16.99), but whether or not they actually work is debatable. Many online customer reviews indicate that they can indeed slow down cats' eating. But whether the slower pace can aid weight loss, digestion or flatulence is a question better left to veterinary professionals.

Aiding Digestion, but Not Curbing Weight Gain

"Slowing food intake could potentially aid in digestion by reducing the incidence of vomiting," says Dr. Amy Dicke, a technical services veterinarian with Iams. "Food gulping can be associated with the swallowing of excessive air that may lead to flatulence, however, this is seen more frequently in dogs." Dicke says it's unlikely that these bowls can help overweight cats lose weight. "Techniques and apparatuses used to slow down food intake in cats are more about controlling vomiting than weight," she says.

Dr. Katy Johnson Nelson, an emergency veterinarian in Virginia, agrees. "Weight loss is achieved by portion control of the appropriate food and increased activity level," she says. "If you're serving too much of the wrong food, a bowl won't make any difference."

Dicke, who has worked with teams of nutritionists and researchers, says switching to a food that's been scientifically designed for weight loss can additionally help. "Look for special ingredients, such as L-carnitine -- also known as the ‘fat burner' -- to promote loss of fat and maintenance of lean muscle," she says.

Cat Food Bowls for Play

If slow food bowls have iffy benefits, other interactive slow food bowls could make eating fun for any cat. The Stimulo bowl by Aikiou ($28.95) is genuinely novel in that it looks nothing like a bowl. Rather, it is a collection of vertical tubes of different heights in which you can stash food. Your cats must then work at getting their meal.

The manufacturers tout this as something that taps into cats' instincts for hunting and play. "It will depend upon the personality of the individual cat," says Nelson. "Some will decide it's not worth the wait, others may find it quite stimulating."

Dicke says she would take the idea of the Stimulo and expand it across a wider area. "Small amounts of food hidden throughout the house may provide multiple benefits, including mentally engaging the cat, slowing food intake and providing exercise (which could provide a weight loss benefit)," she says. Dicke also suggests a homemade version of standard slow food bowls -- just place a golf ball or very large marbles in the feeding bowl. Small amounts of food placed in an egg cartoon container can also serve to slow food intake by increasing the difficulty of getting it.

For the granddaddy of fancy cat food bowl designs, look no further than the Dog-proof Cat Feeding Station, sold by Frontgate. Resembling a side table with a smooth walnut finish, the feeding station is essentially a handsome cage that can hold and protect a cat food bowl. A cat can slip into the station and eat in peace.

It's a great idea if you have a dog that goes after your cat's food. But considering its $199.95 price tag, you may prefer to come up with a homemade solution for this one too.

Elijah Merrill is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine and Discover.

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