Did you know that your cat's whiskers are super, duper sensitive?
Whiskers are the same width as a cat's body and so perfectly serve as a sensory function, allowing cats to judge the distance between things and how far away objects are from their face and body, with the ability to detect the slightest vibration in the air.
I didn't find out about this until I became a full-time cat sitter. There were instances that I found and remembered my own cats stepping up to their food bowl, bending down, and then walking away. Their food was the same food they had been enjoying...what has changed? When health issues are ruled out, it can come down to the type of dish your using. What? Yup!
There are many cat bowls/dishes that are incredibly cute, but they aren't practical for your cat's needs. Having a wide-open dish is the best route to ensuring their whiskers have plenty of room while eating. See examples below:
If you want to go the extra step, a raised dish is super helpful too! Senior pets benefit from them the most as it allows them to walk up to their food without having to bend down. If you have an asthmatic feline or one that has back legs that slide out from under them while they eat, placing a small mat or rug in front of their dish can be helpful. It will keep their legs from slipping, enabling them to save that back leg energy.
Stay tuned for more tips, tricks, and special ways to spoil your kitties!