We received countless emails from cat parents who loved Americat Company stainless steel cat bowls and asked if we could make a raised stand to hold them. What a great idea!
So, we went to work to design and make our made in the USA, raised cat bowl stand. Through the process, we learned a lot about cat behavior, materials, and design. We want to give you a glimpse behind the scenes into why we created the elevated cat bowl stand that we did.
10 Different Raised Feeder Designs & 1 Year Later...
This is our Americat Company cat bowl stand!
Many customers are surprised to learn that we design all of our own products with the help of our manufacturers. Working with a talented product engineer, we created and evaluated 10 different bowl stand designs in order to select the best. We considered different rings to hold the bowl, different legs, and different feet.
The final version we selected is made in the USA from U.S.-sourced stainless steel. It is whisker friendly, dishwasher safe, and super sturdy, raising bowls 3 inches above the ground. It has been approved by my own cats and now our customers' cats!
Why Do Cats Need an Elevated Bowl Stand?
More Comfortable
- Cats don’t have to bend down as far to eat or drink
- Helps reduce neck and joint strain by bringing their bowl closer to their mouth
- Helpful for cats that are larger, older, arthritic, or have digestive issues
- Any cat may find eating from a raised bowl more comfortable
Makes Meals More Enjoyable
- Customers have shared that their cats now take their time and eat more slowly while using Americat Company stands
- Also helps entice cats to drink more water
Less Scarf and Barf
- Customers have shared that since their cats tend to eat more slowly, there have been less vomiting and GI issues
That is so great to hear! Hear from other cat lovers about why their cats use stands in our customer reviews.
This is Bella. She now knows how great eating from a raised bowl is.
Now that we've shared why elevated cat bowl stands are helpful to cats, we'll share how we considered every detail to create the best raised feeder...
1. We Selected the Safest Material
Here's why we selected stainless steel over other materials, including wood, ceramic, glass, and other metals.
Stainless Steel is Safest
We chose stainless steel for both our cat bowl and bowl stand for safety, since stainless steel is the most sanitary material for feeding cats. Stainless steel is nonporous, so it does not harbor bacteria, and it is easy to clean. That is why it is frequently used in medicine and food preparation.
Plastic and ceramic bowls can develop scratches where bacteria can grow on leftover food and saliva. This can make cats sick or cause feline acne. Read more about stainless steel versus other materials in another blog article we wrote.
Stainless Steel is Easy to Clean
Our bowls and stands are dishwasher safe. Wood and many other metals cannot go in the dishwasher, so we ruled them out.
Stainless Steel is Durable
Lastly, this stainless steel stand will not shatter if it is accidentally dropped, unlike a glass or ceramic stand.
2. We Chose a U.S. Manufacturer to Make Our Cat Stands in the USA
All Americat Company products are made in the USA from U.S. materials. We believe this results in the safest and highest quality cat products. I created Americat Company because I wanted to know what materials went into my cats’ products and where they were made. So, making a cat bowl and stand in the USA was important to me and also to our customers.
3. We Designed an Elevated Stand to Meet the Needs of Cats
Raised 3 Inches
We researched and watched cats of different heights and weight eat. We determined raising the bowl 3 inches was ideal. It raises the bowl to a safe and comfortable height without causing the cat to reach upward for food.
Single Bowl Stand
The importance of a single bowl stand is that cats do not like eating and drinking from bowls right next to each other. Cat behaviorists believe this may be due to the fact that in the wild, cats hunt away from their water source. Cats don't enjoy drinking when the scent of food is nearby or when there are food particles in their water. So, we designed a stand to hold a single bowl, not 2 bowls side by side.
If you're used to placing your cat's food and water next to each other, we recommend placing them in two separate locations. Then, observe whether your cat drinks more water. For other tips, check out our blog post "Where To Put Your Cat Food and Water Bowls: Location, Location, Location!"
Compact
The stands wraps around the bowl and sits compactly under the bowl. This allows cats to walk up to the stand and reach every bite easily! It also doesn't take up unnecessary space in your home.
Whisker Friendly
It is important that cat bowls and bowl stands prevent whisker fatigue. Whisker fatigue is the veterinary term used to describe the sensory overload cats feel when their whiskers repeatedly touch a surface. It is most frequently caused by cats' sensitive whiskers rubbing against the sides of bowls that are too deep.
Americat Company bowls are wide and shallow to prevent whisker fatigue. And the stand compactly holds the bowl in place without interfering with whiskers.
Here you can see how Lewie's whiskers remain above the bowl while he eats.
4. We Also Wanted Mealtime to Be Easier for Cat Parents
Made in the USA
Like all Americat Company products, we make our cat bowls and stands in the USA from U.S. materials for safety, quality, and peace of mind.
Will Not Scratch Floors
It was important to me that our stands would not scratch floors. We designed feet that are flat, smooth, and provide a solid base that won’t slide or scratch hardwood and other floors.
Lewie is a messy eater. I put one of these placemats under his bowls, but the stand can be used with or without a placemat underneath.
Won’t Tip
We use a heavy, 304 series stainless steel for both our bowls and stand. As a result, your cat won’t be able to tip over their food or water, making a mess.
Dishwasher Safe
You can clean both your Americat Company bowl and stand in the dishwasher. It’s best to clean cat bowls daily, and the stand can be cleaned as needed.
Rubber bumpers or caps on other stands can fall off in the dishwasher, get lost, or get eaten. So, our stands are simply 2 pieces, the bowl and stand, without any small parts.
In Summary
We strongly believe that our Americat Company stainless steel bowl and elevated stand is the best raised feeder available for cats! We hope that sharing our design process demonstrates all the thought that went into creating this product for our customers and their beloved cats.
Treat your cat to an Americat Company elevated bowl stand!
About Us: Americat Company is where love for cats meets American craftsmanship. Founded in 2016, we are a cat-loving, woman-owned, small business. We make cat products in the USA from safe, durable, U.S. materials. Shop all our made in the USA cat products here.
