Sometimes, cats simply eat too fast. In many situations, this can lead to overeating and vomiting. Obviously, this is a problem for both you and your cat. It isn’t healthy for your cat to vomit up their food, and you probably don’t want to repeatedly clean up cat vomit.
Fortunately, you can utilize slow feeder bowls to help prevent your feline from eating too fast. These bowls are designed to slow down your cat’s rate of consumption, usually by making the food harder to get to.
In this article, we developed reviews of the best slow feeder cat bowls to help you choose the right one for your feline.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
PetSafe Eatwell 5-Meal Automatic Cat Feeder
BPA-free
Dishwasher-safe
Batteries last up to 12 months
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Best Value
Frisco Melamine Slow Feed
Made from melamine
BPA-free
Limited capacity
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Premium Choice
Frisco Silicone Slow Feeder Mat
Has a food and water bowl
Stainless-steel bowl
3-cup capacity
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Neater Pets Slow Feeder
Can hold food and water
Adjustable height
Holds 2.5 cups of food
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Fluff Trough Binge Blocker
Dishwasher-safe
Modern design
Simple Design
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The 10 Best Slow Cat Feeder Bowls
The PetSafe Eatwell 5-Meal Automatic Cat Feeder works a bit differently than some other feeders. It works on a timer and can hold up to five different meals. The feeder will turn and give the cat access to more food according to the schedule that you set. Therefore, you can limit the amount of food that your cat has access to at any given time, so they can slow down their consumption.
Capacity: 5 meals of 1 cup each
Material: Plastic
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Each meal is contained within a BPA-free, dishwasher-safe tray. Setting the time is quite easy with the LCD screen, and the feeder runs on 4 D-cell batteries. Therefore, you can place it anywhere without worrying about having access to an outlet.
In general, these batteries can last up to 12 months without needing to be changed.
Pros
BPA-free
Dishwasher-safe
Batteries last up to 12 months
Easy-to-set schedule
Cons
Trays don’t always spin
The Frisco Melamine Slow Feed Cat Bowl is the best slow feeder cat bowl for the money. It has a fairly simple design that relies on ridges to slow down your cat’s overall food consumption. It is made out of melamine, which may be useful for felines with allergies to plastic. It is one of the few hypoallergenic bowls on the market that can also work as a slow feeder.
BPA-free
Dishwasher-safe
Batteries last up to 12 months
Easy-to-set schedule
- BPA-free
- Dishwasher-safe
- Batteries last up to 12 months
- Easy-to-set schedule
Trays don’t always spin
- Trays don’t always spin
Capacity: 5 cups
Material: Melamine
That said, this bowl does have a limited capacity. You can purchase this bowl in bigger sizes, but you’re going to pay more for them.
Of course, many cats may not need a bowl with much capacity, especially if they have a problem with overeating.
This bowl is completely BPA-free. It is also dishwasher-safe and non-skid.
Pros
Made from melamine
BPA-free
Limited capacity
Ridges to slow down food consumption
Cons
Only suitable for older cats
Made from melamine
BPA-free
Limited capacity
Ridges to slow down food consumption
- Made from melamine
- BPA-free
- Limited capacity
- Ridges to slow down food consumption
Only suitable for older cats
- Only suitable for older cats
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If you have a bit more money to spend, the Frisco Silicone Slow Feeder Mat With Stainless Steel Bowl is a solid choice. It has both a food and water bowl. The food bowl has ridges to make the food a bit more difficult to get, slowing down your cat’s food consumption.
Capacity: 3 cups
Material: Silicone, stainless steel
While this bowl is more expensive than some other options on the market, it does come with a water bowl. Therefore, you’re getting more for your money than if you were just purchasing a food bowl.
The bowls are built into a non-skid mat with raised edges, which helps protect the floor from messes. The stainless-steel water bowl is dishwasher safe, but the rest of the mat is not.
This bowl does have a bit more capacity than some other options, so it may be a better choice if your cat eats more.
Pros
Has a food and water bowl
Stainless-steel bowl
3-cup capacity
Non-skid mat
Cons
Expensive
- Neater Pets Adjustable Slow Feeder Double Diner – Best for Kittens
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Capacity: 5 cups
Material: Plastic
There are many reasons to like the Neater Pets Adjustable Non-skid Plastic Slow Feeder Double Diner. It is raised and has a place to put both your cat’s food and water, making it an all-in-one bowl for your cat. The ridges and bumps help prevent fast eating.
Has a food and water bowl
Stainless-steel bowl
3-cup capacity
Non-skid mat
- Has a food and water bowl
- Stainless-steel bowl
- 3-cup capacity
- Non-skid mat
Expensive
- Expensive
Check Latest Price
Capacity: 5 cups
Material: Plastic
The height of the bowl is adjustable using the leg extensions. You can make it low enough for most cats, though some large cats may need it on a taller setting. Either way, adjusting the legs to meet your cat’s needs is easy and straightforward.
This bowl can hold 2.5 cups of food and 8.5 cups of water. The difference in capacity is due to the ridges in the food bowl, which are absent from the water bowl.
Pros
Can hold food and water
Adjustable height
Rounded peaks work with any face type
Holds 2.5 cups of food
Cons
Large
The Fluff Trough Binge Blocker Elevated Dog & Cat Slow Feeder is a great overall slow feeder cat bowl. It has a rather simple design that works quite well. The inside of the bowl is covered in ridges so your cat has to work to get into them. Therefore, it slows down your cat’s rate of consumption, preventing choking and vomiting.
Can hold food and water
Adjustable height
Rounded peaks work with any face type
Holds 2.5 cups of food
- Can hold food and water
- Adjustable height
- Rounded peaks work with any face type
- Holds 2.5 cups of food
Large
- Large
Capacity: 2 cups
Material: Silicone, polypropylene
While this bowl is designed specifically for cats with flat faces, it can be useful for any feline that needs to slow down their consumption rate.
The whole feeder is dishwasher safe and has non-slip feet that prevent it from sliding around as your pet eats. The back of the bowl is raised to prevent food from spilling out onto the floor.
With a modern design, this bowl should fit in with most home décor.
Pros
Dishwasher-safe
Modern design
Raised back to prevent spilling
Simple design
Non-slip feet
Cons
Not electronic or programmable
The simple and easy Hyper Pet IQ Calm Slow Feeder Cat Treat Mat is a suitable option for those with pets that like to eat too fast. It has different textures that help with dental health and slow down your cat’s food intake.
Dishwasher-safe
Modern design
Raised back to prevent spilling
Simple design
Non-slip feet
- Dishwasher-safe
- Modern design
- Raised back to prevent spilling
- Simple design
- Non-slip feet
Not electronic or programmable
- Not electronic or programmable
Capacity: 8 ounces
Material: Plastic
This mat technically only works with pastes, like peanut butter, but it will also work with wet food. The textured mat makes it take much longer for your cat to lick the mat clean, which can help keep them busy and slow down their food consumption.
It is made with non-toxic, FDA-grade TPE. Each tray is also dishwasher safe, though you may need to wash them by hand to actually get them clean.
Pros
Improves dental health
Made with non-toxic TPE
Works with wet food
Cons
Doesn’t work with kibble
The Aquapaw Slow Treater Silicone Lick Mat is designed for treats like peanut butter, but it may also be useful for wet food. The small ridges grip the wet food and prevent it from being licked off easily. Therefore, it can slow down your cat’s consumption.
Improves dental health
Made with non-toxic TPE
Works with wet food
- Improves dental health
- Made with non-toxic TPE
- Works with wet food
Doesn’t work with kibble
- Doesn’t work with kibble
Capacity: 5 ounces
Material: Silicone
This mat is made with 100% silicone and is completely dishwasher safe. However, the ridges do a good job of holding onto the food, so it may need to be hand-washed to really get it clean.
You can use this mat for pets of all sizes, though it does not work with kibble or other dry foods. It will keep your cat entertained for quite a while, which is great if you have a more intelligent cat that needs entertainment.
Pros
100% silicone
Dishwasher safe
Small ridges to slow down eating
Cons
Doesn’t work with kibble
Doesn’t suction well
The Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree Cat Feeder is easily one of the more unique options out there. Instead of just slowing down your cat’s eating, it turns mealtime into a game of sorts, enabling your cat to fulfill their hunting instincts while they eat.
100% silicone
Dishwasher safe
Small ridges to slow down eating
- 100% silicone
- Dishwasher safe
- Small ridges to slow down eating
Doesn’t work with kibble
Doesn’t suction well
- Doesn’t work with kibble
- Doesn’t suction well
Capacity: Not listed
Material: Plastic
It can be rotated to three different settings for different-sized kibble and works for wet food. No matter how well your cat actually does in the “game,” the food ends up in the non-spill dish below. Therefore, your cat will always get their food, and you won’t have to deal with much cleanup.
This dish is quite difficult to fill, though. Some of the food will always fall out, allowing your cat to gobble it up right away. That said, it depends on the cat. Some cats won’t knock the food down or even interact with the feeder.
Pros
Puzzle feeder
Three different size settings
Cons
Difficult to fill
If you want a fancy slow feeder, take a look at the PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Programmable Cat Feeder. While this feeder does come with plenty of extra features that you won’t find anywhere else, it is also one of the most expensive options on the market.
Puzzle feeder
Three different size settings
- Puzzle feeder
- Three different size settings
Difficult to fill
- Difficult to fill
Capacity: 24 cups
Material: Stainless steel
The base of the feeder has a 24-cup capacity. You program the feeder to dispense a certain amount of food at a certain time. You can let it dispense only a small amount of food at a time, so you can reduce the amount of food that your cat has access to.
This product even has slow-feeder options, which slowly dispenses the food for the meal over the next 15-minute period. For cats that tend to overeat, this feeder is probably one of the better options — if you’re willing to pay for it.
Pros
Slow-feeder option
24-cup capacity
Completely programable
Cons
Extremely expensive
Inconsistent food release amounts
The Catit Senses 2.0 Cat Digger Slow Feeder is designed to be a slow feeder and a puzzle feeder all in one. It comes with five different tubes that you can fill with food. The cat then has to scoop this food out with their paw, which can take a while. Therefore, it will prevent issues commonly associated with eating too quickly.
Slow-feeder option
24-cup capacity
Completely programable
- Slow-feeder option
- 24-cup capacity
- Completely programable
Extremely expensive
Inconsistent food release amounts
- Extremely expensive
- Inconsistent food release amounts
Capacity: N/A
Material: Plastic
The surface’s slopped design prevents slippage and helps collect stray pellets that your cat misses.
That said, this feeder is extremely slow, perhaps too slow for some felines. In this case, it may not be great for feeding a whole meal.
Pros
Simple design
Sloped surface prevents big messes
Five different sized tubes for variety
Cons
A bit too slow
Difficult to fill
Simple design
Sloped surface prevents big messes
Five different sized tubes for variety
- Simple design
- Sloped surface prevents big messes
- Five different sized tubes for variety
A bit too slow
Difficult to fill
- A bit too slow
- Difficult to fill
Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Slow Feeder Cat Bowls
If your cat is overeating and needs to slow down, a slow feeder is probably your best option. However, slow feeders aren’t all made equal. Some of them are complicated and don’t do much to slow down your cat’s eating.
In this section, we help you figure out what type of feeder would be the best slow feeder bowl for your cat.
Programmable or Not?
There are two major types of slow feeders. Some of these slow feeders have ridges in them that prevent your cat from eating quite as fast or from taking huge mouthfuls, which effectively slows them down.
Other slow feeders can be programmed to only release a small amount of food at a time. Therefore, your cat can’t eat a bunch of food quickly.
Which option you choose depends on your preference and the one that works best for your cat. Some cats won’t eat from a slow feeder with ridges; others tend to throw up even with the small amount of food that a programable feeder provides. Therefore, the only way to determine which option will work best for your cat is to try it.
If one option doesn’t work for your cat, don’t give up. A completely different option may be best for them.
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Slow Feeder Ease of Use
Not all slow feeders are made with ease of use in mind. Some developers are focused solely on ensuring that cats eat slower and don’t consider other important features.
For instance, being able to easily wash the bowl is essential. Otherwise, you may end up being unable to use it for an extended period. Therefore, your best option is to choose something that is easy to wash. Preferably, you should choose something that is machine washable, as this will take the least amount of time on your part.
If you choose a programmable feeder, it should be easy to program.
Slow Feeder Durability
You don’t want a bowl that breaks easily. After all, these bowls can be somewhat expensive. If they break often, you’ll end up spending quite a bit of money on replacements over the years.
Unfortunately, it is often difficult to tell if a bowl is durable or not until you purchase it. While some materials tend to be more durable than others, you can never really know how a bowl is going to stand up until you start using it.
However, you can take a look at reviews for anecdotal information on how the bowl holds up.
Slow Feeder Capacity
Different bowls can hold different amounts of kibble. You should choose a bowl that can hold enough for at least a meal. If you want to leave more than one meal out at a time, you’ll need a bowl with more capacity.
However, you don’t want to choose a bowl that is too huge. While this won’t necessarily be a problem in all cases, it can make the ridges in the bowl not work properly. There may be too much room between them for your cat’s muzzle, which may not slow down their feeding much.
Other Features
There are a variety of other features that you may want in your cat’s slow feeder. For instance, you may want one that can also hold water.
Some are also height-adjustable. These are usually best for large dogs because they vary more in height. However, they can work for cats too, especially if your feline is on the larger size.
Similarly, there are bowls with anti-slip grips, which may be helpful for cats that get particularly excited when they eat.
Are Slow Feeders Good for Cats?
If your cat eats too quickly, a slow feeder may be the easiest option to prevent them from doing so. Eating too fast is not good for any cat, and it can be quite frustrating for their owners too.
Some cats eat so fast that they vomit. Slow feeders can help with this problem by reducing the rate at which your cat can eat.
Slow feeders may also help your cat eat fewer calories. Since it takes longer for them to eat, your cat may stop sooner, especially if they are currently overeating. Therefore, your feline may end up consuming fewer calories in general. For obese cats, a slow feeder can be a helpful treatment option.
Conclusion: Best Cat Slow Feeder
There are many slow feeders on the market that can be used successfully with cats. If your cat has a problem eating too fast, these can be extremely useful.
We particularly recommend the PetSafe Eatwell 5-Meal Automatic Cat Feeder as the overall best slow feeder cat bowl.
If you’re on a strict budget, you may want to consider the Frisco Melamine Slow Feed Dog & Cat Bowl. It has a smaller capacity and is completely BPA-free, making it our best slow feeder cat bowl for the money.
We hope that our reviews have helped you figure out which slow feeder is best for your feline.
- You may also want to read: 10 Best Automatic Wet Cat Food Feeders – Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: Chewy.com
