Once upon a time, the premise of a fashionable drinking bowl for a pet would’ve seemed ludicrous. Many would have said, “It’s just a cat or dog for crying out loud. Put some water in a spare bowl and be done with it.”
Thank heavens for the craftsmen who understand that our pets are family. We enjoy pampering them, especially when it comes to things they use all the time. So it makes perfect sense drinking bowls have evolved from spare bowls into so much more.
[h]The Good Old-Fashioned Bowl[/h]
Certainly a spare bowl will work just fine. But if you want to get a bowl designed with a pet’s needs in mind (or add a little personality to their drinking dish), you have options galore. Choices include:
Plastic Bowls: Inexpensive and easy to clean is plastic’s appeal. While they are durable in the sense they’re hard to break, they can be tipped, flipped, and chewed on. In recent years, there’s been some controversy surrounding them, too. Namely, do they pose health risks? If not properly cleaned, they can breed dangerous bacteria. Also, some worry how the chemicals in plastic affect a pet’s chemistry. i.e. Some believe they change nose color, contribute to feline chin acne, or even contain cancer-causing PCBs. (I could not find any studies proving plastic increases a pet’s chances of getting cancer, but there is evidence that agents in plastic could cause nose discoloration and chin acne.)
Stainless Steel Bowls: Among pet bowl connoisseurs, stainless steel is top pick. They can be more expensive than plastic (usually not by a whole lot, though), but are more durable and as easily cleanable. They’re also considered more sanitary as they won’t absorb bacteria or odors. However, like plastic, if your pet tends to tip, flip, or play in their water bowl, there are sturdier alternatives (see below) that might work better for you. (And save you some clean up time.) As far as style, many stainless steel bowls can now be ordered with your pet’s name engraved on them.
Ceramic Bowls: These tend to cost more than your average plastic or stainless steel bowl. Also, they’re breakable, so care must be taken when handling them. As far as health concerns, it’s important to make sure the glaze used is lead-free. But this is where you can show your style, as you can pick based on colors, cute and/or clever images and sayings, or all of the above.
Stoneware Bowls: If you have a pet who chews its servingware, stoneware is for you. Like ceramic, stoneware can also break if mishandled, but their bulk deters tipping and flipping. All bowls (plastic, stainless steel, and ceramic) tend to come in a variety of sizes, but stoneware bowls seem to be favored among small breed or exotic animal pet owners. (e.g. Hamster, chinchilla, and lizard parents.)
[h]Drinking Fountains: They’re not just for people anymore![/h]
If you’re concerned about possible health risks from plastic, fountains are not for you. (Most are made of plastic.) Also, they can seem outrageously priced when compared with standard bowls, be they plastic, stainless steel, ceramic, or stoneware. (Fountains range from $20 to $80.)
However, most come with filters to help purify the water. And if you’re looking for a fun way to entice a stubborn pet (or even a non-stubborn pet) to drink more water, fountains can accomplish that task. Top dispensing choices are the bubbler (e.g. Ultra Bubbler Pet Fountain), the slide system (e.g. The Petmate Fresh Flow Pet Fountain), or the free flow stream (e.g. Drinkwell Fresh Water Fountain or the Lentek Electronic Pet Drinking Fountain). All are designed to be quiet. Plus, they often come with extra storage tanks, which comes in handy for pets that have to share a bowl, people who are away all day and are unable to keep the bowl filled, etc.
A word of caution, though: If your pet loves to play in the water, drinking fountain bowls will encourage that behavior! (Which is sometimes not a bad thing. Especially if you have a cat like mine that likes to drink from faucets. Cute, but he’s not supposed to be on the counters. I saved up for a $50 free flow stream-style fountain. He loves it! It’s his own personal “on the floor faucet.” His biggest gripe is he has to share with the dog.)
Fresh water is important to a pet’s overall good health. Having the perfect bowl in which to provide for that just depends on you and your pet’s needs … and style.
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