This One is for All the Cat Owners! Custom Raised Bowl
I have 2 cats. Both are not picky at all with what I feed them but one throws up pretty often after eating. I've tried smaller portions more often and different food but nothing seems to really help. One day I was scrolling Facebook and saw an ad for a raised, tilted cat food dish and decided I would make one myself.
I read about the benefits of having this type of set up and just knew I had to try it out. I decided to start with scrap plywood as kind of a mock up to test out. The dish I was already using was rimmed so it would sit perfectly in a hole. I set it on my scrap wood to start figuring out dimensions.
Once I found the center of where I wanted my bowl to sit I drew a circle to cut out. Make sure you account for the size of the rim when measuring.
I decided to cut out the hole on the bandsaw and plug up the slit afterwards. You can also start by drilling a hole and cutting the circle out with a jigsaw.
Next, I cut a piece for the base the same size as the piece with the hole.
I tilted the dish to the angle I wanted it to set and cut the angle on another piece of wood using a table saw. I determined the height I was going to want by measuring my cat to about her chin when she was standing and I used that as the height for the tallest point at the back. At this point all of my measurements are really just trial and error.
I assembled my stand by gluing and nailing each side together.
So far so good! I ended up using a height of 9 inches. (My cat is on the small side though so each cat might be different.)
I sanded the entire thing smooth and then painted it with spray paint. If this does work out I will make any necessary adjustments and probably make another one out of better quality wood.
Here it is without the bowl.
Now for the true test... I think she likes it!! Hopefully this will help her keep her food down a lot more often. 😊 Thanks for following along!
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You can also use the dryer vent cover frame if you are limited on your tool access (I did not have jig or bandsaw). A 3" pet bowl fits perfectly in it. Use a hinge and superglue to get the angle.
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Wow! Way to get creative, I love it!
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Great job! I have tilted food bowls for my cats. They work most of the time, but I have an older cat who I think just likes to throw up. HAHA
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
My cat does the same thing. I noticed she doesn’t chew her food well and it comes up mostly in whole pieces. I’m feeding her a very small size food but it still comes up. Did this elevated feeder eliminate the problem? I hope it worked for your cat.
What Is the purpose of the tilt
Is the tilt important? Would sitting the bowl on the edge of a stack of books work? At least as an experiment?