When I first moved into this house, I never thought I’d consider using a pet food placemat under my cat’s slow feeder puzzle toy, especially since his current feeding station is located on tile floors. They’re easy enough to wipe down and clean, but still, a few reasons nagged at me and ultimately convinced me I should start looking into food-grade, non-toxic pet feeder mats to see if anything would be better for keeping the area tidy than bare tile floors.
What were those reasons? First, the grout between the tile isn’t in the best condition. Since we sometimes get ants, my husband Thomas pointed out this could eventually mean trouble. If little bits of food crumbs got beneath the tile, it’d be impossible to clean them up to keep ants from having anything to snack on, and this would make it would be harder to keep them away from Avery’s grub.
Catit Design Senses Food Maze – Amazon / Chewy
(PS, that in the picture, not a cat food mat at all, just a sad DIY attempt that I soon got rid of.)
The second reason? A mild annoyance I have with the Catit Design Senses Food Maze version I use to feed Avery his meals to prevent him eating too quickly: it moves around a little too much (on tile, on laminate, it was fine) for my liking. The feeder toy did come with its own round, slip-resistant placemat, but I don’t like it much, and looking at the product listing now, Catit seems to have a way better design in place than the removable skid-resistant surround mat I have in my version.
I could buy a new Catit Design Senses Food Maze, but realistically, (reason #3) I’ve been considering testing a bunch of slow feeder cat bowls in the near future (especially something like the Cat Catch Interactive Feeder), so I’d rather have a quality non-slip, easy-to-clean food mat (preferably one that’s dishwasher safe) that I can throw beneath other feeder puzzles I’m testing out.
Speaking of dishwasher safe, that brings me to the fourth reason I feel I should be buying actually two identical pet food mats. Super lazy of me, I know, but I’d really prefer to just yank the whole place mat out from beneath any feeder toys/slow feeder bowls I have out, replace the dirty mat with a clean one, and throw the one covered in cat food into the dishwasher to have it ready for when the replacement mat needs to be cleaned. Issue is, I currently forget to wipe Avery’s food station down as frequently as I’d like, and if I do things this way, each time I run the dishwasher I’ll be reminded to throw in his feeding mat right before I press “Start.”
A bunch of little things, I know, but I feel they add up.
In terms of personal preference, I like the idea of food grade, flexible silicone best because based on my experience with kitchen cooking utensils made of silicone, it seems super non-stick, easy to clean, and holds up well in the dishwasher. I like rectangular designs, or well, designs that I feel give full coverage of corners, because a corner is exactly where I’ll be placing the food mat. There are a few that are just plain ridiculously cute.. ones in the shape of bones or clouds, which I love. And there are a few that come with food and water bowls, which I’d definitely be game for if I wasn’t so amendment on feeding Avery with a puzzle toy or slow feeder bowl.
Let me know if you have any advice or tips on what types of food mats to grab or stay away from in my quest to find the right fit. Absolutely will be buying something food-safe as that’s a necessity, but do you know of any designs better at being non-slip on tile than others, for example? Or do you have a pet mat you’ve been really happy with? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
Catit Digger Food Tunnel Toy – Amazon / Chewy
Non-Slip, Food Grade, Pet Safe Cat Food Mats
1. PetFusion Waterproof Pet Food Mat. FDA Grade Silicone
Now, I’m going to admit, this is not at all my favourite cat food mat, in large part due to the fact that I’m not a fan of the way it slopes in and isn’t a perfect rectangle. That being said, it’s one of the most popular silicone FDA grade pet food mats out there, so my opinion on the shape is obviously not a popular one.
Realistically, it looks incredibly nice in reviewer photos, and because it comes in a few different sizes, you can even grab a size that your entire cat + two bowls will easily fit on together – super helpful for cats who don’t like to be half on the floor and half on the mat. This is what the extra large mat looks like in person, and I think that reviewer’s idea of placing cat grass on with the water bowl was genius. So many cats make messes with both cat grass bowls and water bowls. Even Avery dunks his hand in his water bowl before drinking (I think so he can see the ripples and thus know how low the water is? Unsure).
Another reviewer showcased one of his two cats’ feeding stations, which consists of one water one food bowl (I think they’re Corelle branded, lightweight, break-resistant and easy to wash ones like I have) on a raised tray, and this set up looks amazing. I would definitely imitate it, at least for the water bowls.
Really like this design but prefer a flat, no-bump design or a different colour? Try CatGuru’s Premium Cat Food Mat.
2. Easyology Pet Food Tray Polypropylene Firm, Rigid Non-Skid Cat Food Mat
If you’re looking for a firm pet safe food mat for your feeding station, this may be your best option; though fair warning, I don’t think any of the hard plastic firm food trays are truly non-skid and completely slip resistant, as one reviewer mentioned about this particular tray. If you’re okay with that, say because you’re using the tray for something heavy like a pet fountain, you should be a-ok. Just be forewarned, your cat may end up liking this tray too much to relinquish it, and use it frequently as a nap spot, so you may have to buy a second for it’s actual intended use.
3. Reopet Silicone Dog Cat Bowl Mat Non-Stick FDA-Approved Food Pad
This is 100% the type of cat food mat I’d be interested in grabbing for Avery. It’s cute, minimalist, and sleek aesthetically, comes in a bunch of colours (love switching colours up so this is really nice!), is completely flat and easy to wipe down if I don’t feel like throwing it into the dishwasher, but it is dishwasher safe if I’d like to throw it in before hitting “Start” on the cycle. The raised outer border protects water from falling onto the floor, and because it’s rectangular, it will fit perfectly in the corner I’m intending to use it for.
Lots of people seem to be digging it, even if their pets are notorious for making epic messes by playing with their food and water. This mat is apparently really great in the non-skid department, which is perfect, and just what I’m looking for.
4. URPOWER Dog Bowls Stainless Steel Dog Bowl with Bone Shaped Silicone Mat
If you’re looking for a super sleep stainless steel food + water bowl combo with a non-slip silicone, pet safe food mat, look no further because URPOWER’s dog bowl + mat combo looks absolutely amazing. It looks to be a very reasonable size, so if you’re looking to have one feeding station for multiple cats, I think you could easily get away with just having one of these, and in case you’re looking for something similar but this isn’t quite doing it for you, there are alternatives, like the Bonza Double Dog Bowl Pet Feeding Station on the market. Yes, most are created with dogs in mind, but there’s absolutely no reason they shouldn’t work for cats as well.
5. Hubulk Dog Cat Food FDA Food-Grade Silicone Non-Slip Feeding Mat
Between the Reopet food mat and this one, I’d say this one may just have the advantage ever so slightly for me. I think I may ever so slightly prefer the aesthetics of this one, as it may not be as pretty, modern, and sleek, but I can see it matching with absolutely anything and being good for any room. I’ve at times thought about moving Avery’s feeding station to the living room, and if I were to grab a feeding mat that managed to contain absolutely everything, I probably would, and I think both these dishwasher safe, food grade, FDA approved silicone feeding mats would do the trick for that.
Due to the dots, this one looks like it’d be a little bit better at gripping/making sure none of the bowls on top of it skidded or slipped at all, but who knows. If you’re looking for some more like this, you may want to have a peek at these other rectangular non-slip feeding mats with grip dots:
- ONME Dog Feeding Mat FDA Grade Silicone Non Slip Pet Food Placemat
- PETCEE Dog Mat, Dog Food Mat, Dog Bowl Mat
6. Bone Dry DII Small Microfiber Pet Mat Ultra-Absorbent & Machine Washable
I’m not at all a fan of the idea of fabric eating mats for pets, but I can definitely see why some would prefer to use them and machine wash them if/when they get dirty. A lot of people seem to be really pleased about this particular one because it’s so highly absorbent, and apparently dries very nicely too, which is what a lot of people buy this type of product for in the first place.
If you are looking for something made of fabric and easy to machine wash over something that you can wipe down or dish, not only is this Bone Dry pet mat a good option, but it looks like Envision Home’s Microfiber Pet Bowl Mat is as well.
7. DesignSter Cloud Shape FDA Grade Pet Food Tray
I. Absolutely. Love. This. Mat. Yup, I’m one of those people who goes batty for cute-as-hell cat products. I think this cloud shaped one is so adorable, I might even want it in every colour it comes in. I know it’s likely not even close to as practical as the other larger, better coverage designs, but I don’t care. I love it. And I’d likely use it for something else (to display knickknacks on?) if I didn’t like it as much as a pet food placemat. It’s just sooo stupid cute.
I mean, look at it. Then look at it again. Jeez do I want one.
8. Petmate Le Bistro Ribbed Flexible, Non-skid Rubberized Single Food Mat
If you end up with a lot of spillage, I’d imagine this is a great option to consider. The ribs on this particular Petmate food mat are pretty deep, and even when you order it in a small size, the mat you get is pretty large.
One reviewer mentioned that her cat likes to dig food out of her bowl and eat it off the floor, and that, as a result, this food mat didn’t work out particularly well for her: “Our cat likes to dig her dry food out of her bowl and eat it off of the floor, resulting in cat food bits all over the kitchen. This mat does catch a lot of the food, but it’s hard to get out once it’s in the grooves, and it just results in her throwing more food. Oh well, cats will be cats…” I suppose a completely flat rather than a ribbed option would work out better for cats who do this? I wouldn’t have thought about it before purchasing, so it’s good she pointed out the fact that food gets stuck in the grooves a little bit. Definitely won’t be trying something like this in combination with a feeder toy where the food does have to go to the floor before it’s eaten.
9. Cavalier Pets, Dog Bowl Mat Cat Dog Bowls
This pet food mat in particular reminds me a lot of a cat litter mat. To be quite honest, I don’t see these as the easiest to keep clean, since food can get between the cracks quite easily, and I’d be more likely to use it for water, instead, as it’d help keep kitty paws less wet than regular water bowl mats since it’s got cracks for the water to go into and your cat’s paws wouldn’t be as likely to touch the liquid that way.
Most do seem to use these for sloppy drinker pets, but I have seen a large number of reviewers use them for automatic feeders and food bowls as well, though my guess is if your pet is a sloppy eater, that may not work out so well for you.
10. Humble Pet Food Mat Feeding Tray – Non-Slip, Anti-Spill, Raised Dog Food Mat
If you love the standard non-slip silicone mat with grip dots on it, but want something a little more cutesy, the Humble Pet Pet Food Mat as well as alternatives like it (like SmithBuilt’s Large Dog Food Mat & WooPet!’s Silicone Food Safe Pet Mat), which showcase things like paw prints and dog bones, are an excellent option. I think I may end up grabbing one like this if I can get my hands on one affordably.
11. PETMAKER Raised Splash Guard Dishwasher Safe Non Skid Pet Bowl Tray
If you really would love a splash guard integrated into your food and water tray because your cat makes one hell of a mess on the wall whenever he or she does a little drinking or eating, I think you’ll be hard pressed to find a better option than this. It’s a hard plastic that’s a teensy bit bendy but it’s dishwasher safe, and while it does slide, if that was never your issue, you may be looking at the perfect solution to your wall dressing problems.
12. iPrimio Large Paw Logo Cat Feeding Mat Premium FDA Flexible Silicone
If you love the look of adorable paw prints, and you really like the whole “a spot for a water bowl and a spot for the food bowl” aesthetic, the iPrimio Paw Logo Cat Feeding Mat is, in my opinion, a really great option. I’m not the biggest fan of the colour, but I know it’d go really well in my mum’s house, where she has basically all tan, brown, and beige furniture, so I can see how one of these would look stunning in some spaces.
Your Thoughts on Cat Food Mats?
Do you use pet food mats for your feeding stations at home? Which type do you prefer? Do you ever throw your food mats in the dishwasher?
Have you ever tried a food mat that really didn’t work out? Which types would you recommend staying away from? Which work best in your opinion?
Would love to hear any and all thoughts you have on the topic in the comments down below!
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