Stainless Steel vs. Ceramic vs. Plastic Cat Bowls: Which Is Best?

Stainless steel or ceramic: which cat bowl is better? Both are good choices, and the material matters less than most bowl ads suggest. Pick a wide, shallow bowl, and wash the food bowl after every meal. Plastic is the one material that vet sources lean away from.

Maybe you've read three seller blogs tonight, and each one crowned its own material. One says steel is the only clean choice. Another says cats love ceramic. A third says plastic gives cats chin acne.

Below: a side-by-side table, what vet sources actually say, why shape matters, and which bowl fits your cat.

How Do the Four Materials Compare?

Steel and ceramic both do the job well. Plastic scratches over time, and glass is smooth but can break. Here is how the four stack up:

Use the table to rule out what won't suit your home. Then pick by how your cat eats.

Are Plastic Bowls Bad for Cats?

Plastic bowls may be linked to chin acne, but the vet sources stop short of saying they cause it. Chin acne shows up as black specks or small bumps on a cat's chin. Here is what two vet sources say, in their own careful words.

VCA Animal Hospitals says there may be an association between plastic food and water dishes and chin acne. Its reason: scratches and a rough surface make plastic more likely to pick up bacteria. VCA adds that switching to smooth glass or stainless dishes may help clear chin acne in some cats. So may washing those dishes every day.

International Cat Care (iCatCare) says ceramic or stainless steel bowls, rather than plastic, "can be beneficial in some cases." Its guide to helping cats drink adds that cats prefer glass and ceramic bowls to plastic ones.

Notice the careful words: "may," "some cats," "some cases." That's not the same as "plastic causes acne." Plastic simply scratches, and scratches are hard to scrub clean.

So if your plastic bowl looks scuffed, swap it for a smooth one. A new bowl alone won't settle a sore chin, though. That part is your vet's job.

Is Stainless Steel or Ceramic Better?

Neither one wins outright, and each has one main weakness. Steel puts some cats off. Ceramic can chip.

Stainless steel

Steel is tough. It won't chip or crack, and it resists scratches far better than plastic, so it stays smooth for years. It's also light, which means a pushy eater can slide it across the floor.

Some cats don't like it. In its guide to multi-cat homes, iCatCare notes that some cats dislike steel bowls. They are shiny, and a collar tag clinking on the rim makes noise.

What about the idea that steel feels cold or uninviting? None of the vet sources we read say so. Shine and noise are the reasons on record. If your cat backs away from a steel bowl, try ceramic or glass instead.

Glazed ceramic

Ceramic is heavy, so it's harder to push or tip over. Its glaze is smooth and glassy. But it can chip or crack if dropped, and a chip leaves a rough spot that's hard to clean.

The glaze matters too. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that some pottery is made only for decoration. It may carry a label like "Not for Food Use—May Poison Food." The FDA tells shoppers to watch for pottery that is handmade with a crude look, antique, or "damaged or excessively worn." It adds that no amount of washing can remove lead from pottery.

A "lead-free" label alone isn't proof, either. The FDA says some traditional pottery from Mexico labeled "lead free" held about as much lead as lead-glazed pottery. Old kilns once used for lead glazes can leave lead residue behind, the FDA explains.

So buy ceramic sold as a food or pet bowl, from a seller you trust. Skip decorative, antique, handmade-looking or worn pieces. A maker's glaze statement is one good sign, but not the whole test. The FDA notes that lead-test kits are sold in hardware stores and online. If you'd rather not think about glazes at all, stainless steel avoids the question.

Look the rim over for chips each time you wash it. Retire any bowl that's chipped or cracked.

Does Bowl Shape Matter More?

For many cats, the shape of the bowl matters as much as what it's made of. iCatCare says most cats prefer a wide, shallow bowl, so they don't have to put their head inside to drink. It adds that cats don't usually like their whiskers to touch the sides of a food or water bowl.

Cats Protection explains why. Each whisker sends messages to the brain. If whiskers keep touching the sides of a small or deep bowl, the charity says they can become overstimulated. It calls this whisker fatigue.

What the evidence shows

So think of whisker fatigue as a maybe, not a diagnosis. A wide, shallow bowl costs little, and many cats seem to like it.

For water, iCatCare suggests filling the bowl to the brim and keeping it away from the food bowl. For more on water bowls and fountains, see our guide on how to get your cat to drink more water.

How Should You Wash Each Bowl?

How often you wash the bowl matters more than what it's made of. The FDA's pet food storage advice is plain. Wash and dry pet food bowls after each use. Wash water bowls daily. Its handling tips add the method: soap and hot water.

Why so often? A wet bowl grows a slimy film called biofilm. The Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University explains how it forms. Bacteria stick to a wet surface and give off a slimy, glue-like substance. Free-floating bacteria can attach within minutes. That's why a quick rinse isn't enough. Scrub it.

1. 1

   Empty it

   Tip out old food and old water.

2. 2

   Scrub with hot, soapy water

   Get the inside, the rim and the base.

3. 3

   Rinse well

   No suds should be left.

4. 4

   Dry it fully

   A towel or a dish rack both work.

5. 5

   Check it

   Look for chips in ceramic and scuffs in plastic.

If you'd rather not touch the gunk, LitterBond's Bowl Cleaner Mousse is a foam pump with a built-in silicone brush head. It loosens slimy film and grease. Pump, scrub, then rinse until the foam is gone. For dried-on food, let the foam sit or soak the bowl first. Never use it on your cat. It helps with the wash. It doesn't replace it.

If you use dish soap, pick a mild, unscented one. Cats are sensitive to essential oils and strong scents. A dishwasher works too, if the maker's label says the bowl can go in.

Which Bowl Fits Your Cat?

Start with your cat's habits, then pick the material. Here is a quick guide by situation:

• Messy eater or bowl chaser: a wide bowl in a mat that catches what spills. A heavy ceramic bowl also slides less.
• Flat-faced cat: a wide, shallow dish or a flat plate. Then a brachycephalic cat, like a Persian, can eat without pushing her face in.
• More than one cat: a bowl for each cat, in separate spots. iCatCare advises against feeding cats with their bowls lined up side by side. The Cornell Feline Health Center adds that no cat should get "banned" from the water bowl by another pet.
• Senior who pushes the bowl around: a heavier ceramic bowl, or any bowl set on a grippy mat. If she suddenly eats less or drops food, see your vet first.

One option for the messy eater is LitterBond's tilted food bowl with a stainless steel insert. That insert is about 12.5 cm (4.9 in) across and 5 cm (2 in) deep. The same bowl is also sold with a glossy white ceramic insert, whose size isn't listed. The product page gives no glaze statement for the ceramic insert, so if you want certainty, pick the steel.

Either insert sits at a 15° tilt in a wide silicone base-mat. The tilt brings food toward the front, so there's less chasing the last bites around a flat dish. The mat catches stray kibble and splashes, and its grip makes the bowl harder to push around on a smooth, clean, flat floor.

Wash the insert by hand after each meal. If you pick ceramic, check it for chips before each use. Some cats gnaw silicone, so keep an eye on a chewer. If you use it for water, keep a plain bowl of fresh water out too while she gets used to it. You'll find it with our other cat bowls and water fountains.

When Should You Call Your Vet?

A new bowl can't fix a sore chin or a cat who won't eat. Call your vet if you notice any of these:

If you notice redness, discharge, swelling, squinting or persistent scratching, stop and see your vet.

The bowl was never the whole answer. A wide, shallow bowl, washed after every meal, does most of the work. Steel or ceramic is the easy default, and your cat gets the final vote.

Questions this guide did not cover

Should I use a double bowl for food and water?

It's better not to. International Cat Care advises against double bowls with food on one side and water on the other. It says cats drink more when food and water sit in separate places.

Where should I put my cat's water bowl?

Somewhere quiet that she can reach from all sides. iCatCare suggests a calm spot away from busy doors. It also suggests keeping the bowl away from walls.

Should I wipe my cat's chin after she eats?

It may help a cat prone to chin acne. International Cat Care says keeping the chin clean after feeding may help reduce the problem. Ask your vet what to wipe with before you start.

How can I feed two cats who crowd one bowl?

Split them up so each one can eat alone. iCatCare suggests a visual barrier between cats, like different rooms or different levels. It also mentions microchip feeders, which open for one cat only.

Related reading

• How to Get Your Cat to Drink More Water: What Actually Helps
• Do Cat Dental Water Additives Actually Work? An Honest Look