[Ted]

Hello all,

Okay, warning: this is a silly question.

How do you feed your cats(wet food)?

By this, I mean...do you feed them on small plates? Or in one large plate?

Let me explain.

I have two food dishes I purchased from Petsmart (one for each cat). Stainless steel, so they're very nice...but I'm finding it a pain to wash them after each meal. So, I was thinking I might go to a Corningware store and purchase some small, inexpensive plates...this way I could just wash them every so often...or even place them in the dishwasher.

The problem with that is... since I only wash dishes twice a week (I'm single, after all), I'd need like 16 small plates (2 small plates per meal x 2 meals x 4 days)! And then my dishwasher would be filled with small plates!

Now, I know it's not a HUGE deal to wash plates after every meal by hand...it just seems like if I could avoid that, I would.

Does anybody feed on small paper plates? Do you find the food "seeps" through them? And that doesn't seem too Earth-friendly to me.

Any advice on making feeding a bit more manageable would be appreciated!

 

[shan841]

I actually have the same problem...I have about 8 small round cat plates I got from walmart..but feeding 2 cats 3 times a day means a lot of washing! The cats also eat 2 different foods and I buy the big 13 oz cans, so I go through a lot of small tupperware containers keeping the food refrigerated as well. I find myself washing by hand until the dishwasher is full...which is usually every other day. I use paper plates when I feed raw, but with canned food you need a heavy dish, the paper plates move everytime the cat licks it and they end up pushing it around the room(unless you hold it still for them )

 

[Galathiel]

My cat has a ceramic flat bottomed bowl. I wash it before each meal instead of after (rinse in hot water actually). I don't wash it after each meal because her meals take ages to eat. She likes to eat a bit, then play, eat, play, nap, eat, until it's gone. I feed her in the kitchen so I don't find it a big deal. I hand wash most of my dishes anyway and run the dishwasher maybe once or twice a month (mainly if I've used tupperware..it's resistant to losing odors).

 

[yingying]

Each of my cat has a ceramic dish of their own. I wash them immediately after they finish their meal. I don't use any cloth or detergent, just rinse it under hot water and use my hand to rub a bit. Yes, that means I wash them 3 times a day, but it takes less than half minute each time.

I don't use dishwasher (my previous apartment has one and I used it as a dish storage). Don't trust that stuff can do a good job. And I don't like the idea of having dirty dishes to sit for days (and I'm also single). Dirty dishes that sit for long time are also harder to wash, so overall you are actually spending more time.

 

[MowMow]

I have 8 stainless steel bowls that are pretty small. I feed from those and put them in the dishwasher and then run the dishwasher every other day. There may be a lot of my stuff in there or not but I run it for the cat dishes.

When I give them raw I put it on a glass salad plate and same thing, it goes in the dishwasher (rinsed first so Quail juice isn't sitting around stinking up the joint).

When I was sick I used paper bowls for them (and paper plates for myself) until I felt well enough for all my regular tasks. Since my cats ear immediately the cat food/water mixture they eat didn't have time to soak through, but if an ything was left in it I'm sure it would.

 

[Ted]

Thank you for the responses and help.

I may just have to start running the dishwasher more frequently, seeing as there are two additions to my family.

 

[doodlebug]

My crew will eat most of their wet food, but leave some and come back later...so the dishes would end up sitting out and getting crusty and difficult to wash. So I bought a second set of dishes...now when it's feeding time, I pick up the yucky dishes and put them in the sink to soak. There will already be a set in the sink that was soaking, so washing them is a breeze...just the swipe of a sponge. Only issue is that there's almost always a set of cat dishes in the sink, but they stack and don't take much room. Works for me...

If you want enough dishes to allow you to use the dishwasher, you could always go to a yard sale to get something cheap.

 

[kty78]

Is there something wrong with using my own plates? I have a set of ceramic dishes, 12 place settings, and I use the salad plates for the cats wet food. I rinse them clean with hot water and put in dishwasher after each meal. I run the dishwasher every day. All my dishes are rinsed before I put them in. The come out very clean.

 

[~Siameseifuplz~]

I only have two cats and got tired of washing both plates lol. I feed them both off of one plate now. It's interesting to see how they worked it out. I bring the plate into the room and Neko follows me at my heels screaming his head off. Willie lags behind quietly and sits in the doorway. I put the plate down and Neko chows down. After a few minutes Willie will start walking towards the plate and Neko will see him coming and get up and leave the plate so Willie can eat. There is usually a little bit left when Willie is full and they come back later and finish it off. They each only take what they need.

 

[Ted]

Thank you, Doodlebug... for your additional suggestion.

Regarding cost, the Corningware outlet has them for about $1 each... but yard sales are great advice! (as well as Goodwill, etc.)

I also like MowMow's suggestion of having paper plates on hand for those times I'm sick and don't feel like washing.

 

[OctoberinMaine]

Do you live in a place that has Ross stores? I got a bunch of dessert plates there for about $1 each, and just rotate them in and out like Lisa said -- leave the gunky ones in the sink to soak, use the new one, wash, and repeat.

 

[kty78]

The dollar tree has ceramic pet bowls, as well as human dishes, everything is a dollar, occasionally I have found stuff on clearance, 2 for a dollar.

 

[cinderflower]

kty: no, there's nothing wrong with using your own dishes if you don't mind. if you run them through the dishwasher it sterilizes them anyway.

i do the same thing as ying ying. the bowls are in the kitchen, right by the sink, so i just rinse them out with hot water. my cats actually lick their bowls lol so there's not a lot to wash.

every so often when i run the dishwasher, i stick them in there, water bowls as well (which i rinse out twice a day). i'm also washing dishes for one, so i only run the dishwasher every 3-4 days. i wash everything first, not with soap but for all practical purposes the dishes are "clean" as in no food particles on them. i've had to do that all my life though. i've never put dishes with food stuck to them in it because it kind of cooks pieces on lol.

i just have three ceramic dishes i bought at t. j. maxx for two or three dollars each. they're just as cute as the ones i bought at petsmart for at least twice that much, and i kept breaking those.

i didn't even use paper plates when i had to stay in bed. i just fed them dry. it would have been impossible for me to feed them canned and with their dishes in my bed lol. i guess i could have asked the cna to wash them out in my bed bath water but ew hahaha. asking cna's to do litter box duty is bad enough because some will do it and others are like, "we aren't supposed to deal with your pets or stand on ladders." LOL no, i insist that you do both at the same time.

 

[shan841]

I like flat dishes, since I cant imagine they like their whiskers touching the sides and food doesnt get stuck in corners. They have really cute ones at walmart for $1.98 that are different colors, with mice and fish designs on them

 

[yingying]

To ppl who actually buy pet dishes at dollar store: If you are buying the ceramic ones, I seriously suggest you NOT buy from cheap source (actually same for the ones your are using). There are different techniques for applying color on ceramic. It can either be applied on top of the glaze layer or under the glaze layer. If it is on top, your cat would ingest a trace amount of the substance. It's not good in long run. Even for the ones that has color under glaze, you should replace them after 2-3 years, because the glaze will wear off.

Since it requires more procedures to apply color before firing the dish, I would assume all ceramics sold in dollar store have the color applied on top of glaze.

 

[cinderflower]

you're absolutely right. the ones at t.j. maxx and ross are sold in pet stores for a lot more, i guess the ones that didn't sell well end up there. i don't know anything about the dollar store, i even stopped buying at ross because everything i bought there was junk and fell apart.

humans shouldn't eat from poorly or improperly glazed ceramic dishware either. lead leaches into the food. i hate walmart and never shop there but i would be highly suspect of any of the dishes they sell.

 

[Ted]

Good point about the dollar store!

I think I'll stick with my original plan to buy Corelle dishes.

 

[spotty cats]

Mine are fed on several large 'people' plates. Very occasionally paper plates, we feed raw and it's gobbled up too fast to soak in or stick to the paper plate.

To ppl who actually buy pet dishes at dollar store: If you are buying the ceramic ones, I seriously suggest you NOT buy from cheap source (actually same for the ones your are using)

Agree, and know of many who pick up well made plates for cheaper at garage or moving sales.

 

[kty78]

I haven't bought any there myself, just saw them. Hadn't actually thought about leaching. Mine are from JC Penney and they're solid white.

 

[sunset97]

My cats eat off of Corelle saucers. They are the perfect size for cats. I went to our local thrift store St. Vincent De Paul (like a Goodwill) and they had all kinds of old Corelle dishes. I could buy individual pieces, so I bought the saucers. I got 12 of the saucers for 5 cents each. Can't beat that price. I use two for each cat everyday. They get canned food in the morning and at dinner time. I just put the dirty ones into the dishwasher.