CatMate C500 Digital
Best choice€ 89
CatMate C500 DigitalBest choice€ 89
View price on BolComparison - updated juli 2026
Best food bowls & automatic feeders for cats in 2026
Mabel tested 9 food bowls and automatic feeders with Snowy and Nootje. Snowy is a fast eater and needs an anti-gulp bowl. Nootje is picky about material. This comparison gives you the honest result.
9 products testedWith Snowy and NootjeUpdated juli 2026No sponsored reviews
Tested by Mabel van den Busken - Founder & tester
9 feeders, tested for 4 weeksLast updated: juni 2026No sponsored content
Top 5 food bowls & automatic feeders for cats in 2026
All reviewsRanked by combination of ease of use, hygiene, choice of Snowy and Nootje, and value for money. Disadvantages are always mentioned.
01
Best choice
Automatic feeder
CatMate C500 Digital
Five programmable meals, stainless steel bowls, quiet motor. Snowy ate calmly from this - no more gulping.
Ease of use9/10
Hygiene9/10
02
Best stainless bowl
Food bowl - stainless
Navaris stainless double set
Anti-slip rubber ring, double-walled, no BPA. Nootje chose this immediately over plastic. Downside: deep shape, some cats stretch the neck too far.
Material9/10
Cleaning9/10
03
Best anti-gulp
Anti-gulp bowl
Licki Mat Playdate
Lick mat with bump pattern - forces Snowy to eat slower. Not for dry meals - works only for wet food or paste. Dishwasher safe.
Anti-gulp9/10
Cleaning8/10
04
Best budget
Automatic feeder
Petkit Fresh Element Mini
App control, freshness indicator LED, three meals. Motor slightly noisier than CatMate but fine during the day.
App8/10
Value9/10
05
Best elevated bowl
Food bowl - elevated
Hepper NomNom elevated bowl
Height 15 cm, ideal for cats with joint problems or longer neck. Nootje (with recent bone inflammation) used this daily without difficulty. Price is above average.
Comfort9/10
Stability8/10
Comparison: which type suits your cat?
Below I compare the four main types I tested. I deliberately looked for the disadvantages - not just the advantages.
| Feature | Automatic feeder | Stainless bowl | Anti-gulp | Elevated bowl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portioning | ||||
| Suitable for fast eaters | ||||
| Dishwasher safe | ||||
| App control | ||||
| Suitable for joint problems | ||||
| Price up to € 25 |
Best per feeder type
All reviewsAnti-gulp bowls: when do you need one?
Snowy eats too fast. I noticed this the first year I had her: she regularly vomited immediately after eating. The vet called it 'regurgitation' - stomach contents returning immediately without real nausea. Solution: slow the pace.
There are three approaches: an anti-gulp bowl with maze pattern (works for dry food), a lick mat (works for wet food), or an automatic feeder dispensing small portions. I tested all three. The lick mat works best for wet food - but not for kibble. The automatic feeder tackles the problem at the source.
Mabel's tip: combine an anti-gulp bowl with an automatic feeder. The feeder gives four small portions per day instead of two large ones. Snowy has not vomited since. We only use the anti-gulp bowl now for the occasional extra snack.
Which feeder type suits you?
Choose an automatic feeder if
- Your cat eats too fast and regularly vomits
- You are regularly away from home for work or weekends
- You have two cats with different diets
- You have a cat with diabetes or kidney issues needing fixed meal times
Choose a regular bowl if
- Your cat eats wet food that cannot stay out of the refrigerator long
- Your cat already eats slowly and has no portioning problem
- You are looking for a simple, easy-to-clean solution
Compare prices: CatMate C500 Digital
Below you see the price of the winner at the most popular webshops - so you can compare without switching to Google Shopping.
Prices are indicative and may differ at the retailer.
Frequently asked questions about cat food bowls
An automatic feeder dispenses a set portion of food at set times. A regular bowl gives nothing - you fill it yourself. An automatic feeder is useful if your cat eats too fast, if you are regularly away, or if you have two cats with different diets. A regular bowl is simpler, cheaper and easier to clean.
Mabel van den Busken - Founder and tester
Mabel (1992) is a cat lover and owner of Snowy and Nootje. She started SlimmeKat.nl because she had difficulty finding reliable, honest reviews herself. Every product is tested for at least 4 weeks in her own home - disadvantages are always mentioned.
9 feeders testedWith Snowy and NootjeActive since 202138,000 monthly readers
Cat food bowls: everything you need to know in 2026
Choosing a food bowl seems simple but has more influence on your cat's health than most people expect. Material, height, shape and portioning together determine whether your cat eats calmly, whether it can be handled hygienically and whether the bowl contributes to healthy eating habits.
Stainless steel and ceramic are the best materials. Plastic develops microscopic scratches after use in which bacteria grow. Cats with sensitive skin - also called feline acne - react badly to this. Ceramic has a similar smooth surface structure to stainless steel but is heavier and more fragile. For cats that like to push the bowl around, stainless steel is more durable.
Elevated bowls are useful for cats with arthritis, a long neck (Maine Coon, Ragdoll) or cats that constantly push the bowl with their nose because they find the posture uncomfortable. Ideal height: the bowl is at shoulder height of the cat, so the neck is slightly bent rather than fully extended or curved downwards.
Automatic feeders solve three problems: eating too fast, irregular meals when the owner is absent, and obesity from portions that are too large. Most automatic feeders are suitable for dry food. For wet food you need a model with a cooling element - otherwise the food spoils too quickly.
Our test method
Every product is used for at least 4 weeks as the primary food bowl. We look at: acceptance by Snowy and Nootje, hygiene after intensive use, ease of cleaning and any health signals. Disadvantages are always mentioned. More about our approach: see our method page.
New test? You are the first.
On average once a month, always free. Only what Mabel truly recommends.