Here are the ant proof cat bowls we’ll be covering:
- Pet Parade Non-Skid Dog Bowl Tray
- Iconic Pet 8 Cup Anti Ant Pet Bowl
- Crmada Anti Ants Dish
- Hepper NomNom Elevated Cat Bowl
- Yuwoda Ant Proof Bowl Tray
- Fully Best Pet Bowl
No matter where you live, ants are one of the most common household pests around the world. For families with indoor or outdoor cats, these tiny, pesky insects can be a real pain, especially if your cat likes to have their food out in the open.
If you’re looking for a way to keep your cat happy and healthy without having to worry about creepy-crawly bugs helping themselves to your cat’s food, why not try an ant-proof cat bowl? With a few simple changes to your routine, your cat will be able to enjoy their meals without any unwanted guests!
Before you start looking for an ant proof cat bowl…
It’s perfectly normal to have questions or concerns before you start looking at new products for your pets. In order to make sure that you’re getting the best option for you and your cat alike, make sure to take your lifestyle and routine into consideration.
Depending on whether your cat spends more time indoors or outdoors, look for a bowl that’s designed to handle the elements that it will be exposed to. You can always find a bowl that fits your personal design aesthetic, but the important factor is that it protects your cat’s food. Beyond that, you may have questions like:
Why are ants attracted to my cat’s bowl?
At the most basic level, ants are attracted to your cat’s bowl because it has (or had) food in it. Ants have four to five more odor receptors than most other insect species, which means that they’re particularly good at sniffing out any stray scraps left behind after your cat’s meal.
Cat food, in particular, is often composed of high-odor proteins and compounds that send up a signal to every ant in the area. Because you refill the bowl often, ants quickly learn that a cat’s food bowl is an easy source of food just waiting to be raided.
How do I keep ants out of my cat’s bowl?
The easiest way to keep ants away from your cat’s food is to make sure that they physically can’t access the inside of the bowl.
Some ant-proof bowls use a slick outer material that’s extremely difficult for ants and other bugs to climb. Other bowls provide a water-filled moat around the inner bowl, so that any ants attempting to get food will most likely drown.
Beyond that, the best way to keep ants away is to store the bowl where they can’t reach it.
How can I keep ants away when my cat’s bowl is outside?
As mentioned before, ant-proof cat bowls take a lot of the work out of keeping your cat’s food ant-free. However, if you’re going to be keeping your cat’s bowl outside, try to limit the amount of food in the bowl to what your cat needs, and wash it or remove it from its outdoor position whenever possible. This will help by limiting the amount of time ants have to track your bowl down.
Our recommendation for ant proof cat bowls
As mentioned above, the perfect ant-proof cat bowl is largely a matter of opinion and personal preference. There are thousands of excellent products available today, each with their own pros and cons. However, we’ve narrowed the list down to five of our favorite pest-proof options, including:
Pet Parade Non-Skid Dog Bowl Tray
This is a non-skid, non-spill, anti-ant/bug tray. It is made for larger dogs, using larger bowls, but it can definitely work for cats as well. The tray has 2 placements, one for the water bowl and the other for food. But you can feed 2 cats side by side as well.
This tray ward off ants and other bugs by using a water moat around it. Fill the trench with water, and it just works! You can pair the tray with your own bowls or you can get matching ones from Pet Parade as well.
Pros: dishwasher safe, easy to clean
Cons: sticky non-skid residue can be difficult to get rid of
Perfect for: messy eaters and drinkers, two-cat households
Iconic Pet 8 Cup Anti Ant Pet Bowl
The Iconic Pet 8 Cup Anti Ant Pet Bowl is a simple, sturdy cat bowl that provides top-tier ant protection without any unnecessary attachments or add-ons. The stainless steel design makes it difficult for ants to get a grip, and the raised rubber ring on the bottom prevents them from climbing up the sides.
In addition to stopping any ant invasions, the rubber coating also prevents cats from pushing their bowl around while eating, which may reduce the amount of time you have to spend cleaning up after any messes that your cat makes!
Pros: clean and simple design, unobtrusive profile, easy to clean, stands up to outside wear and tear, designed for use with both cats and dogs, non-skid rubber base, resistant to rusting, scratching, and chewing
Cons: needs to be cleaned often, may not be the most effective for areas with heavy to severe ant infestations
Perfect For: large cats, outdoor cats, feral cats, cats who spend a lot of time in the backyard
Crmada Anti Ants Dish
The Crmada Anti Ants Dish is an environmentally friendly and dishwasher safe bowl that uses a moat to keep ants out. Fill the narrow moat with water before filling your cat’s bowl with food, and any ants that attempt to get into your cat’s food will drown in the water.
While this particular bowl may not have a non-slip coating, it’s still built heavily enough to stand up to the wear and tear of indoor and outdoor living, which makes it a great fit for most cats, no matter where they live!
Pros: dishwasher safe, large bowl for plenty of space, double bowl to hold both food and water, water moat for ant protection, environmentally friendly, sturdy design for indoor or outdoor use
Cons: no non-slip coating on the bottom, easy to knock over, may not be effective in areas with severe ant infestations
Perfect For: dainty eaters, indoor and outdoor cats, cats who live in areas with more than just ants to worry about
Hepper NomNom Elevated Cat Bowl
The Hepper NomNom Elevated Cat Bowl is a pretty, adaptable design that works well both indoors and outdoors to combine interior design with practical functionality. Every part of the bowl and its housing unit is machine-washable, which saves time and helps you get your cat feeling full and happy once more.
The wide moat surrounding the bowls helps to catch any mess from your cat’s food, but it can also be an easy way to prevent any ant infestations. As with the previous example, simply fill the trough with water to keep ants out!
Pros: stainless steel design, shallow bowl to allow brachycephalic cats or cats with sensitive whiskers to enjoy their meals, easy to clean, resistant to chewing and scratching, modern design that works in most indoor spaces
Cons: the gaps around the aluminum bowls may widen over time, allowing ants to bypass the moat and climb up into the bowl
Perfect For: indoor cats, cats in areas with light infestation, owners who want an attractive bowl for an indoor space
Yuwoda Ant Proof Bowl Tray
The Yuwoda Ant Proof Bowl Tray, as the name might suggest, isn’t actually a cat bowl. Instead, it’s a series of connected tray levels that confuse, misdirect, and ultimately prevent ants from reaching your cat’s food. The tray uses no toxins or chemicals that could be harmful to pets or small children within the home.
Unlike some of the previous examples, there’s no need to add water, gel, or any other sort of substance to discourage ants from climbing on this tray. Instead, the maze-like construction, the unfriendly surface materials, and the odor-dampening construction will leave ants disoriented and less likely to try and steal your cat’s meals.
Pros: unique patented design, safe for children and other pets, works with any size of bowl to protect from ant invasions, adaptable and easy to move, easy to clean
Cons: works better with small ants than with large ants, so you may have to keep an eye on your cat’s bowl if you live in an area with particularly large ants
Perfect For: indoor and outdoor cats, cats on the move, owners who like to keep things changing
Fully Best Pet Bowl
The Fully Best Pet Bowl is another attractive design that still provides plenty of functionality. Like some of the previous examples, the Fully Best Bowl uses a moat to prevent any ant access. Unlike the previous examples, however, the nearly two-inch-wide moat holds quite a bit more water, making crossing that much more difficult.
The wide moat protects two high quality stainless steel bowls, perfect for making sure that your cat gets all of the food and water they need.
Pros: human food grade stainless steel, sleek and modern construction, holds plenty of food, wide moat prevents ants from gaining access and reduces the risk of food spillage, easy to clean
Cons: large construction designed for cats and dogs, which may not be the best choice for small living quarters or owners who are looking to reduce space
Perfect For: large cats, cats who like to eat, owners who don’t mind taking up a bit of space
Making Your Own Ant Proof Cat Bowl
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of ant-proof cat bowls available on the market and want to start a little bit smaller, there are other options for ant-proofing your home without getting a special bowl.
Depending on where you live, you may be able to purchase special ant-repellent chemicals that throw off the tiny insects’ sense of smell and make it difficult for them to navigate. However, some of these substances may be harmful to animals or to small children, so make sure you carefully research all of your options before purchasing.
Diatomaceous earth, in particular, is often recommended to protect against pests, but can lead to lung damage.
Another option is an ultrasonic repellent. This device works not only on ants, but other pests like mice and roaches. They are effective up to 15-20 foot radius and can last quite a few years of constant use.
For a more simplistic approach, check out ant-proof mats or surfaces like the AntPad Desktop Pad. Most of these mats work by laying down a layer of some material that ants typically don’t like to walk on, either because it’s too slippery or in some way uncomfortable to crawl over.
If you like the cat bowl you’re using now and just want to make sure that no ants or other insects can get into your cat’s food, an ant-proof mat may be the easiest way to do so.
Another quick and easy solution is to use ant-proof legs, like these BugSnub Ant Proof Tray Legs. These tray legs come with ant-proof gel, which is stored inside the legs and keeps ants from crawling up onto whatever the legs are supporting.
Since most cat food bowls lie flat against the ground, ant-proof legs are a great way of elevating food and protecting your cats from pests without having to pick out a whole new food bowl or worry about constantly filling and refilling a water moat.
