Dry food messy eaters solution?

[Medusa]

Medusa, you read between the lines and understood my meaning! Yes, there are at least two of us with this fear. It's doubtful that there would be prolonged starvation, but this is the real reason for a large ever-full bowl and three bowls of water. I've stopped short of leaving a dripping tap (which they would love!), but I've noticed that the furnace and AC when they're running drip condensation into a drain which I took the cover off (can't remember why) and the condensation drips into the well around the pipe that the water goes down when the well overflows, so there's always water as long as there is heat and AC. I think this fear comes from hearing all those sad stories of the little old lady who dies and no one notices and her cats start do what animals do when there is no other food around. See, I can't even say it! Or someone goes to the hospital suddenly or worse and no one thinks about the pets. Or, I can't believe anyone would ever do this, and there is a special place in hell for them, the pets are left behind when the owners move out.

I may have to use the grass mats. I know it must be unpleasant to their little toes, and they'll jump over if they can or I'd have them around the litter boxes. Hate the way they track the litter too.

Have you thought of a cat fountain? I have a couple of them going plus their water dishes and they love them. As for the grass mats, that just may be my fear that it hurts their paw pads. I imagine that they wouldn't sell if that was the case. I have noticed that they stand on them while they're eating and drinking so it may not be uncomfortable at all. It's just me.

[Janeway]

I know they will avoid it if possible, but I guess if they have to stand on it to eat, they will. Not exactly the same thing, but I have one of those mats (original purpose being a door mat) where I will step on it before I hit the basement steps, but they have plenty of different routes around it so they avoid it.

So far no starving, whining cats with about a 1/2 cup of food in their main (now smaller) bowl. And they still are leaving some in the bowl. Funny thing, I put the almost empty, filled with mostly little bits now, large bowl on the counter before deciding what to do with it and I noticed Kinsey (only) eating out of it and leaving the bits around it. For one thing, it's much easier to clean up the bits. Two water bowls are already on the counter and now I think I'll try subtracting one water bowl and leaving a food bowl on the counter.

Yes, I tried the fountain, but being lazy got tired of the maintenance. I'm still using the base as a water bowl. I put Brita filtered water in that one and tap water in the others, just in case they have a preference. It's just easier to wash the bowl than to deal with the cleaning and filter care of the fountain.

[Janeway]

Well, good news of a sort. I put the food bowl (replaced one of the water dishes) on the counter and put about a cup a day in it, though I've never found it empty, though lots of bits left over. I've seen them all eat from it, so they know where it is. There's still a bit of a mess, but it actually seems to be less. And it's easy to clean up, being at counter height. And I really don't think anyone is starving, because they'd let me know. Still get their wet food in the morning. There will probably be a bonus to this because the two males have been getting fat and it will be interesting to see if they slim down a bit.

[Medusa]

Hey, whatever works for you, as long as you don't mind them on your countertops. That's a no cat zone here. Not that they obey, mind you, but I like to at least pretend that I'm the boss.

[pomtzu]

My son's cat's food dish is on top of the washing machine - only to keep my dogs from eating the cat food, since the kitties are free fed dry food, and have a once a day small meal of wet food. The cats are still young and spry enough that they have no problem jumping up that far to get the food.