Bowls for flat-faced cats: helping your Persian or Exotic eat without squashing their face

A bowl for a flat-faced cat has to let them reach their food without their face bumping into the side: a wide, shallow dish, or a tilted bowl that brings the food forward, washed every day. For a very flat face, a plain flat plate often works better than any bowl at all.

Why does a flat-faced cat struggle to eat from an ordinary bowl?

A flat-faced cat hits the rim of a straight-sided bowl before reaching the bottom. Their muzzle barely sticks out from the face: in a deep bowl, it is the cheeks or nose that touch the side, and the last few biscuits stay stuck where the side meets the base. A plate or a raised tilted cat bowl can each get round this, in different ways.

The trouble goes beyond the nose. According to International Cat Care, in short-nosed Persians the teeth do not line up properly, so they cannot bite and chew normally; these deformities can make eating, drinking and grooming harder. The same applies to the Exotic Shorthair and to any flattened face.

A few signs suggest it is the bowl that bothers them:

• they eat from the side, head tilted at an angle;
• they scoop biscuits out of the bowl with a paw to eat them off the floor;
• they leave some at the bottom, then ask for more;
• they push wet food to the edges and cannot get it back.

Other signs are a matter for the vet, not the bowl. International Cat Care advises you to contact your clinic if your cat eats less, drops food or chews on one side, and to do so urgently if their appetite has been down for three days or more.

Flat plate, tilted bowl or straight bowl: which suits their face?

The same source notes that cats generally prefer wide, shallow, ceramic bowls, and that some turn away from metal or plastic, which can taint the taste of their food.

For a very flat face, start with a plate from the cupboard: if it solves everything, you have nothing to buy. If the biscuits scatter, a tilted bowl keeps them together.

For a face that cannot reach the bottom
Tilted at 15° with a raised back rim, the bowl presents its contents to your cat instead of keeping them at the bottom. Discover the tilted bowl →

What does a tilted bowl do for a Persian or an Exotic?

A tilted bowl moves the food towards the cat. On the Pelux bowl, the dish leans 15° towards your cat and its back rim is raised: the biscuits stay within reach, under their nose, rather than stuck against a side. The angle is fixed, with nothing to adjust.

The stand also lifts the bowl off the floor: they eat with the head slightly lowered, without diving down to the tiles. The bowl lifts out for washing. It comes as a single or a double, with two bowls side by side.

The supplier, for its part, gives neither the capacity, nor the bowl's diameter, nor the height of the stand. So we cannot promise it is wide enough for a very flat face. If your cat only manages with a plate, keep the plate; if they do not take to the bowl, you have 30 days to change your mind.

Put it where they already eat, on a level floor: the supplier says it is hard to tip over, but does not say whether the stand has non-slip feet.

Plastic, long fur and a wet chin: how do you keep the feeding spot clean?

A flat-faced cat pushes more of the face into the food, and a Persian often leaves the bowl with a damp chin and chest. The Pelux bowl is plastic (ABS and polycarbonate, according to the supplier): for this kind of cat, hand-wash the bowl every day, and replace it if it cracks.

According to International Cat Care, the chin carries large sebaceous glands and Persians can develop a severe form of facial dermatitis. Keeping the chin clean after meals may help, and ceramic or metal bowls rather than plastic help in some cases. If you spot blackheads or greasy patches on the chin, show your vet and switch to ceramic or stainless steel.

For water, also choose a material that does not scratch (see ceramic or plastic); the rest of the feeding spot is in our food and water range.

Caring for the eyes and nose folds remains a job for the vet. The routines specific to each breed are in our guides to the Persian and the Exotic Shorthair.

Frequently asked questions

What shape of dish suits wet food for a flat-faced cat?

For wet food, a wide flat plate often works better than a bowl, even a tilted one. A flat-faced cat pushes wet food ahead of them: in a bowl, it piles up against the rim, out of reach. Spread it in a thin layer on the plate, and keep the tilted bowl for biscuits.

Does my British Shorthair need a bowl for flat-faced cats?

Only if their face is genuinely short: it is the face that decides, not the breed. International Cat Care does, however, list British Shorthairs, alongside Persians and Exotics, among the very short-nosed breeds prone to misaligned teeth. Watch them at mealtimes: if they eat at an angle or leave some at the bottom, try the plate.

Can you put water in the second bowl of the double version?

That is what the supplier intends: biscuits on one side, water on the other. International Cat Care, however, advises keeping food away from water, and for a cat with a sensitive chin, water that sits out all day is better in a material that does not scratch. In that case, choose the single version for biscuits and a ceramic bowl for water, a little further away.

Key points

• A flat-faced cat bumps into the side of a deep bowl: they need a wide, shallow dish, or a tilted bowl that brings food forward.
• For a very flat face or for wet food, a flat plate is often the best bowl, and you already own one.
• The Pelux bowl is tilted at 15°, made of plastic, with no dimensions given by the supplier: wash it daily for a Persian with a wet chin.
• Eating less, dropping food or chewing on one side is a matter for the vet, not for a change of bowl.