How to protect my wall from the cat dish

January 22, 2009 6:22 PM

Cat fanciers: is there a convenient way to keep dried bits of food from getting on the wall next to the cat food dishes?

We keep our cat's food and water dishes on the floor against a wall. Over time, the wall area near the dishes builds up a nasty spattering of dried food all over it. The wall can be washed, of course, but we'd love to have a way to keep it from getting dirty in the first place.

Rather than affixing something to the wall semi-permanently, I was thinking that it would be great if there was some product that was a platform for the dishes with a little divider sticking up in the back that would guard my wall from the dish area. It might look sort of like a little stage. A unit like this could easily be rinsed off in the sink from time to time. Does anyone know if this (or something similar) exists?

If not, then how do other cat fanciers protect against this kind of wall mess?

posted by kosmonaut to pets & animals (10 answers total)

I keep the dishes farther from the wall. They're on mats, but the cats will happily drag food (wet or dry) out of the bowl and off the mat in order to eat it, dribbling food as they go. YcatMMV.
posted by rtha at 7:01 PM on January 22, 2009

Until you find it, a laminated splat mat propped against the wall might help.
posted by aquafortis at 7:27 PM on January 22, 2009

Along the same lines as aquafortis, I'd probably just get one of those thin flexible cutting boards and lean it against the wall. Easy to clean (dishwasher safe!), movable if you ever decide to move the cat's dish, you'll be able to find a color that works with your room, and it'll be about 99% unobtrusive - they're really thin, they don't look like you're leaning a cutting board against the wall.

Anyway, here's 5 of them for 7 bucks. Use one for the cat, and you now have 4 new awesome cutting boards! (There are other brands/colors available, search "flexible cutting board" on amazon.)
posted by AlisonM at 7:51 PM on January 22, 2009

1. An elevated cat bowl with backsplash. The back splash is not big enough IMO.

2. A really fancy one. I think this is a little too ornate.

3. Orvis makes cutesy ones for dogs. The small ones would work.


Hope those ideas help. I've lived with cats all my life and have always had the same problem. It's funny. I never thought about solving the problem - just lived with it- until you asked.
posted by dchrssyr at 8:09 PM on January 22, 2009

Wow. I didn't even look at the prices of the elevated bowls I just posted! Who has that much money to spend on cat bowls? Maybe it's a good DIY project. Craft stores sell small benches / stools. I bet it wouldn't be difficult to make it yourself if you're so inclined.
posted by dchrssyr at 8:28 PM on January 22, 2009

dry food
posted by HuronBob at 8:46 PM on January 22, 2009

Lean a vinyl or plastic place mat vertically behind the dishes.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:08 PM on January 22, 2009

dry food
posted by HuronBob at 8:46 PM on January 22 [+] [!]

It occurs with dry food as well.
posted by Asherah at 7:01 AM on January 23, 2009

Thanks for the good ideas!

dchrssyr, you found exactly the kind of things I was thinking of, although they don't quite get it right with the backsplash size. I have no idea how she manages to do it, but our cat gets food pretty high up on the wall. The really fancy one is pretty close, but... I mean we do love our cat and all, but wow. The link was worth the amusement value if nothing else! :)

I am thinking that the cutting board or splat mat propped up will have to do until we build this thing ourselves. Thanks for the suggestions everybody!
posted by kosmonaut at 9:04 AM on January 23, 2009

When I showed my fiancée the really fancy bowl holder, she said that she would be more mad if the cat got food splatters on that thing than the wall! :)
posted by kosmonaut at 9:24 AM on January 23, 2009