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Why Does My Cat Flip Her Food Bowl? (Unstoppable?)

If your cat is flipping its bowls you may be getting really frustrated and looking for reasons why, and more importantly what you can do about it (Click here to see my best solution, on Amazon #Ad)

Why does my cat flip her food bowl?

A cat may flip its bowl for several reasons. However, the most common ones are an attempt to get your attention, upset with the food, a genuine accident, or not being happy with the bowl itself. Regarding the latter, the usual gripe with the bowl is it not being big enough and not enough room for its whiskers.

Use these to stop your cat from flipping its bowls

Description Image My Rating
01. Heavy cat bowl (My Best)
Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad
5 stars
02. Large cat bowl
Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad
03. Flat cat plate
Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad
4 stars

So, now you know. But, what can you d about this? do some cats move the bowl, instead of flipping it? Do some cats prefer a wider bowl? Keep reading for these answers, and much more…

How can you stop your cat from flipping its food bowl?

Why does my cat flip her food bowl?

A cat eating from its bowl.

So, now you understand why your cat may be flipping its bowl. You may now be wondering what you can do to stop this from happening, right? Well, here are some suggestions:

01. Get a heavier bowl

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Sometimes your cat will make a genuine mistake and accidentally flip the bowl. This could be because you are using a very light and flimsy bowl. If this is the case you will need a heavier cat bowl (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad) to avoid this happening again.

02. Get a bigger bowl (to fit its whiskers)

Click here to see the price, on Amazon #Ad

As well as a heavier bowl, sometimes your cat rejects its current bowl because it’s not big enough. One of the cats’ biggest problems with small bowls is their whiskers not having enough clearance when they lower their head into it to eat. So, a larger and wider bowl (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad) will help this.

03. Give your cat more attention

If the issue is not the bowl it could be a psychological one such as needing your attention. To help this you will need to allocate some quality time with your cat each day. Even 30 minutes per day will help. And, hopefully, in time it can help it feel more loved.

Do some cats flip their bowl on purpose?

Some cats will flip their bowl on purpose. They may do this because they want attention, unhappy with the food, or other anxiety-related issues. These issues are harder to fix than getting a new bowl.

Why? Well, it is not always obvious what is causing this issue. For example, your cat could be rebelling against a new person in your house, like a new baby. So, this is a complex issue because the baby is not going anywhere.

Do some cats move their bowl?

Some cats will move their bowl. The main reason for this is the weight of the bowl or the width. This is because if it’s too light it may move it around trying to get to the food. And if it’s not wide enough it may get frustrated and push the bowl around, or over in frustration.

To get around this get a heavier bowl (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad), or try a flat cat plate (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad) this will help to avoid this happening.

How to stop cat from spilling food:

If your cat is spilling food rather than flipping the bowl there are some simple and practical things you can do. Here are some suggestions:

01. Use a food puzzle

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Some cats just eat too fast and this can cause spillage. These food puzzles will help your cat slow down its eating and help you reduce or stop the spillage completely.

02. Bigger Bowl

As discussed earlier bigger bowls can help (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad). The spillage could be because too much food is crammed into a small bowl so use this to get around this problem.

03. Non-slip bowl

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Other times the issue could be with the traction on the bowl. Meaning you may just need a non-slip bowl and this is where these come in handy.

Do some cats prefer flat plates?

Keto pee smells like cat pee.

A late plate with human food on it.

Some cats do prefer a flat plate (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad). This is because they can avoid brushing their whiskers against the side of the bowl when they eat from it.

Can some food bowls be too deep for your cat?

The depth of the cat’s bowl can affect your cat. If it is too deep, or narrow, it can frustrate them. This is because it is brushing against its whiskers or obstructing its access to the food.

If this is the problem it is quite easily fixed by offering your cat another bowl that fits their needs better. There are many to choose from so you may need to try a couple until you find the ideal match.

Why do some cats flip the bowl then eat off the floor?

Some cats may flip their bowls and then eat from the floor to send a direct message that they prefer the floor over the dish you have provided. This may happen if you have recently changed their bowl or they are new cats to your home.

If this is the case you may need to try a couple of different bowls to see how they respond. If that fails you may need to look into other psychological issues such as anxiety. this could be caused by a new environment or several other things.

Do some cats prefer wide bowls?

Some cats do prefer wide bowls (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad). This is because they get more room for their head and avoid rubbing their whiskers against the side of the bowl.

But, this is not a one-size-fits-all type of deal. Why? Well, one cat will flip its bowl to rebel against the narrow dish, whilst another cat may reject the wide bowl. So, you need to respond to each cat’s personal preferences, are you with me?

Could some cats just dislike the food & flip the bowl?

Some cats will flip their bowl because they dislike the food. This is more noticeable with dry food because it goes all over the room. If you fear this is the case then you may need to try a different brand or type to see how it responds.

When I say type or brand I mean if it rejected some dry food try a different brand of dry first, rather than switching to wet food. If that fails, then try a small amount of wet food. But, don’t commit to a large portion of cat food until you are sure it likes it. Why? Well, you could literally be wasting money.

Lindsey Browlingdon