Considering my feline gang of seven comfortably naps nearly 18 hours a day, I’m hard-pressed to believe they have fatigue of any sort, but it turns out I’m wrong. Based on what I’ve learned from the folks at Dr. Catsby’s – a company that makes health conscious cat feeding bowls – my cats may have varying degrees of “whisker fatigue.”

Apparently their favorite activity when they’re awake – eating – might be causing them stress because the bowls I’m using to feed them are not adequately designed to accommodate for their delicate whiskers. It makes sense if you think about it – cat’s whiskers are almost like another set of eyes to them. I’m sure all of us can relate to a time when our cat seems instantly alerted to something we don’t see. That’s because their whiskers are so sensitive they can detect even the slightest change in their surroundings.

Look at Peanut – aren’t her whiskers amazing!?

I try so hard to be a good cat parent, so I must say I was quite distressed to think the bowls I’m using could be hurting them. As it is, I made a significant change in the diet I feed them (switching from a dry/canned combination to a raw/high-quality fit for human consumption canned combination) and the dishes I use are raised off the floor to help aid with digestion.

They are your basic stainless steel bowls that are shaped like a small pie tin with a lip to fit into a raised frame – and that’s the problem – when they eat, their whiskers could be forced into close contact with the sides of the bowl, possibly causing them discomfort.

Angry Whiskers… Angry Bird… Looks like I need to replace those bowls and get Dr. Catsby’s for my gang.

So perhaps when we think our cat is being fussy, irritable, or messy about eating, maybe he really isn’t. Maybe it’s actually the bowl that’s causing problems. Here are some of the symptoms of Whisker Fatigue:

~Leaving food in the bowl, but is still hungry.

~Pulling food out of the bowl with their mouth or paw to eat off the floor.

~Leaving a mess on the floor.

~Only eating from the center of the bowl.

~Acting aggressive toward other animals in the house during mealtime.

~Standing by the bowl before eating for a period of time, pacing around the bowl, or being hesitant to eat, though hungry.

Yes, I do admit my cats have exhibited some of these signs at one point or another. The leaving a mess on the floor and leaving food in the bowl has been 100% eliminated with the new diet, but every single night I have do have to constantly scrape the food from their bowls and push it into the center for easier access.

The great news for concerned cat parents like me is that the devoted team at Dr. Catsby’s has designed an ergonomically shaped bowl that ensures your cat’s whiskers will never have to feel pain again while eating! Not only do I know it from the pawsome video they made, I know it because one was sent for my gang to test out and I’m not kidding you, this bowl is 5-paws up, the cat’s meow!

Feeding seven cats is not easy. Especially when six of them are like a crazed group of teenagers waiting for a Justin Bieber concert to start, clamoring around me to put their food filled dishes on the floor. Kizmet is my exception – he’s a patient chap who prefers to dine alone on the kitchen counter. He likes to eat, but rarely is enthusiastic enough to finish his meal, so I thought he would be the ideal cat to try out the Dr. Catsby’s bowl. As it is, the bowl I use with him has a tendency to fall on the floor because it slides around while he is trying to eat so I thought it would be nice to give him a slip-free meal.

Now that Kizmet has a proper bowl, he looks forward to meals and waits on the counter knowing good things will soon be coming his way!

Kizmet was more than satisfied and has been eating in the Dr. Catsby’s bowl ever since. It hasn’t slipped at all and he’s been eating every morsel of his food, licking the bowl completely clean! Since I feed my cats three small meals a day, that’s quite the endorsement! It’s also a lot of opportunity to stress my cats out, and really, the only one who should be feeling stressed or fatigued is me with all the kitchen prep I have to do!

That’s why I’m 100% sold on the Dr. Catsby’s bowl and the great news – you can be too! Dr. Catsby’s has kindly agreed to give away a bowl to one lucky reader! It’s simple – just enter between now and the end of the day, Thursday, February 11 for your chance to *win.

The Dr. Catsby’s bowl comes in a gorgeous presentation box with a clever card explaining what whisker fatigue is and how it affects your cat’s eating habits.

The bowl retails for $19.99 which might seem pricey at first glance, but honestly, the bowl is so well made; I don’t think you’ll ever need to replace it. The stainless steel bowl is resilient to bacteria’s, easy to clean, and raised high enough off the floor to making eating healthier for your cat.

Dr. Catsby

Dr. Catsby’s Feline Remedies Bowl for Whisker Fatigue was invented by Loren Kulesus (he had an ergonomics background from his college days) when he discovered his cat was having trouble eating and was making a mess with his food. Thinking in terms of humans who have utensils and kitchenware to better fit our mouths and hands, he decided to test the theory that a cat’s bowl needed to be ergonomic for more comfortable feeding.

He brought the idea to his business partner and many prototypes later with the input of real cats and cat guardians, an ergonomically shaped dish made of a non-porous, bacterial resistant, stainless steel material with an elevated height to aid in a cat’s digestion was born. We’re certainly happy for the invention and thank Dr. Catsby’s for this wonderful giveaway opportunity.

If you would like to read further articles on cats and their senses, please check this post, Extraordinary Behavior – Does Your Cat Have a Sixth Sense?

*Contest limited to U.S. residents only. Winner will be contacted by email. If winner does not respond to initial contact to confirm shipping address for prize, a follow-up attempt will be made – if there is still no response, an alternate winner will be drawn. This product was given to me for review purposes and I was not compensated. The opinions shared in this post are those of Zee & Zoey’s Cat Chronicles.