Whisker fatigue causes stress and overstimulates their senses. Using a flat bowl or plate will relieve this issue and allow your cat to eat all their food without stress.
You can also search for “whisker fatigue” bowls specifically made for cats.
I also have a ‘flat’ bowl. My cat isn’t happy with her food until I put some of her food on the floor and watch her eat for a couple of minutes. She is the boss… apparently.
Not for infromative purposes, but as a reminder how whipped and nonsensical cat owners can be.
I never noticed until I got my own cats though. Used to be a dog person, through and through. Still am, but now I also love my cats.
Now like dogs, they are individuals so there are adjustments needed but let me just list all that I do with my cats that works amazing for them…
ad libitum food, 2 cats, 4 bowls. 2 always full with dry food, 2 always full with water. (Now there’s actually also two massive dog water bowls they have additional access to)
Night time crates; when we go to bed, they go to bed. No fuss, they are crate trained just like our 3 dogs.
Never outside without a harness/leash. These are pets, and unlike dogs which are easily contained with chains or fences cats are not. Its unethical and plain wrong to let your cat out to kill birds and encroach on others property. Barn cats are another tough topic, I won’t touch on cause that’s a situation. But irrelevant anyways since these are house cats.
These 2 cats are healthy af, not overweight and well they eat and drink well.
I’ll add, I grew up with ad libitum dog feeding too. That said my 3 dogs currently are on a 2 meals a day regiment. This is purely due to the fact we have some overly food motivated breeds who will fight and we need to have them seperate when food is involved in any capacity (their food and food in general)
This rant just to say, cat owners very often come off as the type that try to sell chunks of gypsum and amethyst to heal your woes.
My cat likes it when I cup my hand and cover the front of her face like a hand mask. Not sure why, but it definitely presses on her whiskers a bit and she doesn’t seem to mind either.
I think that’s it as well. My cat has never had to worry about not having any food available, but will act like she’s dying of hunger the second her bowl is less than half full. To get her to eat the last half all I have to do is shake the kibble box next to the bowl.
TL;DW it’s mostly marketing and fear mongering. Your cat doesn’t care and even with completely natural behaviors (like oh I don’t know, squeezing into prey burrows and clamping their muzzle around mice) they get their whiskers compressed all the time. Whiskers are touch receptors so the idea that they can’t be touched is kind of silly.
It’s funny: The linked article up top briefly brings up that some vets question it, but then immediately turns around and acts like it’s a foregone conclusion.
No, whisker fatigue is mostly a myth. Like just put some thought into it for a moment, do cats care when their whisters touch stuff when they are lying down or sleeping? Do they care when they squeeze into a tight space or lay in a tiny box? Does your cat rub its face on anythingnand everything it gets the chance to? Then why would only thr bowl cause whisker fatigue?
I have a whisker friendly dish and my cat still does this. My cat just likes company when he eats and he’ll meow at you to come join him. He digs in as soon as I sit down with him at his bowl. Just a little weirdo butt.
My cat will come and tap me a couple of times with his paw to get my attention, then wander to his food bowl. He just wants me to pet him while he eats. It’s the cutest thing.
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