Bowls, fountains and stands: setting up a feeding corner

Set the height from the pet, not from the kitchen

A raised feeder suits a tall dog and an older dog who would rather not fold down to the floor. With the pet standing relaxed, the bowl rim should sit around the lower chest, so the neck stays roughly level with the back.

A stand bought for a puppy is at the wrong height within a year, so either buy one with adjustable legs or accept that it is tied to the size of the pet today. Weight matters too: a light stand slides across a hard floor, and rubber feet are the difference.

Bowl shape changes how long a meal takes

A plain bowl lets a dog take a mouthful and swallow it. A bowl with ridges and valleys turns each mouthful into a small piece of work, so the meal occupies more of the day.

Shallow patterns suit a dog with a short muzzle, wide smooth bowls suit wet food, and deep patterns suit a large dog. The practical question with any pattern is whether you can rinse every corner without a bottle brush.

• Plain bowl: quickest meal, easiest rinse.
• Ridged bowl: slower meal, more corners to clean.
• Wet food: a smooth wide bowl is easier to clear.

Fountains: the pump decides the ownership

A fountain keeps a pool of water moving, and many cats drink more readily from a moving surface than from a still bowl. A larger reservoir also means fewer refills in a household that is out all day.

The trade is a weekly routine: pump, filter and trays come apart for rinsing. Before ordering, check that the pump is sold as a spare part, because a fountain with a sealed pump has a fixed life and no repair.

• A replacement pump listed as a separate item.
• Filters that are easy to buy in the same size.
• Parts that come apart without tools.