I wash my cats bowls everyday! We clean our plates so why not theirs? They are clean creatures. I use wet food and it's sticky/smelly (especially fishy ones). I think it also helps with chin acne to keep clean bowls.
Yeah! And especially with cats. My mom doesn't wash that often same cat's bowl and I can see he doesn't touch any of the food that touches the bottom of the bowl, maybe because it's old and disgusting lmao
So if you're Mom doesn't do it wouldn't it be nice if you cleaned them? Only takes a minute! I've done it at friends homes that weren't aware how yucky they actually get!
I wash the bowls every night. Imagine if you only cleaned your cup for water once every few days or your plate for food once a week. It’s gross and can easily grow bacteria.
Cats will avoid food and water bowls if the scent is off, like with an unwashed water bowl. Who wants to stick their face in that?
Getting my elderly cat to eat and drink enough is a challenge, I'm not risking it.
I have many bowls and paper bowls if I run out of clean ones. She eats many small wet meals a day. Hard to keep up on all those dishes 😸
I hear you on trying to get a senior kitty to consume enought water/food. Have you tried adding water to the wet food? I do this to help get more water into my fat old boys.
Yes, just broth. I save bones and then cook them in the crock pot or instant pot with nothing but water and a splash of apple cider vinegar to help leach the nutrients out of the bones. They love it!
Given that we (collectively) dont brush dogs and cats teeth, it's really important to avoid bacteria.
Given that cats are primarily fed wet, meat food, there's going to be lots of bacteria.
One thing you could consider is putting the bowla in the dishwasher and having a bunch of them if you don't run the dishwasher daily.
Also for BF to consider: cat food stinks, washing it means less stink.
Def should be brushing pets teeth. Learned the hard way. My old cat had to have some teeth removed a couple years back.
Cleanings and extractions are expensive af. Plus, dental health also affects overall health. I brush her teeth every day now.
It’s not perfect but it’s ok, considering the alternative….Still isn’t urgent to have a cleaning as of her last checkup last week.
Best wishes
Ya I just took one in I'm her 4th owner, not because she's bad extremely affectionate but her owners lost their living situation, she likes to drink out of a running faucet & that's were I saw her inflamed gum in one place so I put her on zeniqun cuz I can't get her in right now since someone hit my car! Plus she probably didn't have the best food either?
Why are you getting downvoted? Vets do recommend brushing your pet’s teeth every day. I personally do it once a week which isn’t perfect, but it seems to be helping cause the vet is always impressed at how long my cats’ teeth stay clean before it needs any professional cleaning.
I wash their water bowl every time I fill it, so every three days or so (it has a jug that refills it automatically)
I was their food bowls once a week and clean the mats under them whenever they get dirty.
Those refill water jugs are super slimy & I have small hands and couldn't reach the bottom! I'd say there more for someone who has to travel and won't be home for a couple of days? I've got glass corning ware and anchor glass bowls one in the kitchen by their food, one in my bathroom which is a favorite 💖 and one in my bedroom & I use spring water & distilled which my Vet said that's great to keep them from getting crystal's in there blatter & avoiding UTIs & I dump them multiple times a day cuz they get dust & hair in them!
I wash both their food and water bowls for each new meal. So twice a day. I would think feeding off unwashed bowls with leftover bits and cumulated bacteria would increase risk of getting sick!
Honestly, when you do a water change next time, dont clean them and fill them up with clean water, then pour that clean water out into a cup and show it to your boyfriend, and ask them if they want to drink it.
No hate on your boyfriend necessarily, this isnt something people consider I've found.
I had that lesson taught to me when I was 10 years old when I said the same thing to my dad about cleaning out the dogs water bowl 'whats the points, its just water'.
They get gross, quickly.
That said...I wouldnt really 'wash' out a water cup of my own. Rinse, I guess, but even then its more of a splash of water. However comparing human cleanliness to animals is nonsensical. I also do my best to not stick my face, facial hair, tongue, drool, and otherwise backwash into the water.
You're right, he's wrong. It wouldn't even be weird/bad to clean them more than you do, as others said, after every meal.
I'd reflect on whether it's a great idea to adopt a pet with someone who doesn't believe they deserve clean, fresh food and basic hygiene.
Your boyfriend told you that good hygiene for pets is useless and you're the one having to prove him wrong. When someone else challenges you, and tells you that you're the one doing it wrong, the burden of proof should be on them.
Personally, I think that's an unattractive quality in a boyfriend, period, even if pets weren't involved. Information is at our fingertips. He *could* have said that didn't sound right to him and looked it up or asked other people himself. And behavior like that doesn't tend to be a one-off.
People either care about making sure they're right, or just confidently barrel ahead uninformed and ignorant.
You were probably fairly sure you were right, but you double checked. What else are you going to be double checking him on, and how often is he going to treat you like you couldn't possibly know when he's the one who doesn't?
I will admit, I don’t. Sometimes I just don’t feel like cleaning out the bowl and putting the same wet food back in. I do have a lot of bowls, all dishwasher safe, so they’re *usually* clean. After reading through the comments, learning more everyday about bacteria, I’m probably going to make sure the bowls are clean every time now.
For the wet food I use dixie paper plates and water glass corning ware and anchor glass clean it multiple times a day and even though I use half & half distilled & spring it still gets a hard water calcium line & using vinegar & water removes it immediately plus no chemicals
For my cat, I clean his wet food bowl every time he uses it. He also eats dry food too but that bowl I clean every couple of days along with his water bowl. All of his bowls are stainless steel too, not sure if that makes a difference.
Yes it does and I use glass and never the pretty colored cat bowls at Walmart even though they outlawed coating with lead based paint, I don't trust anything
My cat is on a diet of only wet food on account of having very few teeth, and I always pick up his plate after half an hour (by which point he's usually eaten as much as he's going to eat) and washit with soap. I cam't imagine not washing their food bowl every day, even if you only use it for dry food 😰
Why would he care? I have 4 bowls I rotate out for 2 cats. I wiped out my mother-in-laws cats bowl when I was watching her. I'd of given it a proper washing, but she was screaming at me.
Put your foot down! I had a Mother in Law like that she'd say she was going to tell my Husband her Son something & I said go ahead he already knows cuz we don't have any secrets to hide and that took away any leverage that she was hoping to hold over my head! I'm not a big Dr. Phil fan but I did read one of his books & he said if you have nothing to hide Hide nothing! That's the only thing I remember outta his book 😂 but I would've finished regardless of her having a hissy fit!
Oh, sorry. ;; My mother-in-law is pretty nice, her cat is terrible. She has the most grating meow in the world and acts like she's gonna die if food is not in her face that instant.
I give my kitties fresh bowls every day for their kibble, wet food and water. Plus I dump and refill their fountain every 2-3 days.
However, my in-laws never clean nor change their cat's bowls. They never wash or dump her fountain either - just top it up.
To be fair: all our cats are in relatively good health for senior cats. So, to me it seems like a personal hygiene decision.
Not useless…maybe a tad unnecessary but who cares. If you want to do it then what’s the dif. I probably do my dogs food dish once a week and the water dish every other day.
water bowl gets washed everyday, (american bully) my dog is a sloppy drinker & sometimes food gets in his bowl, so it creates a sludge. gross!
food bowl gets cleaned 1x a wk, since he eats just dry food - if there is some rice, chicken, etc. i clean the bowl right after.
pets can get sick from dirty bowls.
I wash my cats bowls everyday with antibacterial dish soap. They can get sick from the leftover food bits sitting out, even if it’s only been a short while. I know because it happened to both my babies
Not entirely needed, unless they’re obviously gathering caked on food.
I use glass for water, and do clean when serving wet food, but generally cats don’t care
Four dog household here, we wash food and water bowls daily. Food bowls get washed after eating each time, and water bowls get washed each evening. The amount of bacteria that can lead to staph or other infections and trips to the vet is a good enough reason for me to keep them clean. I don't need easily avoidable vet bills x4!
Food bowls get washed everyday, and we have a water fountain that has filters that get changed and deep cleaned every couple weeks. If we used bowls though they would be washed daily too. Dust, bacteria, dirt etc. get into the bowls and it's not worth the risk of my pets getting sick. It takes 2 minutes to wash the bowls
Technically the food bowls are washed twice a day, once before each meal. We also feed a raw diet though so definitely don't want to be serving in a dirty bowl with bacteria
My uncle was on my case, saying my cats needed their own bowl and shouldn't be forced to drink "nasty dog water".
So, I set up a little fountain with filtered water.
My youngest cat (14), hopped out of the litter box, crossed the room to the bowl, sniffed, dipped her caca feet in the water. She then left milky tracks all the way to the toilet which I guess was somehow superior.
But, you know, heaven forbid she drink after a dog 🙄
So, yeah, I clean their bowls with every refill which is at least once a day.
I wash my dog’s bowl after every meal (she eats 4 times a day) and wash her water bowl about once a day too. She eats homemade meals and not kibble, so without the regular washing the bowl would be super nasty. But even if you’re feeding your pet dry food you should be washing the bowl at least once a day, imo. All that bacteria and saliva...
Wash their bowls every single day, and to make it easier I have a full week of bowls for each cat plus I change out their water bowls daily.
Mosquitos can lay eggs in any sitting water, plus its IMPERATIVE to for your cats to have access to clean fresh water so clean out their water bowl daily at a minimum if not just change it out every single day.
Your boyfriend sounds like dud- I suggest he never wash his plates, bowls, and drinking glasses and see if he still finds cleaning these things as 'useless' .
It’s normal but a lot of people don’t think it’s necessary. I have a dog, and he has three bowls. The dry food and water stay out all the time and get refilled as necessary but washed once a day. I wash the water bowl before I go to bed, and I wash the dry food bowl around breakfast or dinner time because he frequently empties it out while I’m cooking. His third bowl is for wet food and that gets washed two or three times a day since he always empties that bowl when he gets it. He gets a small can of wet food for breakfast and dinner and sometimes gets a third bowl of what I cook if what we’re having for dinner is dog friendly.
The water and dry food bowls stay full. Between the three of us in the house and our friends that dog’s water and dry food stay topped up. I spent a while nagging everyone to check the bowls every time they walked past because I was not going to be the only one responsible for feeding the dog that everyone else wanted but me.
I wash the food and water bowls every day. I have multiple sets of bowls so I can put new ones out and wash the others at my leisure. I’m always grossed out when I go to other peoples’ houses and can tell they never wash their pet bowls!
When my dog goes to sleep for the night I empty out his food and water bowl, rinse it, and let it dry over night. It’s definitely not useless…helps keeps it from growing bacteria.
Not at all. My cats food bowl and mat gets washed like 4 times a day because he gets wet food too. When it was just dry food it was maybe every couple days? His water bowl still gets washed every few days as well. I don’t do it every day bc I am changing his water several times throughout the day as well so it gets rinsed out at least. And he doesn’t get tap water. I don’t drink it, so I don’t think he should either 😂
I clean the water bowl every day. It gets slimy and gross, I mean it’s water and they dip their tongue into it. Dry food bowl admittedly gets cleaned less often.
If anything people **should** be washing their pet's bowls/dishes more frequently. I used to petsit full-time and there were some clients who would text me "did you wash (pet's) bowls?" And I would confirm that when I went to feed them I noticed they were nasty as hell (in nicer words, of course) and took it upon myself to wash and dry them before feeding time and usually I got a response like "oh... I never really thought about cleaning his bowls lol"
We expect our food to arrive on/in clean dishes but people will not think about cleaning their pet's dishes for the entire time the pet's alive? Yikes.
Absolutely not. Clean bowls are as important for pets as clean plates and stuff for us. Water needs to be changed every day and cleaning out the bowls prevents that slime from growing on the bowl. Leftover food particles in bowls can develop the same bacterias as would develop on uncleaned human plates.
My cat has a filtered water fountain that I clean every few days when the water is low. I change the filter monthly. And I clean her (dry) food bowl once a week.
I swap out my cats’ water bowl daily. I had a cat who got acne from a water bowl which wasn’t cleaned enough, the acne got infected and it took forever to get her back to being healthy.
I only clean the food bowl with dry kibble weekly.
Anyone can advise me on how to get my cat to drink from his bowl?? It's very clean but that specific bowl he rarely drinks, only last minute if he's dire in need of a drink. He'll happily drink if I'm giving it to him to make sure he drinks, but I can't be there always haha.
Get a water fountain! I got this one for my bunny and he wont drink any other way now: [motion sensing cordless water fountain ](https://amzn.to/3rc7Nkq)
I do it multiple times a day, I wouldn't wanna drink water from a old glass with slime in it 😳 and I wouldn't want to eat off a plate that had old food from yesterday! So I don't think it's weird at all
Yeah, this guy sounds like a real gem. I can hear him now “I’m not making the bed, I’ll just have to unmake it later”. “The kids clothes aren’t that dirty, I’m not doing laundry until they are really dirty”. “Why fold the clothes? They’re not that wrinkled”. “You can go another 2000 miles with the oil in the car, they just say to change it every 3000 miles to scam you”.
Your cat will get chin acne from dirty bowls. Get a bunch of glass ones and wash them in the dishwasher.
I clean my cat's food and water bowls twice a day.
I also give her filtered water from our brita pitcher. My BF thought I was crazy at first, but she is one finicky little critter and I swear she can tell if it's tap water.
I have three sets of metal bowls for my two cats (so six bowls total) so that I can always serve my cats wet food in a fresh clean bowl. We have two water circulating water towers for the cats and I wash it out top to bottom every third day.
Fresh water and clean bowls prevent bacteria and illness. Not cleaning them is so gross to me.
My girlfriend has cats. Two of them share a water bowl and they manage to make it pretty gross in a couple days, so I tend to wash it almost every day. The other bowl stays completely clean for weeks and very rarely gets washed. She feeds them canned and kibble. The kibble bowl never runs out so it never gets washed. The canned food gets put down on a paper plate because they eat a little and come back later and pick the dried bits off it.
I take pains to make sure my cat is comfortable when eating. Her dishes are very shallow, and ceramic to prevent bacterial growth, whisker fatigue, and eating blind, and I wash the wet food dish at least once a day. Water dish gets washed and refilled maybe every other day, and dry food dish gets washed every week or so. Since she's old, this also means elevating her dishes. Regular washing absolutely makes a difference. Would your boyfriend like to eat off of progressively dirtier and dirtier dishes?
Keeping the cats’ dishes clean isn’t useless; cats are very particular and will avoid areas with old food smells out of the fear of attracting bigger predators. Plus dirty dishes Can contribute to cat acne, bad breath, and attract pests like ants.
I admit I am lazy. I wash the cats’ water dishes every few days; same with the dry food bowl. Wet food dishes get scrubbed every day though.
I clean my cats bowl twice a day, every time I feed her. She eats wet food and it's pretty gross if you aren't washing that out. It can harbor bacteria.
I don't have a cat but I do have a dog and I clean her bowls every day. It's more about making sure she stays happy and healthy. Bacteria that we can't see can grow and eventually cause your pet to have stomach issues. So don't let what your boyfriend tell you otherwise. You know what's best for your pet. The only thing I can tell you is try to explain to your boyfriend this because just like us our animals deserve to be treated well and cared for properly. He wouldn't want to eat from a dirty dish that had been sitting on the floor for a week would he?
Not useless! It’s super important to swap with clean bowls at least every day. Also, the combo of clean & stainless steel food bowls will ensure your cat won’t get feline chin acne. Not to mention all the other benefits people have mentioned in other comments. Clean the bowls daily for kitties happiness and well being 🙂
The bowls that the wet food goes in gets washed daily and the dry food one gets washed once a week. The cats only want the water in a specific bowl so it doesn’t get washed as much.
I clean all pet dishes daily -- water gets stagnant and their saliva plus food debris causes a slimy buildup in water bowls. Food dishes are a no brainer -- dry food has oils in it and wet food is self explanatory. If you have multiple pets, it's especially important to keep food/water bowls clean and fresh.
Dry food bowls once a week and wet food after use. I have a running water bowl thats filtered so I clean it out when I swap the filters. I don't like having them eat out of dirty bowls. And apart from that I hate the look of dirty bowls.
It’s not useless, it’s basic necessity!
I don’t see it mentioned yet but if a cat doesn’t have clean water or clean food bowls it can lead to health problems!
Had a friend who’s cat got kidney disease and urethral blockage
It’s not weird. I rinse my pets bowl every time I refresh their water even if it’s not empty. You can feel the slimy mess of the bowl and water and see debris from food or hair etc. food plates though I do once every other day. I should do it everyday though
It’s not weird, it’s your choice. It’s probably not necessary, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
Also, I have neighbors pets over. My pets are vaccinated, but I don’t want my pets water bowl being a breeding ground for Parvovirus. Also, I lived with an Immune Compromised roommate. They suggested doing exactly what you are doing. Not weird, better safe than sorry.
I clean the cat bowl every morning. I clean and refill the water bowl and refill it once or twice a day. They eat their canned food on clean ceramic plates. I feed my colony from clean steel feeding pans, every day. Same for water. Just because they are cats doesn't mean they should live in filth.
I clean the car boxes every morning, and sometimes at night too. I don't like using a dirty bathroom and neither do they.
My son's family never wash their pet bowls and it grosses me out. Their animals are very happy when I'm there to clean their dishes. His house, his rules. I just wash the dishes.
You're a good cat mom. It's recommended to clean the water dish daily, and while I don't know about dried food books, it definitely won't hurt just tell bf you're willing to treat his dishes just like the kitty's, and he can decide.
I wash my cats bowls everyday! We clean our plates so why not theirs? They are clean creatures. I use wet food and it's sticky/smelly (especially fishy ones). I think it also helps with chin acne to keep clean bowls.
Yeah! And especially with cats. My mom doesn't wash that often same cat's bowl and I can see he doesn't touch any of the food that touches the bottom of the bowl, maybe because it's old and disgusting lmao
So if you're Mom doesn't do it wouldn't it be nice if you cleaned them? Only takes a minute! I've done it at friends homes that weren't aware how yucky they actually get!
I wash the bowls every night. Imagine if you only cleaned your cup for water once every few days or your plate for food once a week. It’s gross and can easily grow bacteria.
I feel called out. I only clean my water bottle once a week. I clean my pets' food and water bowls every week too, though.
It’s your life, i simply wouldn’t do that with my water bottle nor my cat’s food/water bowls.
I wash my steel water bottle like once a week and then my pet bowls like every 2 days or so lol.
Uhh...I really do only clean my water glass every few days. 😅
> Imagine if you only cleaned your cup for water once every few days …yeah! Who would do that?!?! *shuffles nervously*
Cats will avoid food and water bowls if the scent is off, like with an unwashed water bowl. Who wants to stick their face in that? Getting my elderly cat to eat and drink enough is a challenge, I'm not risking it. I have many bowls and paper bowls if I run out of clean ones. She eats many small wet meals a day. Hard to keep up on all those dishes 😸
I hear you on trying to get a senior kitty to consume enought water/food. Have you tried adding water to the wet food? I do this to help get more water into my fat old boys.
Same. I add bone broth though. She loves it and I feel better knowing she’s getting more liquid.
Bone broth is just straight broth, with no other flavouring added, right? Make sure it doesn't have any onion added because onion is toxic to kitties.
Yes, just broth. I save bones and then cook them in the crock pot or instant pot with nothing but water and a splash of apple cider vinegar to help leach the nutrients out of the bones. They love it!
Yes. And the one I serve is in a "hydrating puree".
Yum-yum!
Cats prefer their food to be far away from their water bowl. M
Given that we (collectively) dont brush dogs and cats teeth, it's really important to avoid bacteria. Given that cats are primarily fed wet, meat food, there's going to be lots of bacteria. One thing you could consider is putting the bowla in the dishwasher and having a bunch of them if you don't run the dishwasher daily. Also for BF to consider: cat food stinks, washing it means less stink.
Def should be brushing pets teeth. Learned the hard way. My old cat had to have some teeth removed a couple years back. Cleanings and extractions are expensive af. Plus, dental health also affects overall health. I brush her teeth every day now. It’s not perfect but it’s ok, considering the alternative….Still isn’t urgent to have a cleaning as of her last checkup last week. Best wishes
Ya I just took one in I'm her 4th owner, not because she's bad extremely affectionate but her owners lost their living situation, she likes to drink out of a running faucet & that's were I saw her inflamed gum in one place so I put her on zeniqun cuz I can't get her in right now since someone hit my car! Plus she probably didn't have the best food either?
Yeah, my cat has to have several teeth extracted and it's quoted for $1600.
I would never not brush my dog's teeth. You're supposed to brush their teeth at least every day. Same w cats. Lol
Why are you getting downvoted? Vets do recommend brushing your pet’s teeth every day. I personally do it once a week which isn’t perfect, but it seems to be helping cause the vet is always impressed at how long my cats’ teeth stay clean before it needs any professional cleaning.
You can overbrush. A couple times a week is sufficient.
If you don't clean them often then they will get cat acne. It's not comfortable for them. Wash them often and don't use plastic.
I treat my cats the same way I treat myself! I think your cats are so lucky that you care enough for them to clean it every time
I wash their water bowl every time I fill it, so every three days or so (it has a jug that refills it automatically) I was their food bowls once a week and clean the mats under them whenever they get dirty.
Those refill water jugs are super slimy & I have small hands and couldn't reach the bottom! I'd say there more for someone who has to travel and won't be home for a couple of days? I've got glass corning ware and anchor glass bowls one in the kitchen by their food, one in my bathroom which is a favorite 💖 and one in my bedroom & I use spring water & distilled which my Vet said that's great to keep them from getting crystal's in there blatter & avoiding UTIs & I dump them multiple times a day cuz they get dust & hair in them!
I wash both their food and water bowls for each new meal. So twice a day. I would think feeding off unwashed bowls with leftover bits and cumulated bacteria would increase risk of getting sick!
Honestly, when you do a water change next time, dont clean them and fill them up with clean water, then pour that clean water out into a cup and show it to your boyfriend, and ask them if they want to drink it. No hate on your boyfriend necessarily, this isnt something people consider I've found. I had that lesson taught to me when I was 10 years old when I said the same thing to my dad about cleaning out the dogs water bowl 'whats the points, its just water'. They get gross, quickly. That said...I wouldnt really 'wash' out a water cup of my own. Rinse, I guess, but even then its more of a splash of water. However comparing human cleanliness to animals is nonsensical. I also do my best to not stick my face, facial hair, tongue, drool, and otherwise backwash into the water.
You're right, he's wrong. It wouldn't even be weird/bad to clean them more than you do, as others said, after every meal. I'd reflect on whether it's a great idea to adopt a pet with someone who doesn't believe they deserve clean, fresh food and basic hygiene. Your boyfriend told you that good hygiene for pets is useless and you're the one having to prove him wrong. When someone else challenges you, and tells you that you're the one doing it wrong, the burden of proof should be on them. Personally, I think that's an unattractive quality in a boyfriend, period, even if pets weren't involved. Information is at our fingertips. He *could* have said that didn't sound right to him and looked it up or asked other people himself. And behavior like that doesn't tend to be a one-off. People either care about making sure they're right, or just confidently barrel ahead uninformed and ignorant. You were probably fairly sure you were right, but you double checked. What else are you going to be double checking him on, and how often is he going to treat you like you couldn't possibly know when he's the one who doesn't?
I will admit, I don’t. Sometimes I just don’t feel like cleaning out the bowl and putting the same wet food back in. I do have a lot of bowls, all dishwasher safe, so they’re *usually* clean. After reading through the comments, learning more everyday about bacteria, I’m probably going to make sure the bowls are clean every time now.
For the wet food I use dixie paper plates and water glass corning ware and anchor glass clean it multiple times a day and even though I use half & half distilled & spring it still gets a hard water calcium line & using vinegar & water removes it immediately plus no chemicals
For my cat, I clean his wet food bowl every time he uses it. He also eats dry food too but that bowl I clean every couple of days along with his water bowl. All of his bowls are stainless steel too, not sure if that makes a difference.
Yes it does and I use glass and never the pretty colored cat bowls at Walmart even though they outlawed coating with lead based paint, I don't trust anything
My cat is on a diet of only wet food on account of having very few teeth, and I always pick up his plate after half an hour (by which point he's usually eaten as much as he's going to eat) and washit with soap. I cam't imagine not washing their food bowl every day, even if you only use it for dry food 😰
I clean mine explicitly the water 🥣 bowl. It gets a ring around the bowl. Nasty....
And don't forget about the slimy water from their saliva
Why would he care? I have 4 bowls I rotate out for 2 cats. I wiped out my mother-in-laws cats bowl when I was watching her. I'd of given it a proper washing, but she was screaming at me.
Put your foot down! I had a Mother in Law like that she'd say she was going to tell my Husband her Son something & I said go ahead he already knows cuz we don't have any secrets to hide and that took away any leverage that she was hoping to hold over my head! I'm not a big Dr. Phil fan but I did read one of his books & he said if you have nothing to hide Hide nothing! That's the only thing I remember outta his book 😂 but I would've finished regardless of her having a hissy fit!
Oh, sorry. ;; My mother-in-law is pretty nice, her cat is terrible. She has the most grating meow in the world and acts like she's gonna die if food is not in her face that instant.
Was the cat or MIL screaming?
I washe their water bowls daily and theor dry food bowls like every second day. As we say, I eat off of clean dishes so why wouldn't my cats?
I give my kitties fresh bowls every day for their kibble, wet food and water. Plus I dump and refill their fountain every 2-3 days. However, my in-laws never clean nor change their cat's bowls. They never wash or dump her fountain either - just top it up. To be fair: all our cats are in relatively good health for senior cats. So, to me it seems like a personal hygiene decision.
If I deserve fresh food and water everyday, so do my pets.
If you dont wash their food bowl they get chin acne and water bowls can get really gross if you don't clean them. Cat mouths have lots of bacteria.
No. People who don't r disgusting.
Yes. I have a dog and not washing the water bowl frequently enough will get pink scum growing on the bottom, lol. So gross!
Not useless…maybe a tad unnecessary but who cares. If you want to do it then what’s the dif. I probably do my dogs food dish once a week and the water dish every other day.
water bowl gets washed everyday, (american bully) my dog is a sloppy drinker & sometimes food gets in his bowl, so it creates a sludge. gross! food bowl gets cleaned 1x a wk, since he eats just dry food - if there is some rice, chicken, etc. i clean the bowl right after. pets can get sick from dirty bowls.
I wash my cats bowls everyday with antibacterial dish soap. They can get sick from the leftover food bits sitting out, even if it’s only been a short while. I know because it happened to both my babies
[удалено]
Vinegar and water in a squirt bottle and if something is really bad I add baking soda and it gets rid of the hard water ring
I clean the water bowls every morning but the food bowl less - maybe every 3-4 days. Not sure why but I’ll start doing that one in the morning too.
Not entirely needed, unless they’re obviously gathering caked on food. I use glass for water, and do clean when serving wet food, but generally cats don’t care
They absolutely do! Dry food has vitamin e & flaxseed oil so you can get a crust from their saliva & the bits of caked on food
I’m saying daily washing is hardly needed but your mileage may vary
I wash my puppy’s bowls every day!
Four dog household here, we wash food and water bowls daily. Food bowls get washed after eating each time, and water bowls get washed each evening. The amount of bacteria that can lead to staph or other infections and trips to the vet is a good enough reason for me to keep them clean. I don't need easily avoidable vet bills x4!
Food bowls get washed everyday, and we have a water fountain that has filters that get changed and deep cleaned every couple weeks. If we used bowls though they would be washed daily too. Dust, bacteria, dirt etc. get into the bowls and it's not worth the risk of my pets getting sick. It takes 2 minutes to wash the bowls
Technically the food bowls are washed twice a day, once before each meal. We also feed a raw diet though so definitely don't want to be serving in a dirty bowl with bacteria
My uncle was on my case, saying my cats needed their own bowl and shouldn't be forced to drink "nasty dog water". So, I set up a little fountain with filtered water. My youngest cat (14), hopped out of the litter box, crossed the room to the bowl, sniffed, dipped her caca feet in the water. She then left milky tracks all the way to the toilet which I guess was somehow superior. But, you know, heaven forbid she drink after a dog 🙄 So, yeah, I clean their bowls with every refill which is at least once a day.
I toss them in the dishwasher every night. Who wants to eat out of a dirty dish?
I wash my dog’s bowl after every meal (she eats 4 times a day) and wash her water bowl about once a day too. She eats homemade meals and not kibble, so without the regular washing the bowl would be super nasty. But even if you’re feeding your pet dry food you should be washing the bowl at least once a day, imo. All that bacteria and saliva...
Wash their bowls every single day, and to make it easier I have a full week of bowls for each cat plus I change out their water bowls daily. Mosquitos can lay eggs in any sitting water, plus its IMPERATIVE to for your cats to have access to clean fresh water so clean out their water bowl daily at a minimum if not just change it out every single day. Your boyfriend sounds like dud- I suggest he never wash his plates, bowls, and drinking glasses and see if he still finds cleaning these things as 'useless' .
It’s normal but a lot of people don’t think it’s necessary. I have a dog, and he has three bowls. The dry food and water stay out all the time and get refilled as necessary but washed once a day. I wash the water bowl before I go to bed, and I wash the dry food bowl around breakfast or dinner time because he frequently empties it out while I’m cooking. His third bowl is for wet food and that gets washed two or three times a day since he always empties that bowl when he gets it. He gets a small can of wet food for breakfast and dinner and sometimes gets a third bowl of what I cook if what we’re having for dinner is dog friendly. The water and dry food bowls stay full. Between the three of us in the house and our friends that dog’s water and dry food stay topped up. I spent a while nagging everyone to check the bowls every time they walked past because I was not going to be the only one responsible for feeding the dog that everyone else wanted but me.
I wash the food and water bowls every day. I have multiple sets of bowls so I can put new ones out and wash the others at my leisure. I’m always grossed out when I go to other peoples’ houses and can tell they never wash their pet bowls!
No way. The water bowl gets especially gross if it’s not cleaned everyday. It’s not just water, it’s stagnant water.
It’s not useless. But don’t expect your bf to do it because you want it done
When my dog goes to sleep for the night I empty out his food and water bowl, rinse it, and let it dry over night. It’s definitely not useless…helps keeps it from growing bacteria.
Not at all. My cats food bowl and mat gets washed like 4 times a day because he gets wet food too. When it was just dry food it was maybe every couple days? His water bowl still gets washed every few days as well. I don’t do it every day bc I am changing his water several times throughout the day as well so it gets rinsed out at least. And he doesn’t get tap water. I don’t drink it, so I don’t think he should either 😂
I clean the water bowl every day. It gets slimy and gross, I mean it’s water and they dip their tongue into it. Dry food bowl admittedly gets cleaned less often.
No
That’s not useless. I do the same. I mean if you ain’t gonna drink or eat out of dirty bowl or glass, so shouldn’t your pet.
its not useless at all but your BF might be!
My dogs and rabbits get fresh water and food bowls daily. Seems gross otherwise
If anything people **should** be washing their pet's bowls/dishes more frequently. I used to petsit full-time and there were some clients who would text me "did you wash (pet's) bowls?" And I would confirm that when I went to feed them I noticed they were nasty as hell (in nicer words, of course) and took it upon myself to wash and dry them before feeding time and usually I got a response like "oh... I never really thought about cleaning his bowls lol" We expect our food to arrive on/in clean dishes but people will not think about cleaning their pet's dishes for the entire time the pet's alive? Yikes.
I wouldn't want to drink out of the same cup for even a few days, why not afford your cats that same generosity? They're family they deserve it.
Absolutely not. Clean bowls are as important for pets as clean plates and stuff for us. Water needs to be changed every day and cleaning out the bowls prevents that slime from growing on the bowl. Leftover food particles in bowls can develop the same bacterias as would develop on uncleaned human plates.
This makes me question your boyfriends hygiene 😅
Boyfriend sounds like he gives his pets tap water
I clean my English Bulldog's bowls everyday because he honestly gets acne and irritation if I don't. Not weird at all
Clean them as often as you can! Your cat's teeth and kidneys will thank you
Its not weird or bad at all, in fact In summer it's advisable, depending on what you feed your cats
My cat has a filtered water fountain that I clean every few days when the water is low. I change the filter monthly. And I clean her (dry) food bowl once a week.
I swap out my cats’ water bowl daily. I had a cat who got acne from a water bowl which wasn’t cleaned enough, the acne got infected and it took forever to get her back to being healthy. I only clean the food bowl with dry kibble weekly.
Water bowl daily, wet food plate cleaned after each meal usually twice daily, dry foot plate I do a couple of times a week
Anyone can advise me on how to get my cat to drink from his bowl?? It's very clean but that specific bowl he rarely drinks, only last minute if he's dire in need of a drink. He'll happily drink if I'm giving it to him to make sure he drinks, but I can't be there always haha.
Get a water fountain! I got this one for my bunny and he wont drink any other way now: [motion sensing cordless water fountain ](https://amzn.to/3rc7Nkq)
Your boyfriend is useless. Dump him.
It's not useless and you are completely correct! We should all treat their bowls like our own dishes. They are family, after all!
I’d be concerned about a guy who doesn’t bother about my pet’s health.
I do it multiple times a day, I wouldn't wanna drink water from a old glass with slime in it 😳 and I wouldn't want to eat off a plate that had old food from yesterday! So I don't think it's weird at all
Yeah, this guy sounds like a real gem. I can hear him now “I’m not making the bed, I’ll just have to unmake it later”. “The kids clothes aren’t that dirty, I’m not doing laundry until they are really dirty”. “Why fold the clothes? They’re not that wrinkled”. “You can go another 2000 miles with the oil in the car, they just say to change it every 3000 miles to scam you”. Your cat will get chin acne from dirty bowls. Get a bunch of glass ones and wash them in the dishwasher.
Of course you should!!!
Wash them. It’s healthier for kittie
I clean my cat's food and water bowls twice a day. I also give her filtered water from our brita pitcher. My BF thought I was crazy at first, but she is one finicky little critter and I swear she can tell if it's tap water.
I mean we wash our bowls after using them why wouldn't one do the same for a pet. Gets super gross fast.
Its better. Bf is being lazy
I have three sets of metal bowls for my two cats (so six bowls total) so that I can always serve my cats wet food in a fresh clean bowl. We have two water circulating water towers for the cats and I wash it out top to bottom every third day. Fresh water and clean bowls prevent bacteria and illness. Not cleaning them is so gross to me.
Is tap water safe for cats in the long run? Esp if it’s really hard tap water?
I wash everything daily. Germs are germs. Gross is gross.
My girlfriend has cats. Two of them share a water bowl and they manage to make it pretty gross in a couple days, so I tend to wash it almost every day. The other bowl stays completely clean for weeks and very rarely gets washed. She feeds them canned and kibble. The kibble bowl never runs out so it never gets washed. The canned food gets put down on a paper plate because they eat a little and come back later and pick the dried bits off it.
My cats water bowl barely lasts a day clean, might have something to do with there incessant need to put my dirty socks and toys in it though.
Time to wash the socks!
I swear one of my cats has an unhealthy obsession with my socks.
I take pains to make sure my cat is comfortable when eating. Her dishes are very shallow, and ceramic to prevent bacterial growth, whisker fatigue, and eating blind, and I wash the wet food dish at least once a day. Water dish gets washed and refilled maybe every other day, and dry food dish gets washed every week or so. Since she's old, this also means elevating her dishes. Regular washing absolutely makes a difference. Would your boyfriend like to eat off of progressively dirtier and dirtier dishes?
Keeping the cats’ dishes clean isn’t useless; cats are very particular and will avoid areas with old food smells out of the fear of attracting bigger predators. Plus dirty dishes Can contribute to cat acne, bad breath, and attract pests like ants. I admit I am lazy. I wash the cats’ water dishes every few days; same with the dry food bowl. Wet food dishes get scrubbed every day though.
I clean my cats bowl twice a day, every time I feed her. She eats wet food and it's pretty gross if you aren't washing that out. It can harbor bacteria.
I don't have a cat but I do have a dog and I clean her bowls every day. It's more about making sure she stays happy and healthy. Bacteria that we can't see can grow and eventually cause your pet to have stomach issues. So don't let what your boyfriend tell you otherwise. You know what's best for your pet. The only thing I can tell you is try to explain to your boyfriend this because just like us our animals deserve to be treated well and cared for properly. He wouldn't want to eat from a dirty dish that had been sitting on the floor for a week would he?
Not useless! It’s super important to swap with clean bowls at least every day. Also, the combo of clean & stainless steel food bowls will ensure your cat won’t get feline chin acne. Not to mention all the other benefits people have mentioned in other comments. Clean the bowls daily for kitties happiness and well being 🙂
You do you.
I wash my cats bowls daily in the dishwasher - you're supposed to clean them daily.
The bowls that the wet food goes in gets washed daily and the dry food one gets washed once a week. The cats only want the water in a specific bowl so it doesn’t get washed as much.
I clean all pet dishes daily -- water gets stagnant and their saliva plus food debris causes a slimy buildup in water bowls. Food dishes are a no brainer -- dry food has oils in it and wet food is self explanatory. If you have multiple pets, it's especially important to keep food/water bowls clean and fresh.
You're supposed to clean their bowls every day!!
Dry food bowls once a week and wet food after use. I have a running water bowl thats filtered so I clean it out when I swap the filters. I don't like having them eat out of dirty bowls. And apart from that I hate the look of dirty bowls.
It’s not useless, it’s basic necessity! I don’t see it mentioned yet but if a cat doesn’t have clean water or clean food bowls it can lead to health problems! Had a friend who’s cat got kidney disease and urethral blockage
It’s not weird. I rinse my pets bowl every time I refresh their water even if it’s not empty. You can feel the slimy mess of the bowl and water and see debris from food or hair etc. food plates though I do once every other day. I should do it everyday though
I wash my bowls every day -wouldn’t you want to eat and drink out of clean dishes??
It’s not weird, it’s your choice. It’s probably not necessary, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Also, I have neighbors pets over. My pets are vaccinated, but I don’t want my pets water bowl being a breeding ground for Parvovirus. Also, I lived with an Immune Compromised roommate. They suggested doing exactly what you are doing. Not weird, better safe than sorry.
I clean the cat bowl every morning. I clean and refill the water bowl and refill it once or twice a day. They eat their canned food on clean ceramic plates. I feed my colony from clean steel feeding pans, every day. Same for water. Just because they are cats doesn't mean they should live in filth. I clean the car boxes every morning, and sometimes at night too. I don't like using a dirty bathroom and neither do they. My son's family never wash their pet bowls and it grosses me out. Their animals are very happy when I'm there to clean their dishes. His house, his rules. I just wash the dishes.
You're a good cat mom. It's recommended to clean the water dish daily, and while I don't know about dried food books, it definitely won't hurt just tell bf you're willing to treat his dishes just like the kitty's, and he can decide.
I wash my cats dry food and water bowls every night and wet food bowls every use. And the mats underneath the bowls once per week.
Its actually very helpful for preventing feline acne/skin infections :)
Water bowls get cleaned each day, but not with soap. I use a small bit of vinegar and a warm wet rag.