Design Story: Our hand-made elevated and tilted cat food bowl
Updated: Jun 16
Designing a cat food bowl like no other
‘I’ve always been a keen researcher when it comes to anything we buy our cats. Cat charities, vets posting advice online, and leading pet publications all seem to agree that wide and shallow bowls that sit at neck height are great for feline wellbeing - so this has underpinned our design thinking for our new food bowl DINE’
James - Kuba & Leia
DINE ticks all the boxes we expect from a cat food bowl as cat owners. Easy to clean and made from safe and strong materials. It's a sculptural piece that sits elegantly in the kitchen or utility room of your home. We wanted DINE to offer our customers and their cats something special compared to the status quo by using a rich mix of luxury and eco materials.
Feline Love
Kuba & Leia - our shorthairs - are also chief testers of all the products we make.
From the very first prototype, Kuba & Leia loved their new dining experience, settling on height level three as the perfect eating height for them. The adjustable bowl heights and tilted angle of the bowls also mean we rarely see either of them paw food off the bowl onto the floor - so less mess.
It’s also the first time in five years that both Kuba and Leia, who normally either take turns to eat or prefer to have two separate eating environments are happily eat together!
We’ve also had some lovely feedback from some other customers:
‘The online pictures don’t paint the full story. Not only does our Ginger love his new bowls it looks amazing in our kitchen, colour matching our walls. It has some weight too - as I was a bit concerned it might tip over - the central piece that the arms slot onto is heavy and stable. It’s like a piece of art.’
Sophie - London
A cat food bowl with a jesmonite heart 😻
The central block of each DINE piece is hand cast from jesmonite.
Jesmonite is a low impact, sustainable material made from natural materials such as gypsum and silica. Its production process has a low carbon footprint, making it an eco-friendly alternative to other materials such as concrete or resin. It’s non-toxic and safe to use in both commercial and residential settings. It does not emit any fumes or chemicals and can be safely handled without protective equipment.
As shown in our video above, it can be pigmented to create a wide range of colours, textures, and finishes, allowing for endless design possibilities - such as the beautiful marbled versions we offer.
Each DINE piece is hand-cast by a local sculptor we partner with near our studio. We think of each piece as a beautiful piece of art that you and your cats will cherish.
Alongside it’s sculptural form the central cast makes up the heart of DINE. But of course strength and durability is also crucial. Jesmonite, once set and hardened, is strong, but it is also porous. So to make sure it’s easy to clean and doesn’t stain we use a marine grade lacquer or water repellent paints to protect it.
We love the texture and form that the jesmonite cast brings to DINE. It’s weight also plays a key role in making sure the bowls do not tip over.
Stainless Design Accents
The arms and the side panels of each DINE piece are made from steel. They are curved by hand using a metal bending tool and then are machine finished and polished. The arms add balance and weight and act as the perfect cradle for the bowls.
We also gently roll on four transparent o-rings on each arm to act as a cushion to the bowls and also prevent any movement once they are in place.
Additive Hidden Strength (3D Printing)
While these outer components give DINE its beauty - there’s some clever engineering involved too. We designed a simple lock system that the arms push into. These parts are made using an additive process and play an important role in holding the arms in place and allowing you to tilt the bowls from flat to a 15 degree angle.
Additive parts such as these have opened up a world of opportunities for designers like us who want to make beautiful products sustainably and in lower volumes. For example in our redesign of our self-cleaning litter tray we have replaced over 20 mechanical parts that previously would have had to come from a manufacturer with 3D printed parts that we have designed from scratch ourselves and can print in the studio.
Final Flourishes
We think the devil is in the detail.
So each DINE cat food bowl is finished with a subtle circular badge on the front and has a water-proof anti-slip pad attached to its base.
If you decide to buy DINE for your home we hope it will bring your cats joy. To see current DINE items for sale please visit our shop. Or if you would like to contact us about ordering DINE in a colour of your choice contact us at meow@kubaandleia.com.