A saucer suits a cat far better than a deep bowl does. Whiskers brushing the sides of a narrow dish irritate some cats enough that they paw the food onto the floor and eat it there instead. The shallow, wide shape here lets a cat reach the food without pressing its face into anything, which usually means less mess to sweep up around the feeding spot.

Melamine is the sensible middle ground between ceramic and plastic. It has the weight and the smooth, non-porous face of a china dish without the risk of it shattering the first time it slides off a worktop, and it resists scratching. That last point matters more than it sounds, because scratches in a soft plastic bowl trap bacteria and are one of the suspected triggers for feline chin acne. This one is BPA-free and dishwasher safe.

• 13.2cm diameter
• Weighs 90g
• Blue colourway
• Shatterproof, scratch and chip-resistant melamine
• BPA-free and food safe
• Dishwasher safe
• Non-slip base

On size: at 13.2cm across, this is a dish for cats, kittens and small dogs. It is a saucer rather than a bowl, so it holds a modest portion of wet food or a small measure of biscuits. If you feed a large dog, or you like to fill one bowl for the whole day, this is the wrong shape for you.

Who it's for: Cat and small-dog owners after a plain, hard-wearing dish that washes properly and will not smash when it gets knocked off the side.