Feeding accessories for small pets
Feeding accessories for small pets cover more ground than a single bowl — water bottles, food bowls that resist tipping, and hay racks that keep hay off a soiled cage floor. The right combination depends more on your specific pet than on any one product being universally best.
Bowls versus bottles for water
A sipper bottle keeps water cleaner for longer than an open bowl, since a small pet cannot kick bedding or droppings into it the way they can a bowl on the cage floor, and it does not spill if knocked. Some rabbits and guinea pigs strongly prefer drinking from an open bowl, though, so it is worth offering both when introducing a pet to a new setup and seeing which they actually use.
Whichever you use, check it is actually being used and kept topped up — a bottle with a stuck ball valve can silently stop dispensing water without looking obviously broken, so test the flow regularly rather than assuming it is working.
Choosing a food bowl
A heavier, wider-based bowl resists being tipped over far better than a light plastic one, which matters for pets that dig or push their bowl around while eating. Ceramic and ceramic-look ranges tend to be the sturdiest option for this reason, and are easy to wipe clean between fills.
Size the bowl to the pet and the portion rather than using one oversized bowl for a small hamster, since food left sitting in too large a bowl is harder to keep track of and more likely to be soiled before it is finished.
Hay racks and feeding hay properly
For rabbits and guinea pigs, hay should make up the bulk of the daily diet, and a rack keeps it up off the cage floor, away from droppings and dampness, which encourages a pet to eat more of it and keeps it fresher for longer. A rack mounted at a comfortable height for grazing suits most rabbits well.
Top hay up regularly rather than letting the rack run empty, since a pet with no hay available for stretches of the day is missing the single most important part of its diet, not just a supplement to everything else.
In this section
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Tarhong Pet Feeding Tray — Wheat Straw Blend
A raised-edge feeding tray that catches spills before they reach your floor — BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and available in cream, black, or terracotta.
From£15.49
Waterproof Pet Feeding Mat
A wipe-clean, waterproof feeding mat that sits under food and water bowls to catch spills, splashes and stray kibble. The printed leather-look surface keeps floors clean and tidies up your pet's dining area.
From£7.99
Patterned Silicone Pet Feeding Mat
A raised-edge silicone mat that sits under food and water bowls to catch spills, splashes and stray kibble. Fully waterproof and stain-resistant, it wipes or rinses clean in seconds to keep feeding areas tidy.
£15.49
Tarhong Paw Ikat Teal Pet Placemat – BPA-Free PVC & EVA
A vibrant teal ikat placemat with paw print accents — BPA-free, wipe-clean, and 29 × 48 cm for protecting floors under pet bowls.
£8.49
Tarhong Country Orchard Melamine Pet Saucer
A pretty fruit and floral orchard-print melamine saucer for pets — BPA-free, non-slip, shatterproof, and dishwasher safe at 13.2 cm.
£9.49
No-Spill Slow-Drink Pet Water Bowl
A no-spill water bowl with a floating disc that lets pets drink freely while stopping splashes.
From£10.99
Common questions
- Should I use a water bottle or a bowl for my rabbit?
- Either can work, and preference varies between individual rabbits — bottles stay cleaner, but some rabbits drink better from an open bowl. Offering both when setting up a new cage lets your pet show you which they prefer.
- Why does my small pet keep tipping over its food bowl?
- A light bowl is easily pushed or dug at by an active pet. Switching to a heavier, wider-based bowl, often ceramic, usually solves the problem without needing to change anything else about feeding.
- How much hay should a rabbit have access to?
- Hay should make up the majority of a rabbit's daily diet and be available for most of the day, not just offered occasionally. A hay rack that is regularly topped up encourages this far better than hay left loose on the cage floor.
- How do I know if a water bottle has stopped working?
- Check the flow regularly by testing the ball valve, since a stuck bottle can stop dispensing water without looking visibly broken. A pet with no water for any length of time is an emergency, so checking little and often matters.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.