Dogs and puppy tend to be messy eaters so using one of the best dog feeding mats is required to keep the floor clear. Whether your water and food bowls are fancy or cheap, you will find food on the floor if you’ve got a messy pooch. Don’t blame them, they haven’t got knives and forks, yet!
A feeding station is a term used to describe the full set: food bowl, water fountain and the lifesaving dog food mat. The problem if you aren’t using one is that you will eventually be the one cleaning up the mess! Plus, depending on your home and the materials used, it can be very challenging. And let’s face it, we’re busy bees and kneeling down rubbing stains on the floor isn’t our priority.
How to Pick the Best Dog Food Mat?
Many people will opt for the go-to solution for anything pet-related: using sheets from newspapers as dog placemats. They seem to magically solve most problems down owners face, don’t they? Well, no, newspapers won’t solve this problem. It’s not waterproof so you’re poised to find a stained floor underneath your soaked newspaper-made dog bowl mat.
Instead, when deciding on which dog feeding mat to buy, we have focused on a few requirements that must be filled by our candidates:
- Waterproof — a water-resistant backing is a must for any quality dog food mat
- Easy to Clean — a mess is expected so a dishwasher-safe feeding mat would be a plus
- Large Enough — a whole meal could end up on the dog placemat so it should be able to cope
Another very welcome addition for a dog feeding mat is a little bit of depth — a completely flat placemat would be risky as liquid could spill outside the mat. Whereas with some raised borders and a little depth, nothing will spill.
Top 5 Best Dog Food Mats
I know you want the reviews so here we go; our list of the best dog food mats for messy eaters, both dogs, and puppies!
1. PetFusion Pet Food Mat
![PetFusion Large WATERPROOF Pet Food Mat (24x16). FDA Grade Silicone [superior hygiene, non-toxic, multiple sizes] For dogs or cats, Gray](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41E1AT9iJGL._SL160_.jpg)
PetFusion is a premium dog accessories manufacturer and here again, they designed a solid product that is not disappointing. This anti-microbial, waterproof and stain-resistant dog food mat is the perfect complement for your dog feeding station. Indeed, it is made with premium FDA-grade silicone, making it completely non-allergenic, non-toxic and very much safe for all pets.
Believe it or not, this PetFusion placemat is an award-winning product —Cat Fancy Magazine, Editor’s Choice Award— thanks to its very clever design and heaps of added smart features:
- non-skid bumps on both sides of the mat to avoid slips
- raised borders to prevent liquid and food spilling
- dishwasher safe soft and flexible material
Read the reviews from other buyers, you will see how they rave about the look and feel of the PetFusion Pet Food Mat as it comes in three colors (beige, blue, gray) and three sizes (small, large, extra-large).
To me, the PetFusion food mat for dogs is the winner as it’s delivering way more than what you buy it for!
2. Antblocker 100% Ant-Free Pet Food Tray
If your dog is fed outside, the best outdoor dog feeding tray you can get is the Antblocker one. When feeding dogs outdoors you have a big risk of ants crawling up that bowl and enjoy the feast themselves. It’s unhygienic and extremely hard to control with a regular dog food bowl or mat.
This 100% Ant-Free Pet Food Tray is ingeniously designed with a bottom part that’s filled with mater, and the top tray is set atop two plastic pillars. The tray is impossible to reach for crawling insects and ants as if they try, they drown. If you are worried about having stagnating water left outside for days, you can empty and refill daily, or add rosemary essential oils for example.
The top tray where you’ll place your dog’s food and water bowls is large and will do fine with big bowls; it can be a little tricky to clean in a regular sink but it’s doable. You can use the quick release feature to remove the tray and clean it.
It’s a little pricier than the PetFusion dog placemat but it is completing a particular job that regular trays simply can’t.
3. DogBuddy Dog Food Tray
One of the bestselling dog food mats, this is a simple basic version that’s rather doing the job just fine. It is environment-friendly as it’s made from recycled polypropylene. The cleaning is easy in a sink but that wouldn’t fit in a normal dishwasher.
The raised outer lips are roughly 1 inch high and it’s good and bad:
- good because it contains pretty much anything including the biggest mess
- bad because if your big dog steps on the edge it might turn upside down
That’s a problem for larger dogs and most reviews are pretty ecstatic about it and never faced this issue, but it’s just a little warning for you guys.
4. One-Piece Silicone Feeding Mat and Bowls
My favorite feeding mat for small dogs and cats: the design is smart, innovative and more importantly, it’s a practical mat. Don’t get it if you have a heavy dog, though. Made of a single piece of quality silicone, it is a full pet feeding station as it bundles two bowls and a placemat all together.
Buyer Sara said how much she loved it and it sums everything up in a sentence:
I absolutely love it; my dogs are tiny, yet super messy eaters and drinkers! This feeding mat has been lifesaving for us. It is keeping everything off our floor and easy to wipe up.
Not only it is on the cheap end of the price spectrum but it also offers the features dog owners and dog breeders need: raised edge all around, completely waterproof, non-skid, and easy to clean thanks to the silicone. A good bonus is that it’s also dishwasher-safe and very bendable to make it fit in it in seconds.
5. Dexas Popware For Pets
This placemat for dogs is perhaps the most basic of all but definitely does the job and is decently priced. To start, the outer border is slightly raised to prevent any food and water spilling. Then, the silicone nubs prevent the food and water bowls from slipping away and keep the mat in place on slippery surfaces. The most complained about feature is how low the edge is which results in some spillage action despite the manufacturer’s promises.
Two sizes are available 13×19 inches or 17×23.5 inches, and six colors to choose from ranging from a discreet black to a flashy pink.
As explained in this article, whether you own family pets or are into dog breeding, protecting your floors can only be possible with one of these best dog food mats. Any of them is priced very decently so it’s not much of an investment and could save you from a lot of trouble and time wasted cleaning.