Are you fed up with all the mess your dog makes when they slurp their food or feel bad they have to chase their bowls around the kitchen? Feeding your dog can be a messy time. Make feeding time cleaner and easier for your dog with a food feeding mat.

Think of a dog bowl mat as dog placemats, and it’s not just for feeding time. Because the mess is contained on the mat, the dogs are less likely to step in water or food and track it throughout the house.

You can use a mat for a dog or cat or any pet; they come in many sizes and colours. Designed for both food and water bowls. They are waterproof and easy to wipe, they will protect both your wooden floors as well as your carpets.

A dog feeding mat will protect your floor and keep it clean at dog feeding time, but it will also save you so much time in not having to mop up constantly.

Does your dog hate eating out of its food bowls? This mat could be an excellent alternative for feeding, especially if you have a dot that puts the food on the floor before eating it.

Dog Food Mat Uses:

• Mealtimes – No mess in the feeding area
• Water bowl – No more dribbles from big water slurps
• Pee spills from puppy wee pads
• Stops dog chasing bowls around
• Great for containing the kibble
• Perfect for preventing vacuum and mop from knocking bowls over
• Put under cat litter tray to catch litter and accidents
• Protect your floor and keep it clean
• Protect counters from coffee machines
• Protect tables from plant water stains

What is the Best Material for a Dog Food or Water Mat?

To keep your feeding mat clean, you want it to be able to wipe quickly. Silicone seems to be the most popular material. It sticks well to the floor to keep everything in place. This stops your dog from chasing its bowls around while they try to eat.

The only problem with silicone is that it is not sturdy; if you want a dog food mat that you can carry food or bowls on or pick all the bits up before getting to the bin, this is not a good choice; you need a more rigid material, like plastic, this will allow you to carry water spills or food to the sink or bin.

Silicone sticks very closely to the floor, so it is worth thinking about if water gets trapped underneath the mat and dries, it could leave a stain; you can get mats with patterns that allow air underneath to dry but are more challenging to clean.

Dog hair does stick to them if you have a high shedder, though, which can be annoying and means you will have to clean it more often.

They are easy on your feet if you accidentally step on the side or corner. And it does not break.

Silicone, resistant to almost everything, is easy to roll up and store if needed. Some of the cheaper mats gave off a rubber smell, so don’t go too cheap.

These can also be used as a cat feeding mat, although they won’t want to share with a slobbery dog!

Best Dog Food Mat Design

A lot of feeding mats are flat, but this doesn’t help when you want to keep any escaping kibble/debris escaping; you want one with a big lip/ledge; this will make sure all everything is well contained on the mat.

Kitchen design is essential, so you want a mat available in many colours. The dog food mat will usually be in the feeding area for most of the day, so you will want it to look good.

Personalised Dog Food Mat

You can go one step further and design your one; it makes a great gift; if you order a personalised pet mat, it takes longer and messing around when ordering, but they are super cute. Our faves are the ones available at Pet Rebellion.

How to Buy Dog Feeding Mat

It might seem obvious, but before ordering, check these points

Measure your bowls. It seems simple but do you want a mat they step onto or one where the mat is there just to protect the floor?

Decide whether you want it for water or a bowl, or both.

Silicone – Resistant to everything, waterproof; if you use this for water, it will be difficult to carry to the sink. You will need to mop up a bit before picking it up as easy to spill.

Hard Plastic – Waterproof, easy to carry, more challenging to clean, and don’t have a colour range.

Our Top Picks for Dog Mats

You can find these mats on Amazon with free delivery, or check out your local stores.

All the mats recommended are a ‘tray’ type with a lip. This helps contain all spills from water and flying debris during your pet’s feeding time. Avoid the flat pet food mat, as this does catch anything or stop your pet’s bowls from slipping around.

Best Mat to Keep Clean

Dog Buddy Feeding Mat

It comes in four colours: a trendy grey and funky blue.

You have the all-important lip, so none of your pet’s food would scatter or leak out.

• Material – Silicone 100% Food Grade 
• Dog Lip Size – 1.5cm
• Sizes S- 48cm x 30cm, L- 61cm x 40cm, XL – 28cm x 46cm, XXL -81cm x 61cm

Pros

• Easy to Clean – Dishwasher or Handwash
• Smooth, no textures patterns to try and clean
•  The high deep lip, higher than your average mat, keeps spills contained.
• It sticks to the floor well, and food bowls stay put
• Smaller sizes for small dogs and bowls

Cons

• A smooth underside means water could get trapped underneath and stain your floor.
• Hairs stick easily and make clumps when mixed with water
• It is not sturdy, so you cannot carry the mat with bowls to the sink.
• The bottom silicone is thin; dogs with large claws could rip it.

It’s an excellent all-round mat, and I love the blue; check it out here https://amzn.to/3AWsAK4

Best Mat for Hard Floors

Leashboss Silicone Dog Mat for Food

Available in four colours, including grey and blue

All important tray type of placemat with a high to keep food on the tray and not on your floor

• Material – Silicone 100% Food Grade 
• Dog Lip Size – 1.6cm
• Dishwasher or hand wash
• M/L – 51cm x 76cm, XL – 63cm x 43cm, XXL -76cm x56cm

Pros

• It has a subtle diamond pattern provides an anti-slip surface to keep things tidy. Stops bowls and raised feeders from sliding around
• Underneath pattern allows water to dry if water is spilt under the mat, shouldn’t get any staining with this mat
• Easy to clean and put away
• It doesn’t slide on the floor, and the bowl doesn’t slide on the mat
• Lip keeps spills and food contained

Cons

• The pattern can make it more difficult to handwash
• Silicone material means it is not easy to pick up once filled with water spills
• Lip keeps spills and food contained

Another great mat if you are looking for a larger one, it performs well and is textured, so it leaves some air underneath, meaning less chance of staining; check it out here -https://amzn.to/3qgsnwv.

Best Spill Proof Pet Drink Mat

Plastic Bella Spill-Proof Pet Mat For Dogs

A plastic type of pet placemat, more rigid than silicone

• ‎46 x 33x 2.5cm
• Available in tan or black
• Handwash only

Pros

• Sturdy plastic, you can pick the tray up and pour excess water down the sink. The mat has a dog bone pattern that stops the bowls from slipping.
• Great idea, food and water stay within the mat.
• Easy to carry to the sink
• The bone shape is pretty cute!

Cons

• It’s small, so I can only get one bowl on it.
• Only two colours are bland.
• The brand sticker is difficult to remove
• Handwash only, so there is no option to put it into the dishwasher. The pattern does it make it more difficult to clean.

Great, if you have a slobbery dog and will need to empty water a lot, buy now -https://amzn.to/3qrHQtx

Best Size

Humble Pet Food Mat Feeding Tray

Good-sized silicone-type dog or cat mat

• 61 x 41cm
• 1.3cm Lip around the edge
• Dishwasher safe
• Available in five colours

Pros

• Large enough for both food bowl and water bowl/station.
• Patterned underneath, it helps any water spills dry and avoids stains.
• Heavy duty, doesn’t slide around, keeps bowls in place.
• Thick enough not to rip when dogs walk on it. Flexible enough not to when they step on the edge.

Cons

• Silicone makes it challenging to pick up and carry to the sink
• The little paw pattern throughout the mat collects food, and you must scrub to get it clean.
• The company name is printed on the mat; not sure who they advertising to.

Great-sized dog food mat, means you can put both bowls on and a good selection of colours. Shame they position their brand name all over the placemat. Buy it here – https://amzn.to/3QzJVyv

I hope you find a mat for water bowls, food bowls, or both. Please note I provide this info for free, containing some affiliate links. I hope you don’t mind!