I Actually Love the Way This Pet Essential Looks in My Apartment (My Cat Approves, Too!)

My cat is spoiled. Not in the sense that she acts spoiled (to me, she has a perfect personality) but in the way that I will get her anything I think she could possibly want. For instance, when my oven was moved recently for a repair, no fewer than 20 lost toys that she had batted under there were revealed. The thing is, I don’t want my entire apartment to look like a shrine to my cat, which is why I’m always on the search for pet essentials that are surprisingly chic. When I came across the Smallserve food bowl from Smalls, I knew I had met my match.

Though Smalls is known for their signature fresh cat food, they also sell a smattering of nonedible goods, like merch for cat lovers, adorable cat toys, and the gorgeous cat food bowl in question. The pedestal-style bowl has three parts: a wide plastic base (with grips on the bottom so it doesn’t slide around), a plastic stem, and a ceramic basin — all of which can be easily detached so you can wash them by hand or in the dishwasher.

The Smallserve comes in two colorways — Butterblue, a pale blue bowl interior with a deeper blue base and butter-yellow pedestal, and Mossball, a monochromatic version in different shades of green — that are so stylish I honestly want them both. 

As mentioned, I will do anything to make my cat happy! Most recently, that has meant leaving an old mattress standing in my hallway for longer than I care to admit, since she loves to run and jump off of it like a little parkour punk. But one thing I pay close attention to is how much she eats and drinks (to ensure she has an appetite). 

No matter how much a cat may like their food, though, a barrier to them eating and enjoying it is neck strain and whisker fatigue. Whisker fatigue happens when a cat’s supersensitive whiskers have too much contact, essentially overstimulating them and making eating stressful. The simplest way to avoid that is by using wide, shallow bowls that are raised off the ground. 

The Smallserve bowl ticks all those boxes easily. The shallow basin makes the food easily accessible, and the bowl sits 4.5 inches off the ground, making for ideal eating posture and “reducing strain on the neck and joints,” according to the product description, which also pointed out that a nonporous ceramic bowl can resist bacteria growth and keep your cat’s chin acne-free.“ This led to a Google search I never anticipated making — “can cats get acne” — and the answer is yes. But not now!

Beyond the bowl being well-designed for my angelic cat, which is my primary concern, I love how aesthetically pleasing it is to me, too. The color palettes are so effortlessly cool, and neutral enough to fit into most design styles. I opted for the Butterblue version, since blue is my favorite color and I especially like how it plays with butter yellow. 

Though lots of cat bowls are pedestal-style to curb neck strain, the Smallserve stands apart in that each piece comes apart, making it easier than most to clean completely and store. The form factor is sleek, too, with an extra-wide base that makes it impossible to tip over and gives the whole bowl a design-forward look — it kind of reminds me of an upside-down martini glass or some modern piece of stemware. 

In all, my cat loves eating out of her Smallserve, and I love looking at it. It’s a nice reminder that pet essentials don’t need to be clad in paw print patterns to serve their function. Especially if you’re living in a smaller space, it’s worth it to find supplies that create a happy home for your cat and a stylish space for you.

Buy: Smallserve, $52