They can go in the dishwasher). Speaking of stoneware, if your pets are light on their feet and don't rough up their food bowls, ceramic is a fine pet bowl material, as it too is nonporous.

Plus, the chemicals in plastic can impart an offputting taste to a finicky pet's food or water. The dish you use to feed your pet, and where you place it, is as important as what goes in it. Now that you've selected a premium custom pet food for your pet, and even boosted it with supplements, what are you going to serve Spot's meals in.

Plastic bowls may be unbreakable but they are porous, so they harbor bacteria. This can lead to dining and drinking abstinence, which contributes to serious health problems. Stainless steel bowls are ideal, and many models come with rubber rings at the bottom to prevent them from tipping over or skidding across the floor as Spot eats his meals with gusto. Another nonporous material that's used in pet bowl manufacture is melamine, which, although not totally unbreakable, is a lot less breakable than ceramic.

Instead, use nonporous bowls that are unbreakable and easy to keep clean (i.e.