Hunter Mela Sansibar Dog Bowl

Hunter Mela Sansibar Dog Bowl is the patterned Sansibar one, in two sizes. The construction is the thing worth understanding: a melamine outer shell for looks and durability, with a stainless steel inner bowl that lifts straight out. Your dog eats off steel, which is the hygienic surface, and you get a bowl that does not look like a pet bowl.

Key Features

• Removable Stainless Steel Insert: the part that matters. Steel does not scratch into grooves that hold bacteria the way plastic does, and the insert lifts out so you can wash it properly.
• Melamine Outer: scratch- and impact-resistant, and easy to wipe clean. It is also what makes it look like tableware rather than kit.
• Non-Slip Rubber Rim: a rubber ring round the base so the bowl stays put instead of travelling across the floor with an enthusiastic eater.
• Dishwasher Safe, per Hunter, or wipe it with a damp cloth.
• Sizes: 160ml and 350ml. The 160ml suits a small dog or a cat; the 350ml is the one for an average-sized dog.

Care, And One Firm Warning

• Never put melamine in a microwave. Melamine is not microwave-safe - heating it can cause it to break down and leach into food. Do not warm food in this bowl, and do not pour boiling water into it either. Warm the food separately and then serve it.
• Wash the steel insert, not just the shell. Lift it out every time. The gap between the insert and the melamine is where food residue collects, and in UAE heat that turns sour within a day.
• Check the insert is seated before you put food in, or your dog will tip it out.
• Replace it if the melamine chips or crazes. A cracked surface holds bacteria and cannot be cleaned properly.
• Wash water bowls daily here, not weekly. Biofilm builds fast in the heat and it is the usual reason a cat stops drinking from a bowl.

Good To Know

• Raised or floor level makes little difference for most dogs. If your dog is very tall, or has a neck or spine problem, ask your vet rather than assuming raised is better.
• Measure your dog's actual meal before you choose a size. A bowl that only just holds the portion means food on the floor.
• Rubber rims perish eventually, particularly on a hot tiled floor. Check the ring is still gripping now and then.
• Steel and melamine both get hot in sunlight. Keep the bowl out of direct sun, especially a water bowl outdoors.