Last week at the pet expo I met the owner of Petego, a Chicago-based company that distributes a number of different lines of pet products, all designed and made in Italy, which–as should be expected–represent some of the very best designs in the pet products industry.

One item that caught my attention is this elegant little cat food bowl called Earshot from the United Pets product line. It is made from double stainless steel and is hand welded and hand polished to a mirror finish. The sleek form has just the right touch of kitty character to bring a smile to your face each time you refill the bowl.

Available in two sizes directly from Petego.

Add a touch of playful Italian style to your cat’s next meal with the Tigrito cat bowl from Alessi. The molded plastic form holds two polished stainless steel bowls. This little cutie comes in grey, blue, or yellow.

Available at Amazon

This sculptural double feeder, designed by Jon Wesley Rahman of Holden Designs, combines molded plywood and stainless steel to create a beautiful object that also provides health benefits for your cat. Raised feeders aid digestion by preventing the physical stress that can be caused when pets eat in a bent over position. This is the smaller version of the Holden double feeder, which would be suitable for cats.

The feeder holds two dishwasher-safe stainless steel bowls. The bent plywood base is covered in hardwood veneer with a walnut or cherry finish and water-resistant outer laminate. The feeder and other pet products from Holden Designs are available at designpublic.com.

The product development team over at Wetnoz International did some excellent user research when developing the Fat Cat feeding dish. They actually noticed that feline feeding has a few challenges of its own, including “whisker stress” caused when a cat’s sensitive whiskers rub against the sides of a regular-shaped feeding bowl. The wide, shallow shape of the Fat Cat dish is designed to accommodate a cat’s whiskers, reducing whisker stress. The dish is also raised on sleek rubber feet, bringing it to just the right height for a cat to dine from. Raising the dish helps to reduce stress that can be caused by eating from a lower position. Made from premium grade stainless steel, this glistening cat dish will look great in a modern kitchen and, with proper care, will withstand years of use.

The light-carrying properties of acrylic make it one of the most spectacular materials for use in modern furniture and interiors. One of the first companies to design modern pet furniture using acrylic was London-based Wowbow. Their elegant Loulie Cat Tower is a cube made of 10 mm thick acrylic, that supports a memory foam cushion covered in faux suede and topped with 3 inch sheepskin. Could you ask for a more perfect perch?

To accompany the cat tower, Wowbow designed Skritch, a beautifully simple scratching post. The sisal tube mounts to the wall with an acrylic frame that practically disappears, transforming the scratching post from an eyesore into a streamlined sculpture.

Wowbow’s Mija bed and Mija dining table also make excellent use of this stunning material. Both are available in smaller sizes, suitable for cats.

All of Wowbow’s products are handmade in the UK and the company donates a percentage of profits to benefit animal welfare organizations.

One of the first companies to start creating modern cat products was San Francisco-based Everyday Studio. Founded in 2004 by designer Susan Kralovec, Everyday Studio is a design company specializing in the development of intelligent consumer products. They started by tackling one of the most necessary items for the modern cat household, the scratching post. The result is the Cat Tree, a sleek, geometric piece that works perfectly in a modern environment. The Cat Tree has a sturdy metal frame that holds the cardboard insert securely in place. It can be easily mounted to the wall or used on the floor.

Next, they created a streamlined pet dish suitable for cats. Two removable stainless steel bowls rest in a durable frame made of either steel or crystal clear acrylic. Raising the bowls off the floor makes it easier for cats to reach food and water, plus it transforms this everyday object into a pleasant addition to the modern kitchen.