Our story

MessMate is named for Spud, a rescue dog who ate like a tornado. We make an adjustable splash guard, a stainless steel bowl and a waterproof mat that keep mealtime mess in the bowl.

Named for Spud

MessMate is named for Spud, the rescue dog we adopted at nine. He ate like a tornado, and he was worth every mop.

If you live with an enthusiastic eater you already know the routine. You put the bowl down, you hear it start, and you know roughly how much of it is going to end up on the floor. Kibble nosed over the rim. Water pushed over the side by a paw. Half the meal around the bowl instead of in it, twice a day, every day.

The strange part is that nobody treats it as a design problem. You buy a bigger mat. You mop. You move the bowl into the corner and mop the corner instead. The bowl is never the thing that changes — and the bowl is the thing causing it. It holds food perfectly well. It just has no walls.

So we made the walls

The MessMate splash guard is a single piece of food-grade, BPA-free silicone: a three-inch wall on an adjustable strap that wraps around the outside of the bowl, just below the rim, and snaps tight. The wall rises above the rim and leaves the front open so your pet can reach in comfortably. Food and water that would have gone over the edge hit the wall and drop back in.

That is the whole idea, and it took a while to get right. The wall has to be tall enough to catch a determined eater and open enough that a dog never feels shut out of its own dinner. The strap has to grip a bowl it was not made for without squeezing it out of shape. Three snap positions pull it in from nine inches down to seven, which covers the round bowls most medium to extra-large dogs and large cats already eat from.

Around it we built the rest of the setup: a non-slip stainless steel bowl the guard fits exactly, and a waterproof silicone mat with a raised edge for anything that still escapes. All three pieces go on the top rack of the dishwasher. Nothing wears out and needs buying again.

Honest about fit

The guard fits round bowls 7 to 9 inches across the top opening. That suits medium, large and extra-large dogs and large cats. It does not fit bowls under 7 inches, so it is not right for small dogs, toy breeds, puppies or kittens, and it does not fit bowls 9.5 inches and wider.

We put that on every page, including this one, because a product that does not fit is not a good product — it is a return, a disappointed customer and a dog still making a mess. If you are not sure what your bowl measures, our matched sets arrive sized to each other and skip the question entirely, and the fit guide takes about a minute.

For the dogs still waiting

Spud was a rescue. A portion of every sale goes to rescue organizations caring for dogs who have not found their people yet.

Where to find us

MessMate is a small company based in Florida. You can shop here, and you will also find us on Amazon, Walmart and Etsy. Follow along on Instagram and TikTok, and write to us any time — we read and answer every message ourselves.

Last updated November 4, 2026.