2026

Design Awards Silver Winner - Zihao Zhuang

Repaw Cat Food & Water Mixer

Entrant

Zihao Zhuang

Category

Hobby & Leisure - Pet Supplies

Client's Name

N/A

Country / Region:

United States

Many cat owners add water to their cat's food to increase their daily water intake and support long-term urinary and kidney health. When owners are away, they cannot perform it manually, and there is currently no dedicated product designed specifically for this feeding routine.

Repaw Cat Food & Water Mixer is designed to solve this challenging hydration problem when owners are away from home. By combining dry food and water automatically, Repaw helps cats consume more water naturally while making daily feeding easier and more consistent. It also gives owners greater peace of mind by ensuring that their cats can still receive hydrated meals even when they are not at home.

The machine consists of a water container, a food container, and a triangular rotating platform with three feeding bowls. Before each meal, the water container dispenses a preset amount of water into the bowl underneath it. The bowl then rotates beneath the food container to receive the preset amount of food. Once both food and water have been dispensed, the bowl rotates to the feeding position for the cat.

The rotating system is a key part of the design because food mixed with water spoils much more quickly than dry food. Instead of relying on a single bowl, Repaw uses three separate bowls that can be switched based on the bowl’s condition. In normal use, one bowl can serve multiple meals within a day, while a cleaner bowl can be selected earlier if the current one becomes dirty. This reduces the risk of residue buildup and makes short-term feeding more hygienic.

A camera positioned above the bowls allows owners to remotely check whether the current bowl is dirty and switch to another clean bowl when needed. Users can also precisely adjust both the food and water portions, making it easier to manage their cat’s daily nutrition and hydration. Since the system mainly relies on simple rotational movements, it consumes very little power. Combined with the large battery compartment integrated into the base, the feeder can operate for months without requiring a power cord.

Credits

Zihao Zhuang
Industrial Designer
More Silver Winners
2026
Design Awards Winner - MyDen (Minjung Kim, Founder & Product Designer) - MyDen

Entrant

MyDen (Minjung Kim, Founder & Product Designer)

Category

User Experience (UX) - AI-Personalized UX

Country / Region

United States

2026
Design Awards Winner - 西南交通大学 - MuseBand

Entrant

西南交通大学

Category

Toys - Music & Sound

Country / Region

China

2026
Design Awards Winner - Hongxin Li, Lesi Li, Renping Wang - OASIS AI

Entrant

Hongxin Li, Lesi Li, Renping Wang

Category

User Experience (UX) - AI-Personalized UX

Country / Region

United States

2026
Design Awards Winner - Lazzzy Today - Soft Landing — Modular Sofa

Entrant

Lazzzy Today

Category

Seating & Comfort Furniture - Sofa

Country / Region

Taiwan