THINK fancy pet bowls are a frivolous waste of money? Think again: The dish you use to feed Fluffy is just as important as what goes in it.

Cheap plastic bowls are porous, so they harbor bacteria and impart an offputting taste to a finicky pet’s food or water. This can lead to dining abstinence, which ultimately contributes to serious health problems.

The solution: Use nonporous, easy-to-keep-clean bowls – like the plain, utilitarian stainless-steel dishes widely available at pet stores. If you’re the houseproud type, though, you probably want your pet’s bowls to have some design value. Fortunately, there are many stylish new options.

Alessi, the Italian company world-famous for its high-style cutlery and kitchenware, offers bellissima dining options for felines and canines. The charming Tigrito ($88) is a cat-shaped feeder holding two removable stainless-steel bowls, while the Lupita ($98) is bone-shaped for dogs. Both are available at Design Within Reach stores, or online at dwr.com.

For dogs in a hurry to eat – that describes my alwayshungry pups – a company called WetNoz speeds up the feeding process by incorporating a handle in the design of its surgical-grade steel “Scoop & Serve” bowl that doubles as a handy kibble shovel (in two sizes, $50 and $70, from wetnoz.com).

Metal isn’t the only nonporous pet-bowl material, as designer Alexandra Wolf of The Pet Lounge proves with her groovy Doggie AGoGo and Kitty A-GoGo pet dinnerware settings.

Made of white and red melamine, these are just the ticket for fans of mid-20th century modern furniture and accessories ($59.99 for a set of two footed bowls, plus a matching tray, from thepetlounge.com).

Finally, why not coordinate your pet’s “tableware” with your own? Joanne Hudson offers elegant white artpottery dog bowls by Rae Dunn Wabi Sabi ($37 for a two-set, joannehudson.com) stamped with the words GULP and WOOF.