What comfortable height actually looks like
Watch your cat eat from the floor first. A cat with a stiff neck often approaches slowly, lowers her head in small stages, pauses, or walks away and returns, because the downward bend is the uncomfortable part. The goal is a bowl rim roughly at the lower edge of her chin when she is standing squarely on all four feet, with her head carried level rather than tipped down or lifted. At that height she can lap water and take food with small head movements instead of flexing her neck through its stiffest range. If she has to reach up and stretch, you have gone too high; if her whiskers and chin still dip well below her shoulders, go a little higher.
Simple ways to lift the bowls safely
A purpose-made raised feeder with a non-slip base is the tidiest option, but a low wooden box, a sturdy step stool, or a stack of wide books under a mat can achieve the same height for a trial. Whatever you use must not rock when she puts weight against the bowl, and the bowl itself should be wide and shallow so her whiskers do not press against deep sides while her neck is sore. Separate the food and water bowls slightly if the stand allows it, since many cats drink more willingly when water is not right against food. Test one meal at the new height before changing anything else, and watch whether she settles faster and stays to finish.
Adjust in small steps over a few days
Do not jump from floor level to a tall stand in one move. Raise the bowls a small amount, let her eat two or three meals there, then raise them again if she still dips and hesitates. Some stiff-necked cats prefer food slightly lower than water, or the reverse, because drinking involves a different head angle than chewing. Note which height ends the pawing, shifting, and half-finished meals. If she starts eating on the move, dragging food off the raised bowl onto the floor, that is information too — the surface may feel unstable to her, or the height may make her feel exposed while she eats.
Keep the raised setup easy to clean and keep in place
Raised bowls get knocked more often, especially in a busy kitchen, so choose a stand you can wipe down and bowls you can lift out without dismantling the whole arrangement. Place the feeder against a wall on a washable mat, away from foot traffic, so she is not startled mid-meal by people stepping around her. Check daily that the stand has not crept across a smooth floor; a non-slip pad underneath matters for a cat who leans her chest into the bowl for support. Wash water bowls frequently, because a raised bowl at face height makes any stale smell more obvious to her, not less.
When neck stiffness needs a vet conversation
Raising the bowls makes eating easier, but it does not explain why her neck stiffened. Mention the change at her next vet check, and book sooner if she cries when turning her head, stops grooming her sides and back, holds her head tilted, or suddenly refuses food she normally likes. Describe when you first noticed her struggling with floor bowls and whether the raised height restored her appetite, because that timeline helps your vet judge whether this is gradual joint stiffness or something that changed more quickly. Bring a phone photo of her eating at the new height if you can; posture in a picture can say a lot.
Once the right height is clear, recording it in KinsLe Care Teams lets family and helpers set her bowls exactly the same way each time, with completed feedings marked so you can see she is eating comfortably.