Feeding stations

I'm sure anyone with cats - or anyone with pets, for that matter - can understand how messy the feeding stations can be. I feel like I'm sweeping up little bits of kibble after every meal. And what doesn't get swept up gets stepped on and crushed.

I didn't notice it as much when we had carpet, but now the kibble gets knocked everywhere and winds up on the other side of the room and underneath our contemporary sofas. Also, our hardwood floors are from 1960 and not sealed which means they can't get wet.

When we traveled last month, I was reading SkyMall magazine in the plane. (Don't you love that magazine?) They had a product that I thought was pretty cool idea - called the Neater Feeder. It's a food and water bowl contained in such a way as to prevent food and water from falling to the floor. It sounds exactly what I'm looking for!

However, it's $35... and we'd need two. So I'll have to think about it some more. And maybe look around to see if another place has something that does the same thing for cheaper. Has anyone else had the same problem and found a good solution?