Many people look at their cats and dogs as members of their family. However, there are times when it is not possible to take them with you. For instance, when going on vacation, it can be difficult to find accommodations that are pet-friendly, and therefore, you may have to leave your pets at home.
In the past, people would leave their pets with a family member or have someone come by and check on them, looking after them while you are away. However, times have changed, and now, you can go on vacation with the use of an automatic feeder, a particularly helpful device for cat owners. Depending on the style, some automatic feeders can hold food for a dog or cat for up to a week.
It is important to research the best feeder for your situation. If you are not gone for long periods of time, automatic feeders can still help to reduce your daily chores. By using auto feeders you can spend more time to playing with and spending time with your pet rather than constantly changing food bowls.
Automatic feeders have different features, and we have been able to compile five of the best automatic cat feeders on the market. Below, you will find short reviews on five great automatic feeders, as well as the pros and cons of each so that you can make a more informed purchasing decision.
Top 5: Automatic Cat Feeders Review
Product Image & Rating (Out Of 10) | Product Name | Price |
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The WOpet automatic Pet Feeder can be used for cats or dogs, and it has features that allow it to efficiently feed pets, while you are away from home. Whether you have a small dog or cat or a larger dog breed, this feeder can take care of their needs.
You can program the feeder to dispense as little as 2 teaspoons to as much as 4.5 cups of dry food per feeding, which can help train your pet to be on a regular feeding schedule without the added stress of constant monitoring.
This feeder has a unique and fun feature that allows you to record a short message for your pet. The feeder will say your message whenever it dispenses food, letting your pet know that there is food ready for the eating!
The main storage area of the feeder can hold up to 20 cups of food, and you can easily remove it from the feeder to refill or wash it.
You can schedule the feeder to dispense food up to four times a day, which is handy when going out of town. However, it is important to remember that it only holds 20 cups of food. So, depending on the dispense amount, the food typically lasts from 3-8 days.
This is something to keep in mind when going out of town. If traveling on a prolonged vacation, you may need to make arrangements with someone to come by and refill the storage area.
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The Iseebiz Automatic Feeder is perfect for both cats and dogs. With this feeder, you can finally get your pet on a good diet. It specifically allows you to program up to four times a day, and you can choose between 1-39 portion control. Therefore, you can adjust the portions to be the perfect amount for your furbaby.
Unlike other automatic feeders, the Iseebiz comes with a power adapter. Therefore, you won't have the hassle of changing batteries. However, it also provide the option to run on batteries, which is perfect for keeping your settings if you must unplug the feeder from time to time to move it around.
The storage area is designed with leak proof technology, which helps to keep the food waiting to be dispensed as fresh as the day you put it into the feeder. This helps with the health of your pet by making sure that they do not ingest old or stale food.
Finally, the Iseebiz has its own voice recorder, which allows you to save a 10 second message that will play at feeding time. This is an excellent feature that trains pets to know when the feeder is dropping their food, without you having to show them every time.
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The Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder is designed for small to medium sized pets, and it has many features that make it stand out against its competitors. This system comes with everything you need, including the feeder, a DC power cord, a small gift for your cat and dog, and a guide for a healthy dietary system for your pets.
You should never put any sort of wet food or snacks into this feeder, and you can choose how much food you would like the feeder to dispense to your pets.
The storage area can hold up to 1.14 gallons of food, and it works with both dry cat and dog food. It has 10 different portion settings, and each portion setting adds 24 ml of food. This makes it easier to manage your pets’ dietary needs.
The LCD screen makes it easy to program the feeder, and you can even personalize a 10 second message that will be heard by your pets, whenever the feeder dispenses their food.
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The Westlink Automatic Pet Feeder can be used for cats and dogs. The storage capacity of this machine holds up to 6L of food, and you can program the feeder to drop food at four different times all throughout the day. It has a total of 39 portion settings, and each setting increases the amount by 10-12g of food.
When buying food to go into this feeder, be aware that the food cannot exceed 1cm by 1 cm, otherwise it might get stuck and stall the machine.
A bonus - you do not have to worry about it not working during a power outage. It runs off 3-3D batteries or with the provided power cord. It is recommended to keep batteries in the machine to avoid losing any settings in the event of a power outage.
You can record a 10 second message to call your furbabies to their meal times, and the feeder will replay the message every time it dispenses food. This makes it easy to train your pets so they know when to eat.
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The PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Feeder has smart timer technology that allows you to set times and monitor things from your smartphone. It works best with small to medium size dogs and cats. The storage capacity of this feeder holds 24 cups of food and its sleek design makes it able to be placed virtually anywhere, without being in the way.
The smartphone app that was designed for this feeder is free to download, and you can download it from the app store for an iOS smartphone or for an android. The app is user friendly and simple to use, and you can do everything you need from changing food portions to setting up new times without being home. Plus, it alerts you every time that a meal is served to your pet.
All the removeable parts of this feeder are dishwasher safe, which makes it convenient to clean. You have the option of running this feeder with the power adapter or batteries. It requires 4D-cell batteries to work, and it is recommended to use the batteries even when plugged in as a backup during a power outage.
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Buying Guide
One of the biggest issues that people have with automatic feeders is that they loose all of their programmed settings if they are unplugged. This means that if you have to move the feeder or if the power goes out, you have to take the time to set everything back up.
However, there is a quick fix to this problem. Most of the feeders do have a power cord, but they also can be powered by batteries.
It is recommended that if your feeder has the option to run on batteries that you keep fresh batters in the feeder. This will help to prevent loosing any programmed settings if the power goes out, and it will also give you peace of mind that it has a back-up system and will continue to feed your pets even during the outage.
best automatic cat feeder
Overall, any of the five automatic feeders above will provide you with the peace of mind that your pets will be fed and happy. However, one does stand out more than others, and that is the PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Feeder.
It goes above and beyond with the use of its smartphone app. You will always know when your pet is being fed, and it takes merely moments to change portion sizes and times of feeding, even if you are not currently home.
^^ Click Picture To Check Price & Reviews ^^
Take some time to research the PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Feeder as you can be using technology to keep your pets fed. Using a more automated feeding experience will give you the peace of mind that your furbabies are always taken care of, even in your absence.
Benefits of Using Automatic Feeders
A lot of people think that automatic pet feeders are only useful when you go out on vacation, but there are many features that come with most automatic feeders that can make them viable on a day-to-day basis. For instance, since you can effectively set the portion size for the feeders, you can help keep your pet's weight down, ensuring that they stay healthy (pet insurance can also help ease the cost of this).
Plus, these feeders allow you to set specific times for your pets to eat throughout the day. Therefore, you no longer have to stress about if the cat or dog was fed while you were at work or school. All you have to do is program the feeder, make sure it has food in the storage area, and go about your business.
Most automatic feeders come with parts that are dishwasher-safe, but it is important to read up on your particular feeder to make sure that this is the case.
Automatic cat feeder Commonly Asked Questions
What are the benefits of an automatic cat feeder?
If you have an automatic cat feeder, you'll be able to program the feeder to feed your cat at set times. This will help you ensure they get fed on time, even when your schedule is too busy or you are away from the house.
Many cats often wake their owners up early asking to be fed. With an automatic feeder, you can set the feeder to go off a little before your cat begins begging for food, which may allow them to let you continue to sleep.
Should I get a gravity feeder or an electronic feeder for my cat?
If your cat is good at self-regulating and will not eat more than they need, you can consider purchasing a gravity feeder. If you think they will overeat when given the option of having more food available, you may want to opt for an electronic feeder.
Gravity feeders are designed with a top compartment that holds the extra food. Whenever the food in the attached bowl at the base decreases, more food will flow from the top compartment to the bowl. Because of this design, the bowl will keep getting filled up anytime food is eaten, which is why they are not the best option for cats who may overeat when given the opportunity.
However, gravity feeders can be a good option to consider if you have more than one cat that will need to be fed, as they will allow you to have more food available. They are also less expensive that electronic feeds and will not require much of any set up or programming.
Electronic feeders can solve the potential problem of overeating posed by gravity feeders. With this product type, you can program the feeder to dispense a specific amount of food at set times. This makes them a good option for regulating a cat's weight, while still ensuring they get their required meals.
Electronic feeders are more expensive than gravity feeders. They will also require some more initial set up, since you'll have to program the feeder to dispense the food when you want your cat to eat. You'll also want to be sure to keep an eye on the battery, since you will need to replace it when it is low to ensure the feeder continues to work.
How often do you need to refill the food in an automatic feeder?
The amount your cat (or cats) eat at each meal will impact how frequently you'll need to refill the feeder. Different feeders also have different capacities ranging from around 15 cups to closer to 30 cups.
To help you select an appropriately sized feeder, think about how many cats you have, how much they eat each day, and how frequently you'll be able to refill the feeder.
How many meals can an automatic feeder dispense each day?
The number of meals dispensed by an automatic feeder will vary with different models. While some feeders may only be able to dispense 4 or fewer feedings on any given day, other models can be programmed to dispense more than 10 feedings.
Do automatic feeders dispense all the food for each meal at once?
You will need to read the specific information for the different feeders you are considering to answer this question. Some feeders will dispense the full serving of food you programmed at one time.
Other feeds offer a slow-feed option. With this option, the full serving will be dispensed little by little over a period of time. A feeder with this feature would be a good option to consider if your cat eats too much too quickly and gets sick from it.
Can you use an automatic feeder for wet cat food?
Most automatic cat feeders are designed to only be used with dry food. There are a few options that can be used with wet food, however. These feeders feature a different design than ones designed for use with dry food.
Instead of a taller canister holding the dry food, they typically have a more circular design with four or five different compartments. The compartments are covered by a rotating top that will only allow access to one compartment at a time for your cat. You will want to make sure that the feeder has a way to keep wet food cold and safe to eat if you'll be using this feeder to feed your cat wet food.
How are automatic feeders powered?
Some automatic cat feeders have a power cord, while others run on batteries. Some products may offer the option to use both power sources. This would ensure the feeder is still able to dispense food for your cat in the event the power goes off.
If your feeder is battery powered, be sure to always have a spare set of batteries on hand so you can replace them right away to make sure your cat gets his next meal.
