Do you have a demanding feline in your life? It is time to enlist some help and buy an Automatic Cat Food dispenser!
Cats like to rule their home, and mealtimes are part of the fun! If you are planning to get a cat or already have one you are inviting happiness into your home, along with servitude! Leaving an enormous bowl of food out is not always going to cut it.
It’s time to embrace technology and take back some of your power with an automatic cat food dispenser. If you are a first-time cat owner you may also like to check out how to feed cats.
Of course, we love our little furballs however there are times we have a life outside of their needs. An auto cat feeder is ideal for these occasions:
- Away for work during the day
- Unplanned work or personal emergencies that keep you from returning home on time.
- Traveling for a business or a personal trip
- Sleeping through the night!
- Sleep in during the early morning!
- To ensure your cat gets a proper and timely meal
- Weight management for your pets/ portion control
- To program serving meals according to your cat’s routine and nutritional needs
- To keep track of their meals.
We have curated some top contenders so the research is done for you! While a small commission may be paid on eligible purchases these reviews are unbiased summarised features, instructions, and personal customer reviews to help you shop more efficiently.
As a general note, it’s worth preparing yourself with the knowledge that the fully automated feeders do not have an indefinite life span. Like anything automatic, they can and do breakdown. Be aware there is the chance that you will need to update your unit every 12-18months. Of course, we have some more basic picks that avoid this issue; just bear in mind you lose timing and portion control with this kind of Automatic Cat Food dispenser.
More importantly if you plan to leave your pets for extended periods some kind of surveillance is highly recommended; as technology can fail. You may like to set up a camera near the Automatic Cat Food dispenser or invest in an auto cat feeder that has one inbuilt.
Let’s Take a look!
Our Automatic Cat Food dispenser picks
1. SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder
#1 Pick Best special diet cat food dispenser SHORT TERM
Are you a multi-pet owner? There is always the drama of ensuring all your pets get fed! There is often that one cat that eats everyone’s meal. Or you may have cats with different eating schedules, medication or nutritional requirements. The SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder might be the one for you. It’s ideal for feeding cats that have special requirements.
Features:
- Detecting Collar Tag:
The feeder operates when it detects the RFID collar tag worn by the cat and opens the feeding bowl. The Auto cat Feeder is compatible with 9, 10- and 15-digit pet microchip ID’s.
- Suitable for up to 32 pets:
One of the astonishing features is that the pet feeder can store up to 32 different IDs. Having said this the bowl capacity is 400ml (13.5fl) about 2 pouches of wet food; so it’s a short term feeder. Multiple pets really need their own feeder.
- Portion Size and Capacity:
The total capacity of the hopper is 13.5 fl (400ml). You can also control the portion size to assist in maintaining your cat’s healthy weight.
Pros:
- Both Wet and Dry Food:
Many cats prefer wet food over dry food. Further, some vets also recommend wet food due to various medical reasons. So the great thing about his one is it can hold both wet and dry food.
- Lid Closes After Feeding:
The lid closes after serving meals and hence the food retains its freshness.
- There are loads of add on features, extra bowls, a rear cover to stop other pets swooping in from behind the unit, & non slip mats to name a few.
- It also has a long battery life and remembers your cat even when the batteries are removed!
Cons:
- Difficult to clean: reviewers sited that the feeding bowl was a bit difficult to clean.
- You need one device per pet so pretty pricey
- The rear cover is not included. The cover that prevents other pets from taking food from the rear is not included but an add-on purchase. Pretty poor design or deceptive to keep the price competitive?
- Only holds 200ml in the bowl
2. PetSafe Auto Feeder
#1 pick Best wifi pet food dispenser LONG TERM
Whether you want to get few extra minutes of morning sleep, you’re preoccupied with other things, or you’re in the office, the PetSafe auto feeder gives you comfort knowing your cat is well fed even when you are away.
Features:
- Schedule mealtimes via smartphones:
You can schedule the number of meals, their portion size, and timings by using your iPhone or Android smartphone. The sturdy machine has easy to operate five-button navigation and LCD screen.
- PetSafe app:
The PetSafe app notifies you when it dispenses a meal, has an error, or when the hopper is running low on food. The app can also be synced with the machine from more than one phone. So, it is highly convenient where two or more family members are operating the auto feeder.
- Portion Size and Capacity:
You can adjust the portion size to range from 0.06 pounds to 2.09 pounds depending on your lovely pet’s nutritional requirement. The auto feeder sets up to twelve mealtimes.
Pros:
- Slow Feed Dispensing Option:
Got a cat that gulps down their meal and ends up vomiting? You want cat bowls to slow down eating. The slow feed dispensing option rather than batch serve will help foster slower eating. The unique slow feed dispensing option ensures portion control and avoids the cat throwing up and also excessive weight gain.
- Stainless-steel bowl:
The stainless-steel bowl is dishwasher safe. However, it makes a clanging noise when dropping food into the bowl. A Few users found this feature particularly useful as they had a blind cat so it could hear the feeder being filled!
- “Feed Now” Button:
In addition to scheduled serves, there is a ‘feed now’ button on the machine too. However, this button can be disabled, and you can continue operating it from your smartphones.
- Backup Battery:
If you are afraid that a power outage will leave your cats hungry there is a battery-operated backup option too.
Cons:
- Fails to reconnect to Wi-Fi automatically:
The machine does not automatically reconnect to the Wi-Fi so it might disrupt the automatic schedule timing if there is a drop out.
3. Wopet Automatic Pet Feeder
Runner up wifi cat food dispenser LONG TERM
Simple to set and reasonably priced this pet feeder is ideal your cats.
- Features:
- Schedule mealtimes via smartphones:
Mealtimes can be scheduled using the smartphone app from anywhere. The app will notify you when the food is served, and you can watch your feline enjoying the snack using the inbuilt camera!
- Pet-U iOS/Android App:
You can download the Pet-U app for free and schedule your pet’s mealtimes from anywhere. Bear in mind the Wi-Fi network must be of at least 2.4 GHz frequency for this machine to operate.
- Video HD camera:
One of the best features of the wopet automatic pet feeder is its HD camera. What would be better than the ability to look at your pet anytime from any place? With a 120-degree wide-angle lens, you can make sure that your fur baby is feeding at the right times and all is A-ok.
- Audio recording:
This auto cat feeder plays your personalized message (up to ten seconds) to call your pet for mealtimes. You may even record different voices for different mealtimes or just stick to one voice recording. It plays the voice message three times in case they miss it.
- Portion Size and Capacity:
The container can store up to 6.5 liters of dry food. You can adjust the food portion size as per the nutrition requirements of your lovely pet. Using this auto cat feeder, you can schedule up to six meals a day.
Pros:
- Portion Control:
This pet feeder is great for controlling the portion size so your feline manage a healthy.
- Battery backup:
You can plugin her in or use batteries for operating the cat feeder.
- User Friendly:
Reviewers have found this auto cat feeder to be user friendly and easy to setup. YOu can check out the breezy setup process here:
Cons:
- Only Dry Food:
The wopet automatic pet feeder only serves dry food and it needs to be a specific size. The diameter of dry food should not be bigger than 0.6 inches
- Can be unreliable, wifi drops outs and app issues.
4. PetSafe Five Meal Feeder
Best all rounder (pardon the pun) MID TERM cat food dispenser
PetSafe Five Meal Feeder is a budget-friendly, battery operated and easy to use auto cat feeder.
Features:
- Five removable trays:
The pet feeder contains five trays, and these trays are removable, BPA free and dishwasher safe.
- Battery-Operated:
The feeder is easy to set up and operates on four D-cell alkaline batteries.
- Portion Size and Capacity:
This auto cat feeder is ideal for setting up five meals at different times for your loved pet. Each tray of the feeder can contain 236 ml (8oz) of dry food.
Pros:
- Ideal for Portion Size
This unit is highly recommended for pet owners who are worried about the weight gain of their pets. This unit controls portion size and helps in maintaining the weight of your cat.
- Easy to Operate
The functionality of the pet feeder is simple. You can refer to the video below to learn how to use the petsafe 5 meal feeder:
- Tamper proof
- Budget friendly
Con:
- Serves only dry food
- One portion is always exposed so it is really only 4 timed feeds, with the 5th being immediately served.
- Sometimes the rotation does not line up and savvy cats can get to the next tray with a bit of nouse.
5. Westlink Automatic Pet Feeder
Best budget option LONG TERM
Features:
- Both Manual and Automatic Feeding:
- Dual Power Supply Options:
If you are afraid of a power outage, this machine can continue to operate on batteries. It requires three D-size batteries for functioning.
- Voice Recorder:
You may call your pal for mealtime using the voice recorder option of the auto cat feeder.
- Portion Size and Capacity:
This auto cat feeder can dispense up to four meals a day. Each meal can range from 1 to 39 portions and each portion is around 10 to 12 g.
Pros:
- Wider Bowl:
Cats can make a mess as they flick food on the floor while eating so the wider bowl of Westlink Automatic Pet Feeder can be quite handy.
- Removable bowl:
You can easily remove the bowl for quick cleaning.
Con:
- buttons are hard to push
- The timer can race
- If using the cable power source and you unplug the units the settings do not save, you need to have batteries to save your settings.
6. Cat Mate C500 Automatic Pet Feeder
Best automatic cat feeder wet food MID TERM
Going on a business trip or a vacation for two days? You can rely on this auto cat feeder to look after the dietary requirements of your lovely pal while you are away.
Features:
- Pet Feeder with Five Trays:
One of the greatest features of this machine is you can serve wet food on this battery-operated machine. It has a rotating food carousel and is covered by a tamper-resistant lid.
- Twin Ice Packs:
It is a bit tricky to keep the wet food fresh however the five trays are fitted with twin ice packs to help keep the food fresh and cold.
- Portion Size and Capacity:
The auto feeder is designed to serve up to five meals at the scheduled mealtimes.
Pros:
- Reliable and Easy to Operate:
Users of the Cat Mate Automatic Pet Feeder have said it’s a lifesaver since it’s very reliable.
- Tamper proof
- Wet and dry food
Con:
- This unit will only hold 5 portions so a couple of days feeding max. Also wet food only lasts a day or so because the cool packs thaw.
7.Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder
What did we like?
This is a great food dispenser which has an easy operation. You can pick the portion size and the feeder will do exactly as you want it to function. Your pet shall be happy all day long because they will get set meals. It dispenses 1 to 10 portions for every meal.
You would need to set up the clock and the machine will make sure that your cat gets fed four times in a day. You can feed dry cat food through this automatic pet feeder.
Arf Pets Automatic Feeder PROS
- Arf pet automatic pet feeder food dispenser for dogs and cats makes hassle-free food and dispenses 1 to 10 meal portions each time.
- It has a distribution alarm and LCD smart clock and voice recording service, which help you to take over the whole situation.
- The magnetic lid lock help for your pet’s safety and you can serve up to 4 meals in a single day.
It has powerful 3D batteries and suitable for any size of cats and dogs and an adorable voice recorder, which calls up for meal portions.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON
Arf Pets Automatic Feeder CONS
- The clock tends to race
- Can release kibble if knocked or bumped around. Some cunning cats can unclamp the lid and have a buffet!
- Can be unreliable definitely use in conjunction with a camera monitoring system if leaving pets for extended periods.
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8.Cat Mate C3000
The programming of this machine is easy. Also, the product comes with 3 years warranty. You will get a video guide online to know how it works. It gives consistent meal portions to your lovable cat so that she does not over-eat. It is great for dispensing dry cat food!
Cat Mate C3000 PROS
- Cat mate automatic dry food pet feeder is a recommendable item with an LCD control and works on 4 C batteries; it means you need not worry about the battery for 8 to 9 months.
- The food hopper carries minimum 2 tablespoons of feeding capacity and maximum 6.5lb.
- All of the parts of the pet feeder are easy to wash and pet-friendly.
- Quite suitable for small dogs and cats, you can easily set the food portions.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON
Cat Mate C3000 CONS
- Some cats can break in- not suitable for cunning cats 😉
- Noisy
- Hard to program
9.TD Design Automatic Cat Feeder
What did we like?
The feeder has five separate food trays and it also has a battery indicator. It shows whether the battery is low or not. It is also dishwasher proof and it has a locking mechanism so nice and tamper proof. The best part is that you can put both dry and wet cat food in this.
TD Design Automatic Pet Feeder PROS
- TD design automatic pet feeder is an advanced feeder, which allows you to set the pre-timer for the food time and food portions.
- You can feed 5 meals in a day and it is suitable for wet and dry food.
- You can set up digital food distribution alarm and also can record the food call, and it has touch control system with blue backlight.
- It powerful 4 C batteries will work during the electricity failure.
- It’s safe and secure lid lock system prevents the food falling from the dish, so you can go out without any worry.
- All the parts of the feeder are easy to clean and dishwasher. It comes with one year warranty from the purchasing date.
TD Design Automatic Pet Feeder CONS
- Fairly small bowls so large animals may have trouble getting to all of the food.
- Voice recording can be glitchy and miss playing and double up.
- Tiny buttons that need a lot of force
- There is no way to keep Wet food cold
10. PetSafe Digital Two Meal Pet Feeder
Best 2 automatic cat food dispenser SHORT TERM
Features:
- LCD with Digital Timer
- Two Trays with Locking Lids:
This auto cat feeder comprises of two dishwasher safe and removable trays. These trays are covered with locking lids to ensure clean and fresh meals for your lovely pets.
- Portion Size and Capacity:
The Hopper can store up to four pounds of food and you can schedule two meals per day for four days in advance.
Pros:
- Budget Friendly
This automatic cat food dispenser is simple to set up and operate. Unlike a few of the other options, it is a lot cheaper but also it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles either. It also looks cheap quality-wise but works well.
- Feeds two cats at once
As the feeder has two separate trays, it can accommodate two cats’ feeding at the same time.
- tamper proof
- easy to clean
Cons:
- Noisy timer
- Not Suitable for Wet Food
- Clunky
- Can be unrelible
11. Pawise Automatic Pet Feeder
Best gravity 2 in 1 feeder
Features:
- Gravity fed:
This auto pet feeder is your most basic option with virtually no setup. The food fills the bowl automatically so there is always food availalable.
- 2 in 1 -It provides both food and water
The hopper has a 5L/ 11lb capacity.
Pros:
- Serves Both Water and Dry Food
- Value for Money
- easy to clean
Cons:
- There is no way to manage Portion Size, or timing; so no good for those cats that need to watch their weight!
Read Also,
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Why should I buy an Automatic Cat Food dispenser?
Auto cat feeders are designed to feed your cat multiple times in a day when you are working, out, or away.
- Portion control for over-eating.
- Schedule meals for medications, extra sleep, weight control
- Feed your cat while you are away.
- Convenience
- Night and early morning feeds! avoid being woken up in the wee hours of the morning.
- Administer medications.
