Compare our selection
Some have been tested
Photo: Molly Higgins
Pets C200 2-DATHT PET feeder for $30: This automatic feeder is very simple, which is both its weakness and its strength. It’s basically two shallow plastic containers with stainless steel inserts (both dishwasher safe) and sealed bottles that close and open automatically using an egg-style egg freezer that runs on AA batteries rather than electricity. Although the container has an ice pack to keep wet food cool, after one night it will lose almost all of its coolness. There is an attachment for the LID-Link-Link clip, a small piece of plastic that connects the bottles to ensure they will be opened at the same time, which is a big help for two-cat owners like me. I wish the timer was electronic so I could set the exact time I wanted, rather than guessing the time on small ticks. However, this is a simple solution to help make sure my cats are fed wet food without me waking up at the crack of dawn.
Photo: Molly Higgins
Automatic wireless wifi automatic wifi for $53: I had high hopes for this wireless charger that boasts a rechargeable battery with 100-day life and an integrated app, but it’s very unlikely. With the app, you can plan up to 10 daily meals (1-12 portions each), monitor your pet’s eating habits, and customize food calls. Unlike other applications, you cannot choose the portion size, but instead you have to increase the amount of work. The app gave me constant problems, and I often disconnect from the feeder and can reconnect to the WIFI. Fortunately, I was able to program meals with the screen and buttons, but it would be great if the app worked reliably.
Don’t praise
Courtesy of Amazon
Pixi Smart 6-Reter Cat for $104: Like the others on this list, the Catit Pixi wet and Old feer uses ice packs to keep wet food fresh and to store the meals below in the six layers of the six layer. The schedule can be programmed through the application or changed in the body of the feeder. At this price point, the app shouldn’t be this limited and this good. The schedule is only available during the military, and the application is very limited – you can only set the meal plan for the same day, and when I want to do it two to three times a day spread over two days. The feeder was not kept cold enough to spread the food out and the wet food was not at safe feeding temperatures. At this price point, just get a petlider polar wet feeder for a few bucks more.
Pixi Smart Cat feeder for $110: Kibble is stored in the body of this dry feeder, but it does not have a window to check the feeding levels. The meal planning calendar only shows a week at a time, and although it should repeat daily based on the Plan, I found that some days there would be no Plan THERE THERE THERE THERE. PIXI also doesn’t tell you how much food has been distributed; He simply referred to it as “Part” – I was handed it and found half of the part was under a spoonful of kibble. After using it continuously for more than a month, I found that it was too bright and almost impossible to be faithful to the planned program, sometimes skipping meals altogether. This feeder can be dangerous, and I thank the pet parents for relying on it.
Pets C500 for $75: This automatic wet and dry dispenser can pre-program two-part meals (and one hand-fed meal) that are activated on a timer using three AA batteries (sold separately). The operator sends four times that the bowls, with ice packs underneath, to rotate. Bowls are deep and narrow and not easy for cats to reach, which can cause whisker fatigue. And even though there are two large ice packs, when I checked the feed after a night’s sleep, the packs didn’t get too cold. This might be fine with kibble, but the wet food was kept at unsafe temperatures, and my cats couldn’t access all the food.
Why use an automatic feeder?
Automatic feeders are ideal for pet owners who want to help manage their pet’s weight and monitor eating patterns. Also, they allow much more control and precision for owners to learn exactly how much their cat eats and where. Because cats are nocturnal by nature, many have the annoying habit of waking you up in the early hours of the morning looking for food, and this allows you to set a schedule that fits their schedule without disrupting yours.
Of course, it is not recommended to leave your pets alone for long periods of time, but these automatic allowances provide more peace of mind and are more healthy for your pet than leaving a large amount of free food while you are away overnight. Simply put, it’s an easy way to feed and monitor your cat’s health with little work for you, the human.
I have two rescue cats, 4 and 5 years old, and they eat two wet meals a day and small amounts of dry kibble throughout the day. The vets (and tiktokkers) successfully persuaded me to go to a primarily wet food, however, with a high water content. This provides more moisture to their food, which helps with potentially dangerous problems like UTIS, which are more common especially in male cats. I still like to give them small meals that they eat throughout the day to satisfy their need for a crunch.
For dry food, I use Hill’s Science Foods, and for wet food I use a variety of friskies formulas. (Yes, only shreds. Fellow cat owners will understand.)
I set up feeders, note ease of setup, potential issues, and app navigation. I also checked the various schedules and manuals with the app, noting any issues. I used each feeder at least a week, if not longer.
How long can I leave my cat alone?
Although cats are generally thought of as lower maintenance than dogs, it is no longer ideal to leave your cat for long periods of time. Under severe conditions, you can leave the cat alone for 24 to 48 hours with regular feeding and a clean water source, but it is not ideal – especially for cats with health problems, or elderly cats. Although these feeders are automatic, and meals can be planned ahead of time and several days in advance, pets still need their pals for enrichment, care, and love.
