Acquiring an automatic cat feeder can make not only your but also your furry friend’s life much easier. Imagine a device that provides a feeding schedule, and portion control, preventing your pet from overfeeding or underfeeding. In addition, you can send voice messages to your cat to keep in touch with it, monitor its health, and ensure its well-being during your absence.

However, there are lots of factors that should be considered before buying a self-feeder for cats. How many meals and portions should it have? Is there an automatic wet food cat feeder or that kind of device are only designed for dry food? Can I set portion sizes for each meal? In order to make a smart decision, we suggest to pay attention to these features.

Features to look for before buying an automatic cat feeder

Choosing an auto cat feeder for your pet is a very good yet hard decision. There are lots of factors that should be considered before making a purchase. Does your cat need a particular schedule for its meal? Does it have a weight problem? Is dry food preferable for your pet rather than wet food? Lots of questions may arise before making the right choice. In order to ease your decision-making process, we’ve gathered some key features that should be taken under consideration before acquiring an automatic pet feeder.

Feeding Schedule Customization

If your cat has special dietary needs or if you’re too busy to remember about feeding your cat, then this feature plays a crucial role in your life.  Looking for a feeder that allows you to create a feeding schedule is something that adds flexibility to your daily routine and helps you to easily set up your pet’s weight management. There are even feeders, which help you create different schedules based on the day of the week.

Portion Control

Having an automatic cat feeder is a great choice, but what’s the use of it if you can’t control the portion it’ll give to your pet? Portion control is a feature, that enables you to manage the amount of your cat’s meal, preventing it from overfeeding or underfeeding. Some feeders can even measure the amount of your portion in grams or ounces.

Food Type Compatability 

Before picking an automatic cat feeder, it’s important to understand what type of food your cat prefers. There are feeders created to store only dry kibble, while others are specifically designed for both dry and wet food. For wet food, look for features like ice packs or insulated compartments to keep the food fresh and safe from spoilage. 

Multiple Meals per Day

Automatic cat feeders, that have this feature, are good not only for those pets who have dietary sensitivities but also for those who tend to eat too quickly. 

Cats are natural grazers, whose health depends on the amount of times they’re having a meal. So it’s essential to look for a cat self feeder, that can dispense several meals per day (ideally more than 4 times a day).

PETLIBRO Automatic Cat Feeder with WiFi

Specifications:

  • Product Dimensions: 7.5 × 7.5 × 12 Inches
  • Product Weight: 75.8 Ounces
  • Food Tank Capacity: 4 Liters
  • Power: DC 5V power adapter
  • Meal Setting: 1-10 Meals
  • Portion Setting: 1-12 Portions
  • Each Portion Sized: 12.5ml

petlibro

If you’re looking for an automatic cat feeder that provides food for your pet based on its age, weight, and activity, then you should pay attention to PETLIBRO’s essential WiFi feeder. 

Having an easy-to-use and compact design, all you need to open it up is to press your two hands on both sides.

With PETLIBRO, there’s no need to worry about forgetting to feed your cat, as thanks to its program, this automatic pet food dispenser gives food to your cat at the right time, suggesting you schedule meals up to 10 times per day and have 12 portions per meal. If you stay at your work longer than you thought, just use WiFi control and feed your cat remotely. And the greatest part? You can keep in touch with your furry friend as this device allows you to record up to 10 seconds of voice messages, so you can be connected with your pet even when you’re away.

Reasons to BUY

  • Remote Feeding
  • Meals & Portion Setting
  • Voice Recording

Reasons to AVOID

  • Only works with dry food

Petco Automatic Feeder

Specifications:

  • Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 9.4 x 12.6 Inches
  • Product Weight: 90.4 Ounces
  • Lid: Removable
  • Compatibility: Android and IOS
  • Meal Setting: 1-12 Meals
  • Portion Setting: ⅛ – 4 Portions

petco

Feeding your pet in the distance without even lifting your finger is not a dream anymore! Imagine an automatic cat food dispenser that helps you schedule, adjust, and monitor your cat’s meals every day. By using a free PetSafe Feed App, you can schedule up to 12 meals per day and from ⅛ to 4 cups of portion. It’s even possible to control this pet automatic feeder with multiple smartphones. All you need to do is just download the application and start using it with your family members. This is especially useful for those, who have a busy schedule. 

Let us also mention the fact that you can control this device with Amazon Echo. Could it be any easier? Just ask Alexa to feed your cat. 

And the best feature! You don’t need to check how much food is left in the feeder in order to refill it, as the Petco Automatic Feeder has a low food sensor, which will send a notification to your phone whenever it's running low on kibble or is empty.

Reasons to BUY:

  • Lid, hopper, stainless steel bowl
  • Low food sensor
  • Free PetSafe Feed App
  • Can be used by multiple smartphones

Reasons to AVOID:

  • Only for dry food
  • Isn’t Waterproof

HoneyGuardian Automatic Cat Feeder

Specifications:

  • Product Dimensions: 7.68 x 7.09 x 11.81 Inches
  • Product Weight: 62.08 Ounces
  • Battery Life: 200 Days
  • Meal Setting: 1-6 Meals
  • Portion Setting: 1-24 Portions

honey guardian

The HoneyGuardian self feeder for cats is an ideal option for those, who have more than one pet. This device’s unique design ensures equal distribution of the food for both sides. Having a rubber seal between the lid and the container provides the freshness of the food preventing it from oxidizing and moisturing. The door for both sides is structured in a way that after the feeding is completed, it automatically closes and prevents ants and insects from entering.

With the HoneyGuardian, you can set up to 6 meals per day. The amount of portions varies from 1 to 24. The timed cat feeder has a long-lasting battery life, which alone can provide power for 200 days. Recharging is possible with both a USB power adapter and 3 alkaline D-size batteries.

Reasons to BUY:

  • Two Sides
  • Huge Amount of Portions
  • Powerful Battery

Reasons to AVOID:

  • No Remote Control

Catit PIXI Smart Feeder

Specifications:

  • Product Dimensions: 13.58 x 12.6 x 3.62 Inches
  • Product Weight: 42.4 Ounces
  • Control: App Control
  • Meal Setting: 1-6 Meals

catit

The Catit PIXI  Smart 6-Meal Feeder is the ultimate solution for busy pet owners. With six individual meal compartments, the Catit PIXI ensures that your cat receives precisely portioned meals at scheduled times, promoting a consistent feeding schedule and preventing overfeeding. The built-in LCD screen and intuitive control panel make it easy to program customized meal times and portion sizes, providing flexibility for your cat's dietary needs. Adding some freshness to the food is possible by putting ice packs under the food tray.

Designed with high-quality, easy-to-clean, and pet-safe materials, this automatic cat feeder is a real game-changer that offers durability and hygiene. The food tray is constructed in a way that it automatically stops rotating whenever it encounters resistance so that your cat’s paws are safe.

Reasons to BUY:

  • App Control
  • Designed both for dry and wet food
  • Preserves Food Freshness

Reasons to AVOID:

  • Ice packs don’t keep the food cold for long

Homerunpet Smart Automatic Cat Feeder

Specifications:

  • Product Dimensions: 7.28 x 12.91 x 13.89 Inches
  • Product Weight: 48 Ounces
  • Connectivity: Dual Bluetooth and WiFi
  • Meal Setting: 1-8 Meals
  • Portion Setting: 1-20 Portions

homerunpet

This microchip cat feeder suggests a smart feeding device that provides up to 8 meals and 20 portions a day. By downloading the Homerunpet App, you can track the feeding records and manage your pet’s diet. 225-hour feeding test proves that this automatic cat feeder is a reliable device. Turning on the power-saving mode, its battery life can last over 6 months. The device’s hermetically sealed environment preserves the freshness of the food. Complemented by the inclusion of a replaceable desiccant within the tank, this automatic cat feeder effectively safeguards pet food against staleness and ensures its delectable taste.

High food-grade 304 stainless steel pet bowl provides easy cleaning and rust-proof durability while ensuring an optimal feeding experience.

Reasons to BUY:

  • Homerunpet App
  • A large amount of meals and portions
  • Long-lasting Battery Life

Reasons to AVOID:

  • Pricey

Fhiny Gravity Cat Feeder

Specifications:

  • Product Dimensions: 0.6 x 10.6 x 9.6 Inches
  • Product Weight: 8 Ounces
  • Capacity: ½ gallon of dry food and ¼ gallon of water
  • Special Feature: Is both food and water dispenser

fhiny gravity cat feeder

Funny Gravity suggests a smart device that is not only a food provider but also an automatic water dispenser for cats. Made from PP plastic and stainless steel, this device is safe and suitable even for small pets. 

This auto cat feeder has a capacity of ½ gallon of dry food and ¼ gallon of water, which will last more than 10 days for a single cat. Fhiny Gravity has specifically constructed its visualization design so that you can view the remaining food and refill it when needed.

This automatic cat feeder has a special construction with a hollow baffle. It helps to keep pet hair away from the water, making it easier to clean and keeping the cat's drinking water clean. It also stops small pets from getting their mouth fur wet.

Reasons to BUY:

  • 2-in-1 cat self feeder
  • High Capacity
  • Removable
  • Durable

Reasons to AVOID:

  • No Remote Control

Surefeed Microchip Pet Feeder

Specifications:

  • Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 12.6 x 8.46 Inches
  • Product Weight: 51.52 Ounces
  • Connectivity: Sure Petcare App
  • Special Feature: Microchip Operated

surefeed

Surefeed Microchip Pet Feeder is an excellent option for those, whose pet has specific dietary needs. It helps you accurately weigh your cat’s food using the integrated scales. This also allows you to monitor the amount of food your pet eats. For example, if it eats less than usual, it might mean that your cat is ill.

After connecting the device to the Sure Petcare app, you can set the portion size in the app, and during the food-filling process, the LED lights will indicate when you reach the amount you’ve entered.

This automatic cat feeder’s outstanding feature is that it’s controlled by a microchip or RFID collar tag, preventing pets from taking each other's food. It uses your pet's unique ID to ensure they get their own meal.

Reasons to BUY:

  • Accurate weighing
  • LED light indicators

Reasons to AVOID:

  • Connecting to the App is possible only with the hub, which is sold separately 

iPettie Automatic WiFi Pet Feeder

Specifications:

  • Product Dimensions: 11.18 x 6.89 x 11.38 Inches
  • Product Weight: 115.9 Ounces
  • Meal Setting: 1-10 Meals
  • Portion Setting: 1-12 Portions

iPettie

Having two cats at home and thinking about how to feed them simultaneously is something iPettie has cared about. The team has designed an automatic cat feeder that can provide food for 2 pets. It has 2 separate bowls, and equally divides the food between them. By using their app, you can set up to 10 meals per day and 12 portions per meal, track the feeding records, and share the device with multiple smartphones.

Thanks to its triple-locking storage system, this automatic pet feeder keeps the food fresh and safe. Choose dry kibbles or freeze-dried food between 3-13 mm for the best result. The food tray is cleverly designed with a 7° tilt and raised elevation to ease your pet's neck strain during meals. It offers three adjustable heights to accommodate your pet's growth. 

The iPettie timed cat feeder can be powered using a 5V plug-in adapter or 3 D-cell alkaline batteries. The battery option serves as a backup power source. For continuous, extended use, we recommend using the adapter by plugging it into an electrical socket.

Reasons to BUY: 

  • Voice Recording
  • Smart App
  • Feeding Schedule

Reasons to AVOID:

  • Supports only 2.4GHz network
  • Is designed only for dry food

PetSafe Cat Feeder

Specifications:

  • Product Dimensions:  10.1 x 2.62 x 8.58 Inches
  • Product Weight: 16 Ounces
  • Special Feature: Portion Control, Timer

petsafe cat feeder

Who said that automatic cat feeders are always pricey? There are so many types that are high-quality, safe, and have smart features such as portion & meal control, and scheduling. Let’s introduce one of those products. PetSafe offers an automatic pet food dispenser at an affordable price. With it, you can schedule 2 meals. This device has 2 compartments specified for dry and semi-moist pet food. Each compartment holds one and a half cups of food.

What makes this automatic cat feeder special is its tamper-resistant lid, which is made to stop clever cats from using their paws to open the feeder lids before it's time for their meal.

Reasons to BUY:

  • Affordable
  • Tamper-resistant lid
  • Designed for dry and semi-moist pet food

Reasons to AVOID:

  • Poor design
  • Food is spread at the corners of compartments and makes it difficult to eat

SHANDII Automatic Cat Feeder

Specifications:

  • Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.5 x 12 Inches
  • Product Weight: 72.96 Ounces
  • Meal Setting: 1-4 Meals
  • Portion Setting: 1-9 Portions
  • Special Feature: Voice Recording

shandii

The SHANDII Automatic Cat Feeder is a revolutionary addition to your pet care routine, designed to simplify your life while ensuring the well-being of your furry companion. With a programmable timer, you can easily schedule up to four meals a day, ensuring that your cat receives precise and regular feeding, whether you're at home or away. The large food storage capacity of up to 3.5 liters accommodates ample dry or semi-moist cat food, reducing the need for constant refilling.

What sets the SHANDII feeder apart is the innovative button-lock mechanism, which prevents clever kitties from tampering with their meals ahead of time. It is easy to disassemble and clean, maintaining optimal hygiene for your cat's meals.

  • Portion Control
  • Timer
  • Voice Recording

Reasons to AVOID:

  • Doesn’t always feed the same amount

Reddit Summary

Discussing the best cat feeders, lots of Reddit users want feeders that are reliable, programmable, and have features like battery backup. They prefer feeders that offer both plug-in and battery power options to ensure continuous operation. Many users appreciate the portion control feature of automatic feeders. It allows them to regulate their cat's food intake, which can be challenging with manual feeding. People also discuss setting their cat's feeding schedule, transitioning from free feeding to a structured feeding routine, and experimenting with the number of daily meals to suit their cats' preferences and dietary needs.

FAQ

What types of food can I use with the automatic cat feeder?

Depending on the type of the automatic cat feeder, the types of food may vary. There are some devices that accept only dry food. The other ones may also accept semi-moist or wet food, too.

How often can I program the automatic cat feeder to dispense food?

There are some automatic cat feeders, that can dispense food only twice. But you can also find devices that can dispense up to 12 times.

Can I set portion sizes for each meal?

Yes, many automatic cat feeders allow you to set portion sizes for each meal. These feeders typically come with programmable settings that let you customize the amount of food dispensed at specific times.

Conclusion

An automatic cat feeder is a device that’ll make your and your little companion’s life more convenient. You can monitor the feeding results, schedule the timing, meals, and portions. There are even devices that suggest voice recording or camera integration, which will help you to keep in touch with your furry friend. 

Before making a purchase, it’s important to gather information about the auto cat feeder and understand its features such as app integration, Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity, battery life, and durability. It costs lots of effort to find the best automatic cat feeder, but it’s worth it, as it’ll make your life better to enjoy.