The 17 Best Automatic Cat Feeders 2021 [Set It & Forget It!]

a woman feeding her cat wishing she had one of the best automatic cat feeders

If you're looking for a way to feed your cat automatically then you've come to the right place.  An auto feeder can help ensure your cat doesn't go hungry for any reason: work, waking you up early, keeping you up late, etc.

So pop open the quick guide below and find the best automatic cat feeders of 2018. You'll find ones dedicated to helping your cat eat more slowly and ones dedicated to feeding your kitty if you're simply away at work.


The Best Automatic Cat Feeders


#1 WOpet 7L Automatic Cat Feeder

an cat feeder that is a tall and white rectangle

WOpet brings one of the best auto feeders available to the market. Not only does it come with tons of amazing features that every cat owner will love, but it also comes with a boatload of rave reviews from owners (beyond myself).

If you purchase this automatic feeder you will not regret it one bit. If anything you'll relish in the additional sleep you get or the confidence you have that your feline friend has a full tummy while you're away! 

Key features worth noting on this model are:

  • You can schedule up to 4 automated feedings per day using the built-in programmable time
  • Program each meal time with a few button clicks on an easy to use LCD screen
  • Features a built in microphone and speaker so you can record a custom message for fluffy
  • Control food portions from 2 teaspoons to 4.5 cups per feeding
  • The tray is removable and dishwasher safe for easy disinfecting
  • Runs primarily on a wall powered plug, but can operate on three D batteries too
"I really can't recommend this highly enough. It gives me peace of mind when I get stuck at work late!"
"I got him this because I can't always be home at mealtimes due to work. This feeder allows me to give him a specific amount of food at set times of day."

A few things you may want to consider before purchasing:

  • This model is only good for dry food, you can't use it for wet food.

#2 SureFeed Microchip Cat Feeder

the surefeed automatic pet feeder

This is by far one of my favorite products I've ever purchased for my cats. The primary reason I needed it was because one of my cats steals my other cat's food. The SureFeed Mircochip feeder allows my little Beast to graze all day while keeping Lexi's roving jaws away from her food.

The claim to fame on this feeder, and it does work without fail, is that you can link your cat's Microchip to the feeder and it'll open up only for that cat. Pretty darn cool and helps minimize food thieving! A few other things worth noting:

  • Works great for both wet or dry food, the seal keeps wet food fresh for a few hours
  • Extremely easy to setup and link your cat's microchip to the feeder, stores up to 30 chips
  • If your cat doesn't have a chip it comes with a chip that can be attached to your cat's collar
  • The lid has various settings to open/close so you can quickly train your cat to use it
  • Runs on 4 C batteries and the battery life has been well over 6 months in my experience
  • Super easy to load and to clean, comes with two dishwasher safe bowls
"The SureFeed feeder has eliminated our cat's food anxiety and restored our sanity! And it helps stop my other cat from stealing his food so they can both stop gaining weight."

This model is designed primarily to limit access to food, so definitely consider the following:

  • There is no portion control or timed release schedule on this model

#3 Westlink 6L Automatic Feeder

a white, tall rectangular feeder for cats with brown trim and a button panel on the front

If you're looking to keep your cat healthy and happy then you want to make sure he or she gets the right amount of food at the right time. This can be difficult to do if you're busy at work all day or if your cat likes meals at inopportune times.

Getting the Westlink Auto Feeder is a great way to keep your cat happy which will help keep you happy! Key features worth noting on this model are:

  • Program it to dispense up to 4 meals a day on the easy to use screen
  • ​Each meal dispense from 1-39 Portions, Each Portion is around 10-12g
  • Built in infrared detection which can prevent food waste by detecting food in the bowl
  • Runs on a USB cord or on 3 D batteries in case you want it where there's no plug
  • You can record a full 10 second message to play each time food is dispensed
"I've had about 5 different auto feeders in the past 10 years and this one is by far the easiest to set up, tune, clean, fill, power, and travel with.

A few things you may want to consider before purchasing:

  • This model is made only to dispense dry cat food
  • Maximum food size is .39" x .39" otherwise it will jam (this is huge for cats anyway)

#4 Petutor 6L Cat Food Dispenser

a blue and white automatic cat food dispenser

This model is going to have a lot of similarities to the Westlink model that is listed above. The key distinction between the two of them is really in the color combination available. Beyond that there's not a ton of difference.

If you're looking for a way to keep your cat's tummy full so they get the right level of nutrition then this is a great option! Key things you'll want to consider on this model:

  • It has a total capacity of 6 liters of food which is plenty for a long time between refills
  • It can dispense between 1 and 39 portions each time and a portion is about 10-12 grams of food
  • You can set 4 different meals at different times of the day and each can be turned on or off
  • You can record your voice to play each time food is dispensed for your kitty
  • An infrared sensor is built in to help minimize food getting stuck in the dispenser chute
  • It runs on a USB cord or on 3D batteries in case of a power outage

A few things you may want to consider:

  • You cannot load wet food into this dispenser

#5 Petnet 2nd Gen Smart Feeder

a black futuristic looking auto feeding machine for a cat

If you're looking for a feeder that will help you make decisions then this is the model for you. Petnet's app is definitely a cut above the rest. It'll give you recommendations on portions for your cat based on a quick survey.

It'll also let you know when it is running low on food and needs a refill. Are we getting close to sentient cat feeders? It appears so! It is even smart enough to recharge itself and run for 2 full days without power! A few other items worth noting:

  • Compatible phone app for iOS and Android to make programming and feeding easy
  • The Petnet App will recommend personalized meal portions based on pet breed/age/weight/activity (you should verify with your vet)
  • Petnet will notify you when your pet has been fed and when it needs a refill
  • The bowl is 100% dishwasher safe to help keep your kitty happy and healthy
  • Plugs into the wall and has a built-in rechargeable backup battery with 2 days of battery life
  • Purchase includes free trial of Petnet Smart Delivery: Food delivered to your door just in time to keep it fresh for your cat

A few things you may want to consider:

  • It isn't recommended for multiple pets, it is designed for a single cat
  • Requires a 2.4 GHz modem (b/g/n band) in order to operate (note most home modems are fine)

#6 Arf Pets Dry Food Dispenser

a white automatic feeder for cats with a locking lid

If you're looking to keep reaching paws out of your automatic cat food dispenser then this is a great option for you. Not only will they not be able to reach up from the bottom, but the top has a magnetic locking lid too!

If you've got one of those crafty kitties that has found their way into other feeders then this might be the right fit for you! A couple of other things that you should know about this model:

  • You can set 4 meals a day and each meal can have 1-10 portions (a portion is 24 ml)
  • It has a capacity of about 4.3 liters
  • It has a magnetic locking lid to keep searching paws out of the food reservoir
  • The LCD lights up blue and features a clock & display with super easy settings
  • It runs on 3 D Batteries or a regular power cable to an outlet
  • You can use the built in mic and speaker to record 10 second meal calls
"Every aspect of this feeder has proven to be above and beyond my expectations!"

​One thing you may want to consider before making a purchase:

  • Large sized kibble doesn't seem to work well with this model and may jam it

#7 Iseebiz Automatic Cat Feeder

a modern looking cat food dispenser

Looking for something a bit more modern? Tired of very functional square and rectangular shaped feeders? Then check out this awesome feeder from Iseebiz!

It has a ton of the great features other models have, but it certainly looks a heck of a lot cooler! Let's dig into the key items worth noting:

  • Features 4 meal settings per day with 1-39 portions per meal, a portion is 10-12 grams
  • The total capacity is about 3 liters so you've got lots of space for a long period of time
  • There's an infrared detector built in to minimize jamming in the food chute
  • It is made of completely BPA free plastic
  • Meal calls can be recorded and played at the time of feeding
  • Uses a standard USB power supply or 3 D batteries in case of a power outage
"My cat can't break into this thing, it is like the Fort Knox of cat food!!!!"

​You'll want to consider the following before you push that buy button:

  • It can be difficult to open the top of this model to refill the food unless you have large hands

#8 HoneyGuardian 6 Meal Cat Feeder

an auto feeder for cats that looks like an astronaut helmet

If you're looking for one of the most versatile feeders on the market then Honey Guardian absolutely has you covered. You can choose from a huge variety of portion sizes on this model and you get a total of 6 meals a day instead of the traditional 4 meals a day most feeders provide.

A couple of key things any buyer would want to know and a full video review are below:

  • It allows for 6 meals to be programmed each day, more than the normal 4 you get
  • The storage container holds a total of about 2.8 liters of food
  • You can record meal time calls for your kitty and it has infrared anti jamming technology
  • It will run on both USB power as well as 3 D batteries in case the power goes out
"With this feeder, it's impossible for Winston to finagle more food like he used to. He sticks his little paws up there, body slams it, and meows, but not so much as a single kibble pops out. Then he leaves disappointed. The machine is boss."

#9 Petsafe Slow Mode Feeder

a large capacity black automatic cat food dispenser

If you need the ability to drop numerous meals or slow meals then you've come to the right place. Maybe you have numerous cats or you you've got a cat that is prone to getting sick if they eat too fast. 

Whatever reason you might have, this model gives you the ability to do 12 programmed meals a day. A few other major items wroth noting:

  • The biggest selling point is the capacity to program in 12 meals a day
  • Each meal can be from 1/8th of a cup up to 4 cups and it has a 24 cup capacity
  • Slow Feed mode dispenses food over 15 minutes to prevent bloat and vomiting
  • Uses an innovative conveyor that dispenses most dry and semi-moist foods
  • It can run on either battery power (4 Ds) or on a conventional power plug

​One thing you'll want to keep in mind before purchase is:

  • The power adapter is not included and is kind of ridiculous price wise

#10 Pet Safe Smart WiFi Feeder

If you're tech savvy and you're looking for a kick butt smart feeder for your cats then this is a great option to consider! Fully accessible on either iOS or on Android by mobile app and you can program it right from your phone!

It also has a lot of the options available from the Pet Safe premier slow feeder in this article. Key features worth noting on this model are:

  • Fully compatible iOS and Android app to make programming and feeding easy
  • You've got the ability to program up 12 meals a day and use the 'feed now' option for one offs
  • Meals can range from 1/8th of a cup all the way up to 4 full cups if you have multiple cats
  • There's a total capacity of 24 cups of food in the reservoir
  • Slow Feed uses a unique conveyor belt to drop food over 15 preventing bloating and vomiting
  • It can run on either 4 D batteries (not included) or on a conventional power plug (included)
  • Locking lid and a stainless steel bowl for additional safety for your cat
  • There is a food chute splitter available from a 3rd party to dump the food in multiple bowls

​One key item worth noting before you make your purchase:

  • Requires a 2.4 GHz modem (b/g/n band) in order to operate (note most home modems are fine)

#11 PetSafe 6 Meal Carousel Feeder

If you're looking for an option that is very unlikely to jam or run into food locking issues then this is a great option. This model doesn't use an augur to dispense food out of the reservoir, instead you preset the portions yourself and it simply drops them down the open chute.

Each time a new meal is programmed to drop the carousel inside turns and then immediately opens. This ensures that prying paws can't access the next meal. A few other things worth noting:

  • This model allows for up to 6 meals to be programmed: 1 a day, 2 a day, etc.
  • Each meal can have up to 1 full cup of dry or semi moist food in it
  • It requires 4 D alkaline batteries which have an estimated battery life of 9 months
  • Both the bowl and the food tray are removable and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning
  • Also features a feed now button to easily deploy the next meal immediately
  • The built-in digital clock and LCD display makes setting up meals a breeze
"This automatic feeder has virtually eliminated our cat's food anxiety and restored our sanity!"

​One key item worth noting on this model before you move forward:

  • There is no plug available to power this feeder so you'll always depend on batteries

#12 Cat Mate Wet/Dry Auto Feeder

a feeder shaped like a large disc with 5 rotating trays

If you're looking for an auto feeder that can support wet food then you've come to the right place. The Cat mate C500 is specifically designed to accommodate both wet and dry food. Most feeders are only good for dry food so this is a huge win!

This model works by prepping the meals in advance and then sealing the top over the tray. The tray rotates inside and makes each new meal available at the programmed time. A few other items worth noting:

  • There are a total of 5 food compartments that each hold up to 11.5 oz of wet food
  • A simple LED display makes it easy to program all 5 meals and shows all 5 times
  • Both the bowl and the lid are super easy to remove and are dishwasher safe
  • Twin reusable ice packs are included and help keep the wet food safe and fresh
  • The digital timer is operated by 3 AA batteries with a battery life of about a year
  • Can be easily secured to a wooden board for additional stability to stop prying paws
"My food obsessed fur ball has yet to break into it, quite a feat!!"

A few things you may want to consider:

  • Buying the Cat Mate ice packs is expensive, opt for an alternative after you measure them
  • There is no plug available to power this feeder so you'll always depend on batteries

#13 Crown Feeder & Water Dispenser

a black spaceship shuttle looking automatic feeder for cats and a water dispenser side by side

Looking for a combination feeder and water dispenser that match and look great together? You've found the right fit right here. Crown's Platinum feeder and side by side water dispenser kill two birds with one stone.

They provide a great automatic feeder with 4 programmable meals a day and they keep a constant supply of water available too. 

  • You can schedule up to 4 different feeding times per day with portions ranging from 1/8th of a cup up to a full cup of dry cat food
  • Has a huge 4.4 pound reservoir to hold dry cat food
  • You can record 12 second meal calls with your feeder to let your kitty know it is coming
  • Can be either plugged in or powered by 4 AA batteries
  • It includes a detachable water drinking bowl and hopper extension
  • It comes with a stainless steel bowl that is both removable and of course dishwasher safe
"Perfect for a con artist like my kitty that tries to beg her way into extra meals multiple times a day!"

​It is worth considering the following if you're ​thinking of this one specifically for the water reservoir:


#14 Sailnovo Food & H20 Combo

a combination water and food dispenser for cats

Designed to put both water and food in the same station, this option gives you both a gravity driven water dispenser and a set of 4 rotating food trays. This option is on the low profile side compared to some of the other larger feeders out there.

A few other things worth noting ​to prospective buyers:

  • You can program up to 4 meals per day (wet or dry) with the easy to use LCD screen
  • Dual button unlocking ensures that your pet won't be able to change the settings
  • It features a gravity driven water dispenser built into the top which helps stop pets from tipping it
  • Features meal calls so you can record your voice each time a new meal is exposed
  • The rotating food tray is powered by 3 D batteries and has an anti slip base
"It is a trustworthy auto feeder and it does the job as well as any robot could be expected to!!"

One thing you may want to consider before purchasing this option:

  • There is no plug available to power this feeder so you'll always depend on batteries

#15 5 Meal Disc Feeder (Dry and Wet)

a disc shaped feeder with 5 compartments for cat food

A great option among low to the ground disc shaped feeders, this model by Tydynasty Design gives you the option to go with a total of 5 meals of wet or dry food. This is a great option if you have a cat that only goes for wet food.

A couple of other key items worth noting on this model:

  • The meal compartments rotate open at the desired time, there are 5 slots at 240 ml each
  • You can set up to 4 designated meal times (one slot is always open) 
  • Meal calls can be recorded and replayed up to 3 times each time a meal is rotated
  • It runs on either a wall plug or on 4 C batteries in case of an outage
  • Has a built in locking mechanism to keep curious pets out of additional food slots
  • It is made completely of BPA free plastic so it is safe around your kitty

​One key item worth considering for this disc feeder is:

  • There is no ice pack in this model, you can use it for wet food but not over long periods

#16 Petsafe 5 Meal Disc Feeder

a disc feeder with 5 slots

Petsafe has been in the industry for over 28 years now and they still continue to develop high quality products that help pet owners take better care of their animals. The Petsafe 5 Meal auto feeder is no exception.

This is a great rotating disc style feeder that will ensure your cat gets the food she needs when you're not home. A few key features worth noting:

  • The LCD display makes setting meals a breeze with easy to use buttons.
  • Each of the 5 slots holds up to a full cup of food: dry or semi wet food recommended
  • You can use full on wet food and use a spare tray to hold ice and keep it cool
  • Removable tray carousel is dishwasher safe for convenient cleaning
  • Has a suspend feeding button to maintain the schedule while you temporarily stop it
  • It runs on 4 D batteries
  • It is made of BPA-free plastic so it is safe for your feline friend
"Best product I bought in decades and my cat loves it!"

​Keep this in mind before pushing the purchase button:

  • There is no plug available to power this feeder so you'll always depend on batteries

#17 Antblocker Auto Cat Feeder

***Update as of 12/29/18*** - This product is no longer available.

If you're looking for a high tech version of an automatic cat feeder then this is definitely one you should consider. Not only does it have an app that let's you control feedings, but it also has a built in camera.

You can login whenever and feed your kitty and keep an eye on them while they eat too! Added bonus for you tech savvy folks that can't live without seeing your cat for a day. There are a couple things worth noting noting on this model:

  • Comes with a mobile app (Android and iOS compatible) to setup your feeding schedules or to manually feed your cat
  • There's built in audio and video so you can both see and talk to your cat while they eat
  • The locking lid helps keep food fresh and secure for an extended period of time
  • Each meal can be up to 10 portions and a portion is about 10 grams
  • It has a solid capacity at 4.5 liters and lets multiple family members login to feed your cat
  • Even if the feeder can't connect to the WiFi it will continue to feed on the set schedule 

A few things you may want to consider:

  • There is no battery backup for this model in case of a power outage
  • You'll need a router with a 2.4 GHz channel to use this model, be sure to check your router first

Additional Information


Why Would I Want An Auto Feeder?

There are lots of ​reasons people consider an automatic cat food dispenser in their home, but the most common reasons can be broken into a couple of key categories.

Sanity

Lots of cats are prone to wake their human companions up at all hours of the evening or morning meowing for food.  Auto feeders can help handle this issue quite easily by automatically releasing food for your kitty at any programmed time.

Note many cats make noise at night and people assume they want food. This activity is often because the cats don't get enough exercise during the day and they aren't tired so they don't go to sleep. Be sure your kitty is getting enough exercise!

Preventing Vomiting: 

Lots of cats have issues with eating very quickly and then getting sick even more quickly.  This if often driven by food anxiety. There are lots of different ways to deal with this, but an automatic feeder with a slow feeding function or with small portion control makes helps extensively.

If your cat cannot eat too much too fast then her stomach is unlikely to react poorly. Lots of small portions ensures your cat won't get sick all over the house!

an airplane flying

Short Term Travel & Long Working Hours 

If you travel often or perhaps work long hours then an automatic feeder can help relieve some of the stress of ensuring your feline friends get fed even if you're not around.  "Just set it and forget it." as the old saying goes.

Many feeders are also have tons of features that ensure you can login and see your cat and even talk to your cat through the built in speaker. It helps give you a touch of home while you're away which is always nice!

I myself travel extensively for work (usually on 24 hour trips) and it is always nice to be able to quickly login and see Beast or Lexi for a moment and watch them eat their dinner or their breakfast.

It is also nice when I get stuck at the office late because I don't need to worry about them waiting an extra few hours for me to get home and give them their dinner.

General Health & Medications 

Eating huge meals has proven to be just as poor for cat health as it is for human health. Eating smaller meals in more spread out periods throughout the day helps promote better health for your cat. At the least it encourages your cat to walk back to the feeder each time which is some exercise.

On top of this some cats, like diabetic cats, need to have meals at very consistent times to properly maintain blood sugar levels. You'll also find many cats that simply require daily medication can have it deployed in one of these auto feeders.

Simply put the treat and the medicine in one of the rotating disc type feeders and set the timer and your kitty will have their medicine right on time! This of course assumes your kitty will eat their medicine!


What Types of Features Are There?

Portion Control Options 

This option is available to control both the overall amount of food your cat eats as well as how much food is consumed at any one time.  This is important for keeping a limit on overall calorie intake and also ensures your cat won't end up vomiting if they eat too quickly.

Meal Programming Options

Depending on the design of your feeder this usually ranges from allowing 4 meals up a day up to 12 meals a day. This helps keep your cat's diet in check by controlling the total number of calories your cat eats and how often he or she eats.

There are some other feeders that will do as few as 2 meals or even 1 automated meal, but I didn't include any of these in my list for various reasons.

Dispensing Technology

This is one of the most important pieces of selection criteria because it will depend heavily on your cat's eating habits. There are a couple of main dispensing methods:

Disc Feeders: These have a tray that rotates for each feeding period. Food is prepared in advance and you can provide variability for your cat quite easily.

Pros of Disc Feeders:

  • Very simple in design and in use
  • Not prone to jamming like augur based feeders
  • Can be used with dry, semi moist and sometimes even moist food

Cons of Disc Feeders:

  • The most meals I've seen a disc feeder allow is 6
  • They don't have a reservoir so they usually require daily attention
  • Usually don't have any App based or internet capabilities

Reservoir Augur Feeders: These feeders have a large reservoir built into the top of them and they release a specific amount of food for each meal. The usually use an augur to do this. Food sits above and the augur turns to spin dry kibble out into the bowl.

Pros of Reservoir Augur Feeders:

  • Allow for a large number of meals to be programmed
  • Built in portion control capabilities 
  • Often more technically savvy: WiFi enabled, apps, webcam, etc.
  • Often allow for an immediate feeding button even when away

Cons of Reservoir Augur Feeders:

  • The augur can sometimes jam when food calls in it at a poor angle
  • Your cat will get the same food all the time, you can't mix dry and semi moist and wet

Reservoir Conveyor Feeders: These are less common, but they are unique in design in purpose. They are specifically designed to minimize bloating/vomiting in cats with food anxiety. They have a reservoir, but instead of using an augur they use a conveyor belt that can move at an incredibly slow rate to drop food out over a 15 minute period of time.

Pros of Reservoir Conveyor Feeders:

  • Slow motion food deployment to minimize bloating and vomiting
  • Otherwise same as reservoir augur feeders

Cons of Reservoir Conveyor Feeders:

  • Same as reservoir augur feeders

Meal Calls

This option allows you to record a message that plays each time a new meal is deposited into the bowl or rotated into the available eating slow. The purpose is to make your cat feel like you are feeding her even when you're not around.

It is also somewhat of an alert to let your cat know the food is out, but most cats know by the sound of the feeder after a few days. In fact, many of them learn the time that feeder drops food and they'll be there waiting for it before it even drops.

Cat Specific Access Control 

This is not a common feature, but it is definitely an important feature if you are trying to limit which cat has access to which food. The SureFeed Microchip feeder is the only feeder I know that has this capability.

It basically ensures that only a cat with a specific microchip can get into the feeder. This is essential when you have cats that are food thieves or when you simply want to feed one cat more than another cat.

Note that the SureFeed microchip feeder is not designed to stop a determined and aggressive cat or dog. It does a solid job of resisting being opened, but an aggressive animal can pry it open (and potentially damage it in the process) so be sure to keep an eye on it the first few times you use it.

Food/Water Combinations

This option basically combines a gravity driven water bowl with the food dispenser. It is simply intended to combine everything in one place for simplicity both in purchase and daily use. 

Note that research shows that cats are far more prone to drink running water from a fountain than they are to drink still water. This is assumed to be driven by instincts that tell cats still water is more likely to have diseases or parasites lurking in it.

Backup Battery Operation 

Most feeders function by being plugged into a standard wall outlet, but there are some that are completely battery driven too. Those that are plugged in often have a battery backup system in case the power goes out while you're away.

You can also use the batteries by default and put the feeder in a place that doesn't have a plug. Most feeders are low power consumption so the batteries will last for months.

Ice Packs / Cooling Tech

Some of the disc based feeders listed here will allow you to insert ice packs inside them to keep wet food cold. This is a huge benefit in keeping wet food fresh and will ensure it doesn't spoil throughout the day.  

It is important to note though that the air seal is probably the most important piece of keeping wet food fresh throughout the day. Usually air flow causes it to dry out and become stale and hard. Ice helps, but it won't solve the problem completely.


Which is Right For My Cat(s) and I?

Choosing the right feeder can be a bit of a complicated process because of the sheer number of options available on the market.  I recommend reviewing the features above in detail and determining which are important to you and your cats.

This should give you a good idea of the general type of feeder you'll need. But here's a quick example that might help. Let's suppose I'm in this situation:

  • I'm single and I have 2 adult cats and I work long hours
  • Once in a while I make overnight trips for work
  • My cats are both grazers and only eat when they are hungry
  • My cats like both wet and dry food

In this situation I'd likely go for a disc type feeder that allows for the insertion of ice packs. Then I would rotate both dry and wet food into the slots depending on my daily schedule.

Go through a similar process with your own cat(s) and you'll quickly identify the right type of feeder for you and your family. The rest of the features are mostly just additional benefits!


How Dependable Are They?

Auto feeders are growing more and more dependable by the day. Many of the feeders are now starting to feature tons of alerts and notifications if they encounter any sort of problem. These can be sent directly to your phone to let you know there's an issue you need to resolve. 

If you plan to depend on your feeder for any extended period of time I'd highly recommend buying it far in advance of any vacation or trip and testing it for several days first. Not only will this ensure you programmed it properly, but it'll ensure you didn't get a defective one shipped to you.

My personal opinion is that you should still have someone look in on your cats if you plan to leave for any long period of time. This ensures your kitty won't end up with a jammed feeder or a power surge blowing the feeder's circuits.


Can They Substitute for a Cat Sitter?

The resounding answer is absolutely not.  You should not expect an automatic feeder to do the job of a cat sitter. This is true no matter how many electronic gadgets you have around for your cat.  

We have lots of fun stuff in our house that is WiFi enabled and app enabled, but an automatic feeder doesn't do much beyond drop food in a bowl on a consistent basis and perhaps play a little recording of your voice.

Even if you go a step further and buy a webcam enabled version your cat likely doesn't really understand what is happening and where you are. Mostly they start to associate sound from the feeder with food coming from the feeder.

Automatic feeders are awesome for peace of mind when you're not available or when you're gone for a short period of time. 

But! And it is a big but! Your cat will still want interaction and attention if you leave the house for any extended period of time. On top of this you'll typically want the safety and security of knowing someone is going to check on your cat in case of a power outage or an emergency of some sort.

My personal opinion is that if you're leaving for more than 36 hours you should have someone stop in and check on your cat(s) whether they have an automated feeder or not. 

Check out my article full of tips from pro cat sitters to ensure you have a positive experience with yours.


What About the PawBot?

If you've heard of the PawBot and you're wondering why I don't have it listed then read on. If you're not familiar read on anyway for some news and a cool robot!

What is PawBot? It is basically a really cool robot that you can load full cans of wet food into for automatic feeding. PawBot will open the cans of food and deposit them in a bowl. It is pretty darn cool. You can check out the video below.

Why Isn't It Listed? The short answer is because it is currently unavailable. It is undergoing redesign to ensure that the costs come down to a price point that is more accessible by your typical cat owner!

When Will It Be Available? Unfortunately I don't know, but you can checkout the PawBot website and join their wait list to be updated immediately.


Wrap Up on the Best Automatic Cat Feeders

There are a boatload of automatic cat feeders out there and finding what you're looking for can be quite the endeavor. Even more so if you have unique requirements like locking specific pets out of the feeder.

The counter to this is that there are also a boatload of great feeders out there that will meet almost any need! This means you're almost certain to find one that fits you and your cat(s) perfectly.

If you've got a feeder or food dispenser that you use for your cat and I don't have it on the list then please let me know. I want to ensure when people find this page they find the best automatic cat feeders available.

Please leave a comment below if you have any experience to share or questions about these feeders.

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References: WOpet, PetSafe, SureFeed, HoneyGuardian, ArfPets

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    Craig

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