Getting an automatic cat feeder for your pet is a challenge; to go through so many reviews can be overwhelming, so I had to create a comparison chart to facilitate this task. Here you will find the most important criteria when it comes to choosing a good automatic pet feeder for your cat or dog. These criteria are based on the most common problems that customers encounter when buying a unit without knowing all the specifications before making the purchase.
The things to pay attention when choosing a dry food automatic pet feeder are not the same than a feeder that will dispense wet food or mix diet due to their different mechanisms. Here you will see two types:
√ Best 8 automatic cat feeders dry food comparison
√ Best 7 dish-shaped or flip-lid automatic cat feeders wet food or mix diet
Let’s start with dry food feeders and if you already want to see the best options, we picked the top 3 for you:
| PETSAFE SIMPLY FEED | CSF-3 SUPER FEEDER | PET FEEDSTER |
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| #1 | #2 | #3 |
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| Rating: 4.4 stars | Rating: 4.3 stars | Rating: 4.2 stars |
| Check Price | Check Price in Amazon | Check Price in Amazon |
| Slow dispensing option | No Slow dispensing option | No Slow dispensing option |
| Most Parts Removable | Fully assemblable | Most Parts Removable |
| Backup power source | No backup power source | Backup power source |
| Pause Feed option | No Pause Feed option | No Pause Feed option |
| 24-hr Timer | 7-day digital timer | 24-hr Timer |
| Very Good Accuracy | Fair Accuracy | Good Accuracy |
| Cat Proof | Cat Proof | Cat proof |
| Go to Review | Go to Review | Go to Review |
Do you still want to see more options? no worries! check here the top 8:
BEST 8 RATED AUTOMATIC CAT FEEDERS WITH HOPPER FOR DRY FOOD – NEW RATING UPDATED 2018
SUITABLE FOR: Cats Eating Dry Food (Click on the feeder’s link to see a FULL REVIEW)
| ITEMS | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 |
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| Petsafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed- Full Review
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CSF-3 Cat Super Feeder Digital Timer – Full Review
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Pet Feedster USA PF-10 CAT – Full Review
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GemPet PF-103 SmartFeeder Review
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Lusmo Automatic Pet Feeder – Full Review
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Cat Mate C3000 – Full Review
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Petnet SmartFeeder – Full Review
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Crown Majestic (Diamond Series V 3) Automatic Feeder Review
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| STARS RATING * | ||||||||
| Overall Rating | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| GENERAL | ||||||||
| Dimension (LxWxH) | 13.3” x 10.3” x 15.8” | 11 x 10 x 15 | 13.75 x 15 x 17 | 9.8”L x 7.5”W x 15”H | 14.2” x 8.9” x 13.4” | 8.3 x 8.3 x 14.5 | 15.32”x 8.70” x 15.32” | — |
| Item Weight | 6.5 lbs | 9 lbs | 10 lbs | 4.7 lbs | 3.3 lbs | 2 lbs | 7 lbs | 3.8 lbs |
| Total Capacity | 24 cups | 4.75 cups | 10 lbs | 4 lbs. | 2.2 lbs (approx) | 6.5 lbs | 5-7 lbs | 4.4 lbs |
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| Timer | Digital timer | Digital Timer | Digital Timer | WiFi | LCD Timer | LCD timer | Digital Timer | LCD timer |
| PROGRAMMING FEATURES | ||||||||
| Meals p/Day | 1 up to 12 | 1 up to 8 times (**) | 1 up to 5 times | 1 up to 4 | 1 up to 3 times | 1 up to 3 times | Limited to hopper capacity | 1 up to 4 times at default intervals |
| Amount p/Serving | 1/8-cup up to 4 cups | From few kibbles to several cups | From 1 teaspoon to 6 cups | 2 Tbsp up to 1 cup | From 0.5 Oz up to 1 cup | From 2 teaspoons to cups | 0.5 Oz to 0.52 lbs | From 1/4 cup to 2 cups |
| FOOD AND SIZES | ||||||||
| Suitable Kibble
Suitable Kibble: Suitable kibble to get the best accuracy in the amount of food dispensed
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Most of kibble sizes | 1/4″ rounded kibble | Adjustable to the kibble size | 0.2-0.59 inch | Kibble no bigger than 0.6” | 5/8″ kibble | 1/8″ – 5/8″. It works best with round kibble | Adjustable to the kibble size. |
| POWER SOURCE AND BACKUP SETTINGS | ||||||||
| Power Source | 4 D-cell alkaline batteries | AC/DC Adapter | AC/DC Adapter or/and 6xD batteries | AC Adapter or 3 D size batteries | 4 D-cell alkaline batteries | 4 C batteries | AC/DC Adapter | 4 AA batteries and/or AC adapter |
| Backup Power
Backup Power: It refers to the ability to run on AC adapter and batteries at the same time to ensure the unit will operate during power outage or dead batteries.
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| It Operates During Power Outage | YES, battery operated | NO (see note 5) | YES, up to months | Only if using batteries | YES, battery operated | YES, battery operated | YES, up to 7 hours | YES, if battery-backed |
| Programming Saved if Power Outage | YES, battery operated | YES | YES (clock w/ backup batteries) | Yes | YES, battery operated | YES, battery operated | YES | YES, if battery-backed |
| Setup Saved Battery Change
Setup Saved Battery Change: It applies to the feeders that work with batteries as main power source and without backup power.
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NO | N/A | YES, except clock | Yes | NO | YES, changing batteries within 1 min | N/A | NO |
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| OTHER FEATURES | ||||||||
| Voice Recorder | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | NO | NO | YES |
| Suitable w/Automation System | |
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Yes, Wi-Fi feeder | |
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Controlled by Smartphone | |
| Multi-pet Programmable | |
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| WARRANTY *** | ||||||||
| Duration | One Year Non-Transferrable Limited Warranty | 1 year. Timers and adapters 90 days | 1 Year | — | One year | 3 years | 2-year limited | — |
| CHECK FULL REVIEW | ||||||||
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¹This feeder has more sizes and capacities. ² Meal size is determined by daily allowance and number of meals by day. The minimum portion (1 tablespoon) can’t be programmed by size (this is a gravity type feeder) but by how long the doors will stay opened.³ Kibble suitable for Ergo Medium size feeder. (4) You cannot operate this feeder with battery and AC adapter simultaneously. If using AC adapter and a power outage occurs, the feeder won’t retain the programming and it won’t dispense food. (5) Super Feeder and Ergo Pet feeder won’t dispense food during a power outage but they will start dispensing normally according to the scheduled meals as soon as the power is restored. (*) Ratings are based on customer reviews for verified purchases and amount of verified reviews (**) If used with the analog timer it can be adapted to dispense up to 48 cycles per day, by moving the internal electronic jumper to reduce the reset time. (***) Check more details of warranty policy with the manufacturer or distributor.
BEST AUTO CAT FEEDERS: SUMMARY OF MAIN ASPECTS
#1 PETSAFE HEALTHY PET SIMPLY FEED | Rating: 4.4 stars
The Best: The feature that allows you to program the feeder to dispense a meal in small bits at a time dispensing the full meal in a period of 15 minutes so your cat won’t inhale the food at once. This is an excellent feature for cats that eat too fast and then vomit. The feeder has the ability to work with batteries and AC adapter in conjunction, so the settings won’t be lost in case of power outages.
The Worst: Tricky to program and the bowl is too deep for a cat. The minimum dispensing (1/8-cup) can’t be programmed in Slow-Feed Mode.
Ideal Cat Type: A cat that inhales food (if you program 2 portions each mealtime)
Ideal Cat owner: Somebody handy at programming devices. Someone that wants to back up the unit to keep the settings.
Customer satisfaction: 87% FULL REVIEW
#2 CSF-3 SUPER FEEDER | Rating: 4.3 stars
The Best: The dispensing internal system similar to a fish feeder that avoids the unit from getting jammed. The quality of construction and the versatility to adapt it in many ways since is fully assemblable. The 7-day digital timer (also available with 24-hr analog timer and Wi-Fi plug)
The Worst: The accuracy isn’t that great if not using rounded spherical kibble.
Ideal Cat Type: A cat that eats rounded spherical kibble. A cat that is always trying to break into the feeder (this feeder can be mounted high on a wall, redirecting the food into the bowl using some ingenuity).
Ideal Cat owner: Ideal for someone handy with tools that needs a versatile unit that can be adapted in many ways, mounted to a wall, increase capacity, etc.
Customer satisfaction: 87% FULL REVIEW
#3 PET FEEDSTER | Rating: 4.1 stars
The Best: Cat-proof design. It works with AC adapter and batteries in conjunction acting as a backup. Excellent food capacity.
The Worst: Maybe too large for a single cat. Programming isn’t very intuitive (easier when watching my YouTube video).
Ideal Cat Type: A mischievous cat. Multi-cat households.
Ideal Cat owner: Handy at programming. People that forget to refill the hopper. Somebody that lives in areas with power outages. A multi-cat owner.
Customer satisfaction: 77% FULL REVIEW
#4 GEMPET PETWANT PF-103 SMARTFEEDER | Rating: 4 stars
The Best: Fully manageable through iOS, Android or Tablets, it uses free App, webcam, audio, videos, real time feedings.
The Worst: Connecting the device to the App is tricky. It doesn’t work well with big kibble or irregularly shaped kibble, it doesn’t feature night vision, audio is uni-directional.
Ideal Cat Type: Any cat that doesn’t tip things over.
Ideal Cat owner: People with 2.4GHz WiFi network, and using iOS above 7.5 or Android above 4.0.
Customer satisfaction: 70% FULL REVIEW
#5 LUSMO | Rating: 3.8 stars
The Best: Beautiful and functional design
The Worst: Meals limited to 3 times p/day. Batteries don’t seem to last very long. Mischief guard could come loose.
Ideal Cat Type: A cat that eats small rounded kibble. Not for a mischievous cat.
Ideal Cat owner: Someone that wants a beautifully designed unit simple to program. Somebody that can check on the unit once in a while.
Customer satisfaction: 75% FULL REVIEW
#6 CAT MATE C3000 | Rating: 3.8 stars
The Best: Reliable when protected from the cat’s paws. Good duration of batteries up to a year.
The Worst: The feeder’s lid isn’t cat proof. Tricky to program.
Ideal Cat Type: Cat not obsessed with food.
Ideal Cat owner: Somebody that is handy with programming and willing to invest a little time to protect the unit from the cat for a reliable feeder.
Customer satisfaction: 66% FULL REVIEW
#7 PETNET SMARTFEEDER | Rating: 3.6 stars
The Best: Can be programmed and remotely controlled through the Smartphone or Tablet.
The Worst: Some kibble gets piled up near the chute and jam. Feeder gets disconnected.
Ideal Cat Type: A cat that eats a rounded spherical kibble. Not for food aggressive cats.
Ideal Cat owner: Somebody that wants to control the feeder from anywhere with the smartphone.
Customer satisfaction: 68% FULL REVIEW
#8 CROWN MAJESTIC | Rating: 3.6 stars
The Best: I’s a feeding station with a water bowl. Wide anti-tipping base.
The Worst: Meal sizes and meal times are not fully customizable. Subject to jam with flat disc-shaped kibble.
Ideal Cat Type: A cat that likes to drink water close to the food bowl. A cat that eats rounded kibble.
Ideal Cat owner: Someone who’s OK with feeding the cat by default intervals (the shortest interval between meals is 4 hours)
Customer satisfaction: 74% FULL REVIEW
OTHER FEEDERS
#9 WIRELESS WHISKERS | Rating: 3.5 stars
The Best: Multipet programmable feeder that feeds each cat selectively.
The Worst: Cats needs to wear a collar tag. The tag may not be sensed by the feeder if not in the right position. Glutton cats could develop bad eating habits.
Ideal Cat Type: Cats not obsessed with food. Adult cats that can handle RFID collar tags.
Ideal Cat owner: A multi-cat owner. Someone with more than one cat and one of them is on a prescription diet. Cat and dog owner.
Customer satisfaction: 65% FULL REVIEW
BEST 7 RATED DISH SHAPED OR FLIP-LID AUTOMATIC PET FEEDERS WET FOOD/MIXED DIET
Suitable for: To feed cats or small dogs wet food or a mixed diet
If your cat eats wet food, dry food or a mixed diet, check the chart for the best 7 rated automatic pet feeders wet food or mix diet. The image below provides you a preview of the comparison chart for the best automatic wet food feeders 2019. You can click on the image to go to the comparison:
TIPS TO CHOOSE AN AUTOMATIC CAT FEEDER FOR DRY FOOD
1) Does the feeder allow you to make a customized feeding schedule for your cat, in frequency and amount of food at a time?
A very important feature of an automatic feeder is to allow you to choose the feeding times without default intervals or default scheduled meals. This means that you should be able to program the feeder for your cat to have breakfast at any time, at 5 am, 6:30 am, etc. Once you decide the time your cat is going to have breakfast, you should be able to choose in how many hours the next meal will be dispensed, according to your cat needs and not according to default intervals.
For example, setting breakfast 3 hours apart from lunch, and lunch 5 hours apart from dinner. The idea is you to have the ability to decide length of intervals between each meal and what time those meals will be dispensed.
The other important feature is the capacity of the feeder to dispense small portions of food. This is crucial because if you want to feed your pet several times a day in small amounts of food at a time, you have to choose an automatic feeder with the ability to do that, especially in situations as follows:
- Your cat is on a diet and you don’t want him to eat only once or twice a day.
- Your cat has a medical condition that requires him to eat several times a day, within a limited amount of food.
However, if you want to feed multiple cats with one unit, this last feature might not be essential.
2) Does the automatic feeder work better with the food my cat eats?
It is a very good idea to choose a unit that performances best with the type of food you feed your cat, especially if your cat is happy with the food he is currently eating. The performance of the feeder with the type of food will influence the accuracy of the amount of food that the unit will dispense. The more accurate the feeder dispenses food, the better you will be able to control how much food your cat really eats.
Besides, the size and shape of the kibble have also influence in jamming problems so it’s important to consider this point.
3) What is the most reliable power source for an automatic cat feeder?
A very important point to consider here:
If you want to choose a battery operated feeder, you have to make sure the batteries on the feeder last a long time, because even though a battery-operated feeder dispenses food during a power outage, if it consumes batteries fast this system is much less reliable than an automatic feeder that won’t dispense during a power outage but instead it will start dispensing normally according to the scheduled meals as soon as the power is restored. In this group are the Super Feeder and the Ergo Pet Feeder.
In other words, an automatic cat feeder with dead batteries will make your pet to starve the whole day vs a plugged automatic feeder that will go through a power outage but will retain the programming and as soon as the power is restored will dispense food normally.
The Pet Feedster is the exception because is the only automatic pet feeder that can be used with both power sources, batteries and AC adapter, simultaneously.
4) Does the feeder retain all the programming when power outage or change batteries?
If you don’t want to reprogram the automatic feeder every time you turn it off or unplug it, or in case of power outage make sure the feeder will keep the programming in these scenarios.
If you choose a feeder that works only with batteries, check if it will retain the programming when changing batteries.
5) If you want to check on your pet and feed it from anywhere
If you are really nervous of leaving your pet alone and want to make sure that pet is actually eating you need a automatic feeder with webcam that you can control remotely through devices such as smartphones, tablets, or PC. On this group you can find feeders like the Petnet, Feed and Go, PetPal, PetStation, PetWatch and Hoison.
5) Is the warranty good? And what about the guarantee?
Finally, we have to check if the guarantee is by replacement or refund and how long the guarantee covers the product. Also, we have to find out if the warranty lasts at least a year to give you the peace of mind you need when you want to invest in a new product.
If you don’t want to check too many reviews and want to get a well made cat-proof automatic cat feeder, you can check here my 4 top cat-proof automatic feeders, with a good analysis of their construction.
Quite a comprehensive list you have here. Will save people a lot of time in choosing the right cat feeder
Thanks Andrew, that’s my goal. There are too many out there and sometimes it is a real challenge to get all the right info.
Lorena – I wanted to share with you info about the PetPal WiFi smart automatic feeder. The PetPal WiFi automatic feed enables pet owners to watch their pet from the built in video camera and talk and listen to their pet and to feed their pet at the same time from the office, an evening out or from anywhere in the world via the internet. The PetPal is made of durable stainless steel so it is an appliance that will last a long time and compliment the look of any home.
Cat and dog lovers report that while they may miss their pet while at work or traveling, being connected with their pet via the PetPal WiFi feeder provides a welcome interaction for both them and their pet. For pet owners who are worried about leaving their pet home alone all day or while they are away, this pet tech innovation is enabling them to take a break and their pet remotely. Inventor Ken Powers says “We hear from cats and dogs that they love the excitement of food magically appearing in their bowls. Hearing their humans voice is a treat for them.”
Hi Mike! I’ll be more than happy to make a review of your product. It’ll be ready soon. Thanks for your comment and the information you provide, I really appreciate it.
Thank you Colm! I hope a lot of people will benefit from this helpful content. I wish I’d had something like this the first time I wanted to buy an automatic cat feeder lol!
I really like the comparison chart layout, makes it easy to examine and review the features and benefits of each product in a side-by-side comparsion. I guess they use a flip-lid for the wet food because it doesn’t sufficiently ‘plop’ out of a dispenser? That would be fun to watch, I think. :-)
Thank you Bill, I like this type of comparison chart too, the fact you put the products on the same level makes it easier to compare. The flip-lid type of feeders are designed more to feed wet food and yes, some cats are so smart they can manage to open these feeders.
I have been looking for an automatic cat feeder since one of my two cats is on a diet, no more free feeding. Have you found any that have metal bowls? I switched them from plastic years ago and really don’t want to go back. Thanks.
Hi Jessica, if you want a very reliable automatic cat feeder I recommend you the Super Feeder. The nice thing about this feeder is that you can adapt it to use with any bowl you want.
Just a quick question – where are you getting your information about these different automatic feeders? You’re posting excellent reviews that are very helpful, but I’m wondering how much of the review comes from your own personal experience with these feeders and how much comes from the manufacturer and other reviews (such as those on Amazon).
Thanks!
Hello Ayla all the info you find on this table comes from technical information of the products themselves and from personal investigation. I summarized all this info on this chart so people can compare each feeder. Regarding reviews, they are a result of my investigation from the experiences of customers.
Thank you! Condensing the information and putting it all in one place is very helpful!
Yes it is! The idea is to help people to get as much info as they can before any decision.
Thank you Ayla for your input :-)
Hi,
This list is great, thank one. One outstanding question though I have is, is there one that is more “secure” than another as my cats are bandits and have figured out within 2 days of how to get food out of the cheaper one I bought. I don’t want to make that mistake twice.
Thank you
Hello Roseann, a very secure cat feeder is the Super Feeder and the Pet Feedster. The Super Feeder has a lid attached by screws to the hopper and you can mount the unit to a wall if you need, this way cats cannot reach the food. The Pet Feedster has a special chute that protects the food from the cat’s paws. Good luck!
Thank you so much!
Thank you for this list. I have two cats so one of the $170+ feeders just isn’t an option. Besides, we usually don’t have an issue feeding our cats – we’ll just have an issue with feeding time once or twice a week at most. Our cats are pretty smart, not sure if they’re motivated enough to figure out how to break one apart though???
Which one would you choose in this situation?
Hello Susanna! I assume your cats can’t eat together from the same bowl as you mentioned you need to buy 2 automatic feeders. Independently if you have problems feeding your cats only once or twice a week, if you switch to an automatic feeder you will need a reliable unit that works flawless everyday according to the programmed settings. It would be wonderful if your cats could eat together from the same feeder, for example, the PetFeedster CAT is big enough to feed two cats because it has a good capacity and its bowl’s size is pretty spacious for two cats. The good thing about this feeder is that it can dispense from a minimum amount of food (some kibble) up to cups of food at a time. It works even if power outages. The other advantage is that its design is pretty smart for smart cats, they just can’t defeat the feeder. Tell me if your cats can eat together, this way you would only need to buy one feeder.
Great information. What if I have cats that eat both dry and canned food? What would you recommend?
Hi Leslie, the Feed & Go it’s a good option. You can control it with your Smartphone or PC.
So, I like a few of the feeders shown. Backup battery power or the food dump in case of a power outage is an absolute must.
My issue is that I have one cat who is blind and gorges (and occasionally throws up from eating too quickly) and another a more shy cat that does not have the gorging issue and eats many times a day.
Problem, do I buy two feeders? One that’s inexpensive and just dumps food for the slightly overweight shy cat coupled with a higher end feeder or do you have another suggestion?
It’s for when I leave town over night, past that I have someone here to make sure my girls are eating twice a day.
Hello, James, only one question. Does your blind cat stop the other cat from eating?
Umm, yes and no. She won’t hiss or fight with her, but she’ll eat everything there before her sister gets a chance to eat.
When I fed them together once upon a time (around 3 years ago) there was some mild competition for food. No violence to speak of, but certainly no sharing. They could in theory share is the summation of my babble I suppose.
James, I suggest you to get 2 automatic feeders. For your vacuum cleaner cat ;-P you can get the PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed that allows you to setup slow feeds that are dispensed in 15 minutes avoiding a cat from gorging the food and then vomiting. For your other cat you can get any good automatic feeder but I am afraid the blind cat may take over that one too. If that’s the case you will need to invest a little more and get a device with selective option, such as SureFeed Microchip feeder, Wireless Whiskers or WonderBowl. Those have pros and cons and different qualities.
Excellent suggestions to go along with your excellent article. I feed the sighted cat separately on a dresser she jumps from a perch to. The blind kitty cannot get to her food so stealing does not occur.
Thank you!
Good luck and pet your beauties for me :-)
Hi Lorena. I have 4 cats and they all are overweight. I have allowed them to free graze dry food as I often am away from home. From what I can see on your review, the only one that gives me this option for a multi-cat household is the Wireless Whiskers model. They all are microchipped so that is not a problem, but I am worried about the very limited warranty of 90 days as well as no back up for the batteries. I imagine this unit is expensive so the warranty is almost a deal breaker. Have you heard of problems with this unit? Do you have another suggestion for me? Thank you!
Hello Fay, yes, I’ve heard problems about this unit but they informed they corrected them. I must mention this unit does not work with microchip because it needs to be used with tags. The money-back warranty only works if the unit is not used with kibble, if you use the feeder the warranty refunds 50% of the feeder. As you have 4 microchipped cats I think the best approach is buying 2 SureFeed microchip feeder, one unit for 2 cats. You can check a review of this feeder here.
Tytyty. Mwahs!
;-)
Looking for a cat feeder that will feed cats a minimum of two weeks batrery operated any ideas?
Helly Ricky, the Pet Feedster is a good solution because it has a big hopper capacity of 10 lbs and it works with AC adapter and with battery as well.
Could you please tell me the capacity of the cfs-s in pounds? Thank you for your wonderful — but it would be much more useful if you converted the oz to teaspoons – or even better gave both for each. It’s hard to compare them unless measurements are consistent. Thanks!
Hi Art, this will depend on the size of the kibble. I use Petcurean which is the cat food my cat eats and weighed it and one full cup weights exactly 40.1 ounces. The total capacity of the Super Feeder is 4.75 cups so it’s a total of 190.475 ounces = 11.90 lbs. Hope that helps!
Thank you for such a complete list. I have two “inhaler” cats and your detailed information is exactly what I needed. Can’t tell you how many feeders have been used for a few weeks and discarded. They now get hand fed kibble on an old dinner plate a couple of times a day. I’m going to try one of these flat feeders with the dish shape. You’ve saved me many hours of shopping.
I am happy I could help MarySue, make sure to get the best one as it’s pretty much cat-proof.
Hello Lorena, I am after a feeder that will prevent my dog and baby from accessing my cat’s food. My cat is not overweight and doesn’t gorge. I am looking at the Wireless Whiskers and the Sureflap microchip reader. Thanks for your reviews! I am put off by the negative feedback on the Wireless Whiskers, especially as I am located in New Zealand so shipping is costly (if they would accept a return). Have you reviewed the Our Pets Wonder Bowl? It could be a cheaper option if it works well…Your opinion would be appreciated.
Hello Rach! I suggest you the Sureflap Microchip Pet Feeder, but I am not sure if your dog will try to break into it. This feeder works great but it will depend on your dog. The Pets Wonder Bowl works fine but it may not open all the time because it will depend on the position of your cat’s head and the infrared line of sight. The SureFlap forces your cat to put the head under the radio frequency sensor, but as I said, it will depend how good your dog behaves.
The other solution would be getting a cat enclosure/house.
Good luck!
Hi! Thank you SO much for this list. It made my life easier when stressed about my girls last year. I have 2 sister cats that are so different! Kenna, needy but adorable, grazes all day, was getting sick – 4 UTIs in less than 6 months and eventually had surgery from the stones (from the UTIs). Caused from stress related from Nadia being a bully with resources – especially food! Nadia, who’s just kept gaining weight since I got her, binge eats and throws up if left on her own, she won’t let the other kitty eat. I tried feeding them separately which only left the skinny grazer Kenna howling to be with her sister and not eating but a few bites. I got the Wireless Whiskers after reading every description I could. I leave town OFTEN for work and need something I can leave for days without worrying. My only compliant about WW is the fat one Nadia figured out that if she KEEPS her head in when it cuts her off (diet setting) it won’t close on her (safety feature)…then it’s stuck midway open and neither cat can access the food after she pulls this stunt. Minus that it works for us okay. I’m back because the electric cord was pushed too far in (against the wall) and won’t charge anymore. I’m forced to use batteries but constantly have to replace them. Default if batteries are low is “open” and I always find puke around the house as soon as it happens. Kinda defeats the purpose. Side note: WW does have the worse customer service – no number to call and generic responses to issues. The website is from the stone age. Wish they would up their game! So now I’m debating getting another one for $150, or maybe getting 2 Wonder Bowls – one for each. The vet suggested I put Kenna on a special diet that Nadia CANNOT eat for her liver. Since Nadia is the food obsessed bully cat, I’m worried she will figure out how to get into the Wonder Bowl for the other cat. Any experience here? Insight would be GREATLY appreciated!
Hi Lindsey! what a journey with your cats! they are adorable so everything we go through with our cats is worth it. I love my cat and she is the only one at home so she is pretty lucky lol. Regarding your questions, I suggest you check the SureFeed Microchip pet feeder. It features a hood which screens the cat microchip (it can be under the cat’s skin or a collar tag) and only the cat with the head under the hood can eat. You can check a review of this feeder here. If you think your cat Nadia still could defeat this feeder you can see other options how to separate cats when eating.
I wouldn’t suggest you an infrared feeder that requires the cat’s collar tag in a good sight of line with the feeder because some cats get their head too low or too high and the feeder loses this sight of line and doesn’t open.