Cat Mate C10 Automatic Cat Feeder – Full Review

Cat Mate C10 Automatic Feeder Review

Rating: 3.4 stars | The Cat Mate C10 is an automatic cat feeder that works well if you need a regularly scheduled meal for your pet. This flip-lid type feeder serves one dry meal at any required feeding time over a maximum period of 24 hours. Wet food could also be served in this feeder within 2-5 hours or little longer, depending on the weather and if the food is placed in the feeder right out the freezer.

The Cat Mate C10 feeding tray has a capacity to hold 1 lb (450g) wet food. The timer is easy to use and the bowl and lid are dishwasher safe. The feeder requires 1 AA size battery, which is not included.

FEATURES

• Serves one meal at any selected time within 24 hours.
• 24-hour quartz timer
• Removable feeding tray and lid are dishwasher safe
• It requires AA battery
• On/Off switch located at the bottom
• 1-Pound dry food capacity
• Single large food bowl holds 450 grams (1 pound) of wet food
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 2.8 x 5.8 inches
• Weight: 12 Ounces
• 3-Year Manufacturer’s warranty

HOW DOES THE CAT MATE C10 WORK?

The Cat Mate C10 features a flip type lid and a dial timer that works with a mechanism similar to a kitchen timer (quartz type timer). Even though the timer is similar to the wall clocks, the Catmate C10 timer is virtually silent. As any timer of this kind the accuracy is not exact. Consequently, if you buy two feeders to feed your two cats most likely the feeders won’t open at the exact time. Consider this important aspect if one of your cats is a vacuum cleaner with food and steals the other cat’s food.

The base features a built-in notch that holds down the lid. When the timer rotates and counts down to zero “0” the notch allows the lid to flip up.

WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF THE CAT MATE C10?

The following list of advantages and disadvantages are listed to provide you with the information you need to make a knowledgeable decision regarding this automatic feeder:

PROS

• Simple to use
• Very easy to program
• Easy to clean
• Quiet when operating
• Very reliable (if your cat is well behaved)
• Option to turn it off if you want to feed your cat manually.
• Good capacity of 1 pound (450 g) wet food.

CONS

• Has to be set every day.
• It does not have an alarm calling to eat.
• It does not have ice pack to keep moist food fresh (placing the food frozen it’s a good idea or check the Catmate C20 review which comes with ice packs )
• Battery compartment lacks a lid for protection (some cats could knock batteries out)
• It needs a locking cover for the timer (some cats could move the clock dial with the paws or chewing at it)
• The feeder is made of lightweight plastic.
• The tray is not airtight
• You can’t buy extra trays to have as backup

TIPS

• Make sure to have always fresh batteries.
• Protect the battery compartment.
• If you have a food-driven cat who is determined to get extra food, you may need to attach the feeder to a board for extra stability. This way, your cat won’t be able to tip the feeder over or move it around to manipulate it.
• The feeder is suitable to dispense dry food but you can feed your cat wet food within 5 hours or so if you freeze the canned food and place it in the exact shape out of the can, without spreading out the food in the feeder.
• When setting up the feeder you have to close the lid first and then try to set the dial. The lid has to be positioned correctly when you close and then turn the dial, making sure the hinge is tightly snapped down.

CONCLUSION

The Cat Mate C10 is a very simple concept in automatic feeders that is designed for a specific task: to feed one-time meal for your cat. If you need a very simple delayed feeder, this unit gets the work done and it’s reliable as long as you keep the feeder always with fresh batteries and if your cat is not determined to defeat the unit to get extra meals.

√ I recommend this automatic feeder, especially to:

• Docile cats not obsessed with food
• Cats that need one regular meal every day
• As a complement to a specific diet for your cat
• To complement other automatic feeding systems.
• If you want to feed two cats (one feeder each) that cannot eat close to each other.

X The feeder is not very suitable:

• If your cat is very obsessed with food.
• If you want to feed your cat wet food without being refrigerated.
• If you want a very exact accuracy in meal time (because timer is not digital).
• If you have a cat and a dog who is a chewer.