The HoneyGuaridan A36 is the answer for cat owners who need a reliable automatic feeder that won’t jam and that will work effectively when leaving the cat alone at home. Unlike the HoneyGuaridan S25 or the HoneyGuaridan A25, this unit features a removable stainless steel bowl that is more hygienic and prevents feline acne.
Update: HoneyGuaridan A 36 has now a new LCD panel so the programming is different. In this review, you will find the instructions on how to program the previous version and the new one.
Features of HoneyGuaridan A36
- Dispenses up to 6 meals per day
- Portions are programmed individually
- Design made to prevent food jamming
- Infrared sensor avoids food bowl from overloading
- Built-in microphone to record a message calling your cat to eat.
- Removable stainless steel bowl
- Hopper capacity: 13 cups
- Bowl capacity: 3 cups
- Double power supply: AC/DC adapter (5C1A standard) or 4 x D size batteries (batteries not included)
- Made of ABS plastic
- Dishwasher safe food bowl
- Motor working life expectancy: 20,000 hours
- On/Off switch button
- Feeder dimensions: 16.9” x 11.4” x 7.1”
- Bowl dimensions: 7” dia x 1.5” deep
- 30 days money-back guaranteed
- One-year warranty
What comes with the unit
- Honey Guaridan A36 feeder
- Food stainless steel bowl with plastic base
- AC/DC adapter
- User’s guide
- A giveaway event card
- A thank you card including customer support email.
How the dispensing system works
The mechanism of HoneyGuaridan A36 consists of a small rotational tray under the food bin that features 6 slots or compartments that hold the food. One slot is equal to 1 portion, which is approximately 0.3 ounces (about 7 gr).
The recommended kibble size must be between 0.19 and 0.6 inches diameter in order to avoid food jamming inside the mechanism. If using a small kibble (0.19” dia) the amount of food in 1 portion is about 7-10 gr.
The feeder can be programmed to dispense from 1 portion up to 80. The newer version with the new LCD panel the portion can be from 1 up to 48.
How to program the unit with the new LCD Panel
HoneyGuaridan A 36 changed the control panel so the programming is different now. This is how the LCD panel looks like now:
Steps to program the unit with the new LCD panel
An important note is that you can’t take longer than 2 or 3 seconds when you are programming, otherwise, the screen locks and you have to start over:
- Programming the clock: Press the clock button (the first button right to left) and keep for 3 seconds until the hour and minutes start blinking. Then press the hour button to choose the current hour, then press the minute button for the minutes. Finish by pressing the clock button and keep for 3 seconds and then the clock is set. The feeder comes with the 12 hours format so pay attention to Am/Pm when programming. You can also change to a 24-hour format if you prefer.
- Programming mealtimes: Press MEAL button to program meal #1, the time will start blinking, press the hour button to set the hour of the meal, and then the minutes. Then press the portion button (little bowl icon) once if you want 1 portion* or press two times if you want 2 portions, etc. (You need to know the portion # in advance because if you press one portion more than the # you want, for example 3 instead of 2, you will need to press 48 times until you get to zero again to start over). Quickly press MEAL button to program the meal #2, the time will blink, press the hour button to set the time of the meal and then the minutes button, then press portion button once if you want one portion, two times if you want 2 portions, etc. The same with the 3rd meal and so on.
- To record the audio message. Press the microphone button for 3 seconds until the red light is on, keep it pressed, and record your message, when you’re done, release the button. To hear your message press the microphone button to listen to it.
- If you wanna restart to factory default: Hold the set button for 3 seconds.
*(Each portion equals from 1.2 to 2 tablespoons approximately, depending on the kibble. With small kibble 1 portion equals to a tiny over one full tablespoon)
I made a video of how to program the unit. In the video I said you will need to press 39 times to get to portion zero if you make a mistake, but the number is 48 times to get to portion zero.
Video how to program the HoneyGuaridan A36 New LCD Panel
How to program the old HoneyGuaridan A36 version
This automatic feeder allows you to feed your cat up to 6 meals per day. You can program each meal at any time you need. Also, you can choose the meal sizes individually or program all the meals to be the same size. To program the size of each meal you must choose the # of portions from 1 up to 80. One portion equals to a little less than one tablespoon (7 gr./0.3 Oz / 1/32 cup).
The programming is easy using the built-in blue light LCD display. All the settings can be entered through 4 buttons.
The (+) and (-) buttons allow you to scroll up or down the options. The (SET) button enters the selected option. The (REC) button will record the personal voice message calling your cat to eat. When programming the LCD panel will show what you need to do next.
Follow these steps to program the HoneyGuardian A36 feeder:
- Programming the clock. Press SET button and a “LoLo” text will show up on the screen, this means the LCD screen is locked. To unlock the screen, press the SET button for 3 seconds to set the clock. Then, the number will blink then press (+) or (-) button to choose the current hour, press SET to enter the hour. Then choose the minutes and wait for 3 seconds for the minutes to set without pressing the SET button, just leaving the minutes blinking and wait for 3 seconds until the minutes stop blinking by themselves. Note: You have only 3 seconds to set up the screen, if you take longer you need to start from the beginning.
- Programming Mealtimes. Press + to start programming, meal #1 will be blinking on the screen, then press SET to enter the time when the first meal will be dispensed, use the buttons + or – to choose the hour, press SET, then choose the minutes and press SET.
- Programming portion. Right after programming the time of the first meal, the portion will show up on the screen as “FI 01” and the number “01” will be blinking. Enter the portion you want, either 01, 02, etc using the + or – buttons. Don’t press anything right after, just leave the portion blinking until it stops (about 3 seconds). Note: You need to calculate the portion # which will be the meal size; 1 portion=A little less than 1 tbsp approx.
- Programming the second meal, Press + and the first meal will blink, press + again to see the first portion blinking, then press + again and the 2nd meal will be blinking on the screen, press SET to enter the hour of the second meal by pressing “+” or “-” press SET to enter the minutes by using + or -, then press SET and the portion will be blinking, press + or – depending on the portion you want for your cat to eat (01,02, etc), don’t press anything after that, just wait for 3 seconds until it stops blinking. (Note: in case you took too long and the screen got locked again, touch SET and then press it for 3 seconds to unlock the “LoLo” text)
- Repeat the same for the third meal and so on.
Once you program a feeding schedule it will repeat the same every day. If you are using AC adapter and a power outage occurs, the machine will retain the settings so you don’t need to reprogram the meals, only the clock. If you need to replace batteries the programming won’t be lost either. If you decide to plug the feeder and put batteries in, the unit will retain the feeding plan and the clock. By doing this, you ensure the feeder will dispense food no matter what unless you turn it off.
How to clean the unit
The feeding bowl and food hopper are removable for easy cleaning. Both are dishwasher safe. You can clean the bowl and hopper by hand, using warm water and mild soap.
Pros & Cons of HoneyGuaridan A36 Automatic Cat Feeder
Discover the advantages and disadvantages of this automatic feeder to decide with good information if this device suits your cat needs.
PROS
- Sleek and modern design that looks good anywhere
- Easy to set up
- Easy to program
- You can feed your cat up to 6 meals per day, individually portioned.
- It dispenses small amounts per meal up to cups.
- It works with AC adapter and battery for continuous operation
- Disassemblable and easy to clean
- Cats can’t reach food with their paws
- Stainless steel bowl prevents feline acne
- Cat-proof airtight locking lid keeps the food fresh
- Ability to dispense small portions (2 tsp approx) `using the recommended food size
- Voice recording feature calling the cat to eat
- Blue light indicator when the bin is getting empty
- Bowl is wide enough for two cats to eat comfortably
CONS
- A little noisy when the food drops
- You need to test the portion first to program it
- The red light keeps flashing if food gets stuck in the food gate.
Final Thoughts
The HoneyGuaridan A36 is a good automatic feeder that will take care of feeding your cat automatically while you are at work or sleeping at home. The unit is reliable and it features an internal mechanism that doesn’t jam when using the right kibble size. Also, the feeder lid can’t be violated by the cat’s paws because only human thumbs can unlatch the lid.
The capacity of this automatic feeder is large, being perfect to feed two cats that can eat together. Finally, the design of this unit is sleek and modern so you can place it in view without looking odd. I definitely recommend this automatic pet feeder, especially for:
- Cats that eat too fast and then throw up
- Food-obsessed kitties
- Feeding two cats
- Preventing feline chin acne
Seriously I need some help getting to the F mode I’ve been working on this honey card A36 for five days is there a 800 number to get some help or a video . I did set up the first feeding but. Any get past the other feeding times and amount ?
Hello Sandra, what do you mean when you say F mode?
I want to feed my cats 1/4 Cup and 1/2 Cup portions…how many servings would these be??
Thanks
Hello Jill, one portion equals to a little less than a tablespoon so a good idea is getting a measurement cup and fill it with tablespoons of cat food and count how many tablespoon it took to get to a 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup. Write down the numbers so you won’t forget. Hope that helps!
How do you turn the sound off? The sound, even an empty recording makes noise and scares my cat.
Hello Michael, this feeder doesn’t have the option to delete the voice recording. What you can do is making the mute recording short, less than a second. Sorry I couldn’t help more.
Does anybody know how to close the voice? It’s really annoying and I can’t find the way to reset the system.
Hello Daniel, my suggestion is pressing the REC button and stay silent so the default recording will be erased and won’t be so annoying to hear. Hope that helps.
1) How long does the dispenser run on battery power?
2) Can be placed in a covered outdoor space?
Thank’s
Hello Vicenzo, the batteries last about 6 months if you feed your cat 6 times per day. The Manufacturer recommends to use this feeder indoors only.
I noticed that your top 15 does not include this product, I think it might be because it has not been updated since a while …
I usually put a feeder within the top 15 after a 3-year performance. It’s getting close to the time of updating to a new list. Thanks for your comment.
That does the error code LoLo mean? The feeder is full. I’ve been having a hard time figuring this system out and I’m pretty good at this stuff. Also, the recording does not seem to work. I’m bringing to think I have a defective unit. Pleas help.
Hello Kimberley, I suggest you to return the unit for a refund since it seems like it’s defective.
I also have the “LoLo code” ,, and can’t seem to get it to work. I’m just using the 4 D-cells.
The sticker on the top says the Top must be OPEN .. to do what ?? Reprogram or to Fill .. written in Lots of languages ,,, just can’t understand the English version !!!
And to boot the Manual has disappeared .. Not many Helps full hints or links on the Internet
Doug Knutson
Airdrie, AB
Hello Doug, this “LoLo” code is indicating that the buttons on the LCD screen are locked, this is useful to stop a cat or toddler from changing the settings of the feeder. To unlock it, simply hold down the SET button for a couple seconds. If the LoLo code has always flashed from the beginning, you may have gotten a defective unit in which case you must contact customer services at [email protected]. Hope that helps!
Ok … It seems to be working, is it was “Locked”, but now once I’m at the portion number change .. I can’t seem to alter ??
Your instructions say using the +/- number adjust the amount. DO you hold the set button, while adjusting or after the number is entered, it seems on only jump over this step and jump to the time adjust.
Please help
Doug Knutson
Hello Doug, you need to choose the # and then push set to enter the information.
I recently purchased this feeder a few months ago and cannot find the manual. How can I get a copy of the manual?
Hi Janice, you can see the oficial video how to set the feeder up here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0M-GvJG_MM
Hi. Is the large removable food container ant proof? I can replace the stainless steel bowl with an ant proof bowl but I am not sure about the top one.
Hello Unlandi, the feeder features an airtight locking lid that keeps the food sealed and fresh. I don’t know if this will stop ants from going into the food though, I assume it will because an airtight lid means oxygen won’t make it there easily so ants won’t be able to make it inside either.
Need to know how to wipe out all settings and start over
Hello Yvonne, you don’t need to wipe out all settings to start over. Simply change each meal, this will override the previous. Follow the steps on my review to remember how to do it. Hope that helps!
Hello, I would like to reset the settings on the A36 feeder. Can someone help tell me how to do it? Originally set the meal volumes too large and want to make them smaller. Thanks for your help!
Hello Char, simply reprogram the meal size following the instructions on the programming on my review. Just press + and get to the point when the portion is blinking, press SET and put the new number, using the button – to lower the portion number. Hope that helps!
I second all those who wish we could reset/disable the audio “feature”.
But looking forward to a reliable feeder that can’t be catcked.
Hi Doug a solution is recording in silence. The audio feature can’t be completely removed.
we’ve bought two dispensers for our two cats. working well for about a month but now one dispenser is randomly dispensing food at intervals outside the programmed feeding times. for example, it dispenses for the scheduled 5pm feeding and then dispensed smaller amounts at 630pm, 830pm, 1000pm, and 1220am. another day it dispensed the programmed amount at the scheduled 5pm feeding and then dispensed smaller amounts at 630pm, 830pm. the unit doesn’t make all the sounds made during a regularly scheduled feeding….it only makes 3 beeps and then we hear the food hitting the bowl. was hoping maybe a kibble was stuck but this has happened for at least 3 days now. is there a way to reset or clear the chute or is the unit defective and should be returned?
Hello lorraine, I suggest you to return the item as it seems defective from factory.
Hi!
I’m hoping you can help with an issue we are having with Guariadian A36 Automatic Pet Feeder. I emailed the company twice and they have not responded.
The letters HG are flashing on the front of the machine and the machine either does not drop any food or drops less food than programmed. We took out the bin, cleaned it and made sure it was not clogged. No success.
Thank you for your help,
Barbara Lupkin
Hello Barbara, it seems like the feeder is malfunctioning from factory. How long have you had this feeder?
My A36 pet feeder is showing code HG. What what does that mean and how do I clear the code (HG❓
I’m having the same problem. I’ve email customer, but have not received a reply. If you , would forward it to me?
Thank you
Just received my cats new A36 feeder. Took about an hour to set up. Like other people, the instructions are difficult to understand (even the English version). Finally got it figured out. The portion size was sort of frustrating. But now I have it down,as long as the feeder doesn’t malfunction we will all be happy.
Question? Is there a way to turn down the volume of the beep beep beep before the food dispenses?
Hello Susan, the voice feature can’t be turned off but you can work this around by recording an empty voice to delete the previous recording. Hope that helps!
We purchased the A36 Model in Fall of 2019. It worked well until recently. It will work for a day or two, then the red light starts to flash and the feeder quits working. I then unplug the feeder for like a minute, re-plug it in and flashing light is gone. However in less than two days it’s flashing again. Can you tell me what might be wrong or how I can correct this problem. Right now we can’t trust this feeder to work when we’re gone a few days…the exact reason why we purchased this feeder in the first place.
Hi Richard, the red light flashes when food gets stuck in the food gate. Do you use large or irregular shaped kibble?
I found setup tio be really difficult, as the actions you need to take are not quite thse in the instructions – not massively different, but enough to prove very challenging! I couldn;t make the manual dispensing feature work, until I switched off to relocate the feedewr, when switched back on it disopensed! It would also be useful if the disensing unts were spicifed (max 80 – 80 what?). I have assumed grammes. Otherwise looks OK, first use today, so fingers crossed, otherwise our cat will not get his lunch!
Hello Mike, 80 refers to the maximum amount of portions (80 portions) the feeder can dispense at once. One portion is the amount of food that one slot of the dispensing inner tray holds. One portion is equal to approx. 7 grs of dry food. Make sure to put batteries to keep the clock functioning in case of power outage and this way your cat will get his lunch no matter what.
Has anyone figured out how to increase/decrease the sound level? I’ve noticed that some YouTube videos show the control panel quite well. Of these, some show three bars for the sound level and some show no bars. You help is appreciated.
Hi John, are you referring to the voice recording volume?
Hello,
I didn’t have any problems setting up the time and feeding portions. However, now I am having trouble adjusting the feeding portion down. I get to the F0:01 screen and I click +/- and it just scrolls through the meals without editing. Could you please help?
Hello Nathan, if you put a larger portion than desired and want to lower it you need to press + all the way until the portion number starts all over and you will see 01, 02 again. Hope that helps!
Hello! I am having the same problem adjusting portions. The ones that we set are too large, but I cannot change existing portions, because pressing ‘+’ or ‘-‘ just scrolls to the next time and portion option. I’ve tried tried pressing those for varying amounts of time, but it just routes me to the next time/portion.
Hello Lea, have you tried to increase the existing large portion? I am asking you this because you can’t reduce the portion directly, you need to increase it to the maximum (80) and then the portion will start over from 01.
I would like to turn off feeder for a few days – can I do that without having to take out the batteries
You can turn the feeder off with the batteries put and the feeder won’t lose the settings. The feeder won’t operate during this period.
Thanks for the clear programming instructions, the printed ones that come with the unit are a bit confusing. One (slightly negative) comment- the programming buttons are on top of the unit, the cat can jump up there and step on buttons, making annoying beeping sounds. To solve it I 3D printed a cap that fits over the buttons preventing feline interaction. Other than that the unit is great for what it does and the price.
Hello Steve, thank you for sharing your tip to protect the buttons of the feeder!
Hi just bought your a36 automatic pet feeder. I have set the time but when I try and set feed times it is not letting me change the time. M1 is already set to 07:00 and M 2 is 19:00. I am following instructions and get M1 to flash but when I then press set to change time the time box does not flash. Any idea what I am doing wrong
Hi Kevin, when you press SET you should be able to choose the time of the dispensing with the + or – buttons. It’s strange that the meals were already programmed at 7 am and 7 pm. Where did you buy this unit? Can you return it for a new one?.
Hello! Is there any way to not have anything come out for slots 4-6? I received it today, set it up, left 4,5,6 all blank, 0 portions, at midnight- and then a few minutes ago, at midnight, it dispensed food anyway, so my cats got very excited. Any tips?
It seems to fill up one bowl more than the other is there something I can adjust?
Hello Anne, are you using the feeder with the two-way splitter?
I love my automatic cat feeding A36 model machine. It is set to feed four times a day and it works great. I am having one problem though, I hope you can help me with it. Whenever the power goes out in my house and the power comes back on – the feeder will dispense at least a cup of food. Why is that so? In addition the 4 feedings that are set works well with the battery as back up.
Hello Doreen, does that happen when the feeder has the battery back up put?
Hi I have had the A36 for under 6 months. It suddenly started dispensing at odd times. The time is in accurate now and the “set “ button does not beep or change anything when pressed. The display window seems to be frozen. I have mine plugged in. The batteries have run out.
Do I need to have the batteries in to reprogram , considering I have one power source. Thanks for your help
Hello Natasha, when you say the time is in accurate you mean the mealtimes or the clock? What do you want to reprogram? Change the mealtimes?
The counter says 8888. The screen is frozen. I have turned it off and unplugged etc, the buttons make no sound and don’t change the screen.
Hello Natasha, it seems like your feeder stopped working, but I am not really a technical expert, I am just a user. You can try and contact customer service so they can guide you how to reset the feeder to factory if that’s possible. If not, your unit should be under guarantee if you bought it less than a year ago. Sorry I could not help you more.
Is there a number to call? There has been no rely to my email to them. Thanks
Hello Natasha, I haven’t been able to get a customer service number at this point but I sent messages to them on Instagram. If they don’t answer I will stop recommending this feeder. Sorry I couldn’t help you more.
UPDATE: They answered me and their email is [email protected] You can try sending an email and if they don’t answer, please let me know to remove this feeder from my recommendation. I asked a phone number and they told me they only use email. Let me know please. Thank you!
I love this feeder but I’m experiencing the same issue that Doreen is. We live in an area were wind and storms will cause split second power glitch and whenever this occurs the feeder will dispense food. Cats constantly looking forward to bad weather
Hi Glenn, I live in a Midwestern State and I experience those often, but my feeder hasn’t done that so far. The only thing I can think of is that the electrical voltage is affected during storms and that influences the feeder somehow. But I am not really an expert, maybe you can contact customer service and they may have an idea of how to help with that (maybe using a special type of adapter?). Thanks for your comment.
I’ve had the feeder for a few months now and everything was going great but recently the feeder makes its usual call sound indicating food is about to drop, but nothing happens. It just makes noise for approx 1min then no food comes out. And the volume button keeps blinking at me.
I emptied the bucket out and cleaned everything but still having issues and no matter how long I hold the set button, it won’t let me reset the times and portion size so it goes off when I’m home so I can make sure it’s dispensing food.
Any help is greatly appreciated
Hello Rebekah, what you described hasn’t happened to me because my feeder dispenses the meals accordingly to the schedule, but what you describe sounds like when the feeder is programmed with a mealtime, but no food. I know this because I have programmed a meal with zero portion and the unit makes a slight noise but no food comes out of the feeder. That’s really strange if you haven’t programmed a meal with no portion and this happens to your feeder. It must be some malfunction in the programming. If you haven’t used the feeder longer than a year you can make valid the warranty of the product by contacting customer support at [email protected]
It’s possible your audio message got removed. Try re recording
I love this thing in theory but the first one got stuck in “blocked” mode and nothing I could do could get it to reset. So I ordered another one (they said they would refund my money – still waiting) and on this one, the clock doesn’t work. After I set it it just sits there on the time I set, stuck, frozen. I have tried everything. How do these people stay in business!?!?!? I’m losing it – I need a dependable cat feeder to stop my critters waking me up at 4am every day!!! HELP
Hello Matty, this is really disappointing since my review has been made based on my experience with this unit which has been good. I am really sorry you went through this with both units, please keep me posted if they helped you with the problem, otherwise, I will change my review.
For anyone still wondering how to remove the audio message: It only works on the newer modell by double pressing the record button.
Hope this helps anybody
Hi Alex, I have never tried to delete my audio message so I don’t know if I have the newer model. Anyway, thank you very much for the info, I am sure it will help our readers.
How do I remove a meal time? Couldn’t feed my cat after lunch time so I added another portion. Now Id like to remove it.
Hello Olivia, I suggest you set that mealtime to zero. It’s the easiest solution and it works.
Hi Lorena, I have the same issue as Olivia. Is there a special trick to set it to zero? Mine starts at 1.
Hello Anna, what I meant is that you need to put portion “0” on that particular meal. For example, if you want to delete #2 mealtime, go to that meal and when it comes to program the portion, put zero. To get to zero you need to push about 48 times until you get the initial zero number.
My cat has learnt how to pull the feeder over. Any suggestions how I can stop this?
Hi Liz, the only way is to cover the feeder with a structure so your cat can’t push the feeder over. I am sorry to hear this, some cats (like yours) get really smart and do stuff like this. Place the feeder in a way that only the bowl is showing. That’s the solution in this case.
What does an error 5 mean?
Hello Deborah, where did you purchase the feeder? It could be that the unit is malfunctioning. I didn’t experience this error with the feeder.