PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The Pet Feedster has been designed to overcome the typical problems of other automatic pet feeders. This automatic feeder allows you to adjust the size and shape of your cat kibble and you can program it up to 5 times per day, with the option of setting different amounts of food at a time for a customized intake. For example, if you want your pet to eat 4 times a day and the strongest meal to be dispensed in the morning with 1/2 cup of dry food and then one tablespoon each meal (the following 3 meals) you can do that with this unit.
The range of portions goes from a tablespoon to 6 cups of kibble, which makes it suitable to feed more than one pet. This unit is ant-proof so it can be used whether indoor or outdoor.
The Pet Feedster works with AC/DC power adapter and 6xD batteries as a backup so your cat won’t starve if a loss of power. With the digital timer, the unit does not need to be reprogrammed if turned off or if a loss of power. You will only need to set the clock.
FEATURES:
- It works with a wide range of pellet sizes and shapes, even most semi-moist food from 1/8″ to 3/4″, (No wet or canned food).
- Portions go from one tablespoon up to 6 cups of kibble at a time.
- A digital timer that gives you accuracy in feeding times.
- It works with 6 D batteries to back up the unit that lasts approx. 4 months.
- Digital timer retains the programming if the power goes out, you don’t need to reprogram.
- Unit holds up to 10 pounds of dry food.
- Built-in mounting brackets if you need to mount the unit.
- The food bowl and flex-feeder are dishwasher safe on low heat.
- Product dimensions: 13 3/4 x 15 x 17 inches ; 10 pounds
- Bowl dimensions: 9 3/4″ x 7
- Manufacturer’s limited warranty of one year.
What the Pet Feedster includes?
- 1 Main Body
- 1 Base Body
- 1 Base Body Cover
- 1 Top cover of the unit
- 1 Flex-Feeder
- 1 Bowl
- 1 AC Power Adapter
- 1 Owner’s manual
- 1 FlexFeeder Installation Guide.
Tips How To Use The Pet Feedster:
- Ask the manufacturer for the special protection cover to keep your cat away from the chute because is not provided unless asked for. (Note: you don’t need to ask the special cover if you buy the USA PF-10 for cats version, because it comes with a chute protector).
- Make sure to properly adjust the Flex-Feeder, otherwise, it could jam.
- With kibble shapes such as stars, triangles, fish, etc. try to adjust the Flex-Feeder a little wider than the shape, this way the kibble will rotate more loosely.
- Don’t put batteries in the unit before setting it up. The procedure is:
- Plug in the unit
- Setup the feeder
- Put the batteries in
HOW IT WORKS
Check the size of the unit and suitability for all pets on this video:
What are the Pros and Cons of the Pet Feedster?
PROS
- The feeder cannot be knocked over by cats easily.
- Digital timer retains the programming if turned off or a loss of power.
- It can dispense up to 5 times a day with different portions at a time if you want.
- Allows you to feed your cat dry and semi-moist food.
- Ants proof in storage tray
- Good accuracy in portions.
- Anti-jamming system.
- Hopper with a capacity of 10 pounds of dry food.
- It works with AC adapter and batteries as backup.
- It can be easily adjusted to a very wide range of sizes and shapes of kibbles, from 1/8″ to 3/4″.
- It dispenses from one tablespoon to 6 cups of kibble.
- Built-in mounting brackets if you want to mount the feeder.
- It can be setup outdoors.
- Good customer support.
- One year warranty.
CONS
- Not very intuitive programming.
- “Flex feeder” might get broken after a couple of years or so. The “Flex feeder” is a flexible piece that goes inside the unit that drops and sweeps food out, this piece is replaceable and not expensive (if you adjust the Flex-feeder properly to the kibble’s size, you won’t have this problem).*
- Smarts cats can figure out how to get some extra kibble from the chute, but you can ask for a special cover from the manufacturer, free of charge. *
- Lid isn’t airtight
- Price isn’t low.
NOTE: Pet Feedster for cats does not have these “cons” because it comes with a special chute to prevent cats from getting extra kibbles from the opening and it has a new refined “Flex Feeder” to feed smaller kibble.
CONCLUSION:
The Pet Feedster is one of the best and most reliable automatic feeders in the market that works as advertised. It has several features that make this feeder unique because it allows you to feed your cat up to 5 times a day with the possibility to set different amounts of food at a time.
Though this automatic feeder is excellent, the “Flex Feeder” piece might need to be replaced after 1 or 2 years of continuous use if you don’t adjust it properly to the kibble’s size your cat eats. You can see instructional videos on YouTube how to do this. The Flex-Feeder piece is not expensive and is completely replaceable. The Pet Feedster is absolutely worth it and for that reason:
√ I highly recommend this automatic feeder as one of the best on the market and especially for:
- Cats on a diet
- Cats that need to eat several times a day, small amounts of food at a time
- If you want a very customizable portion dispensing for your cat
- If your cat is obsessed with food
- If you want to feed 2 cats that can eat together
- If you want a feeder that can perform with AC adapter and batteries at the same time
X I don’t recommend this automatic feeder:
- If you don’t need a feeding schedule up to 5 times a day for your cat and neither a feeder that dispenses small amounts of food at a time (one tablespoon or more) and you want a feeder below the US$100.
- If you don’t want to replace any piece of the feeder after years of use. You can avoid this to happen by adjusting properly the flex-feeder to the right size of kibble. (Important: The USA PF-10 CAT fixed this problem with a more refined Flex-Feeder, specially designed to feed cat kibble).
A good news is if you buy this item through the “Buy with 1-click” option your purchase is covered by “Amazon A-to-z Guarantee”
CHECK THE PET FEEDSTER USA PF-10 ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR CATS!
The cat version, Pet Feedster USA PF-10 CAT has been specially designed to feed cats! The “Flex Feeder” system has been adapted to dispense smaller pellets, according to cat’s needs. Also, there is a chute to prevent cats from trying to get extra food with their paws.
margarita says
February 22, 2014 at 10:07 pmI do not life in the United states so I want to know if there is a way I can buy the flex feeder online?
Lorena Ávila says
February 24, 2014 at 5:13 amThere is a way to buy the Pet Feedster online, for example through Amazon.
Update: Hey Margarita, I just noticed I did not read “Flex Feeder” and instead I read Pet Feedster, so I did not give you the right answer. You can get the Flex-Feeder directly with the manufacturer and they ship to Canada. If you adjust correctly the piece to the kibble size you might not have this issue at all. Good luck!
fatima says
March 17, 2014 at 10:55 ami live here in quebec is there a way i can buy an automatic feeder. i was thinking of getting the pet feedster for my cat but i am just wondering if this product is ok to use when i leave her for maximum 6days.. i am insearch of a feeder that can do that… i thought about the superfeeder one but they dont ship it here. any suggestions.. thank you
Lorena Ávila says
March 17, 2014 at 9:20 pmHi Fatima, the Pet Feedster is the best choice if you are looking for a reliable cat feeder. Here you have the shipping rates to Canada, check it out https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=596192
Even though this automatic feeder is excellent, I suggest you to ask somebody to check on your cat during your trip. Good luck Fatima!
Becky J. says
April 2, 2014 at 2:57 amThanks so much for all the detailed info. I have ordered the Pet Feedster Cat edition from Amazon via your link. I am grateful for the advice.
Lorena Ávila says
April 2, 2014 at 4:16 amYou’re welcome Becky. That is my ultimate goal, to help people to get the best automatic cat feeder ;-)
Kristel Rochus says
April 7, 2014 at 7:08 pmHello Lorena,
I’m currently living in Germany, Europe right now. Do you know by any chance if there are similar systems that are compatible with European power supply (220V, 50HZ)? I did not find any alternatives that could provide the detailed portioning the American ones can deliver. Thanks in advance for the information!
Kind regards,
Kristel
Lorena Ávila says
April 8, 2014 at 12:54 amHello Kristel, I suggest you the Super Feeder which is capable to dispense small amounts of food at a time. You want to contact them directly and not purchasing online. They will tell you how to proceed. They explain details here.
Barb Carlson says
May 29, 2014 at 7:38 pmHi Lorena,
What a great website you have. I’m REALLY impressed with how quickly you answer questions and that you give the CONS as well as the PROS of the products.
My question is: can the radio frequency tag be placed on the cat’s collar with other tags such as a metal rabies tag and the plastic Home Again tag or must it be the only tag on the collar? Thanks, Barb
Lorena Ávila says
May 30, 2014 at 5:04 pmHi Barb, thanks for your nice input. I am not sure if I understand the question, what tag are you referring about? The Pet Feedster does not need tags to work. If you refer tags attached to the cat collar for an automatic wireless feeder, I am pretty sure that all tags working in the Radio Frequency spectrum are affected by conducting materials, especially metals. So the RF tag would do fine with plastic but not with metals. Anyway, I have the impression that it would not be a good idea to put so many tags in your cat’s neck. Good luck Barb and thanks again!
Barb Carlson says
June 13, 2014 at 1:06 amThanks, Lorena, I figured the metal tag would mess up the radio frequency of the wireless whiskers radio frequency tag, but wasn’t sure. Barb
Lorena Ávila says
June 13, 2014 at 4:04 amNo problem Barb, feel free to visit my website to ask me questions anytime. Take care :-)
Chris Richardson says
July 29, 2014 at 12:39 pmSorry in advance about the lengthy post here, but I have had this unit for over 2 years so I thought I would give you my experience with it.
I bought this from PoochParents.com who have since gone out of business. I got 2 defective units before finally getting the 3rd one to work correctly. The first 2 units would inexplicably RESET all the programming to factory settings (de-program the device) so that no food would dispense. Needless to say I was not happy and I let them know. To their credit I got a call from the owner of the company who told me that some of the CPU units in the devices were part of a faulty batch received from China where they were made… ok then!
The 3rd unit retained its settings and performed FALWLESSLY for about 1 year. During that year, the unit really did work as advertised and we were very happy. The problem after the first year was that the plastic rotating food dispensing part that actually dispenses the food, broke. Without this small and somewhat fragile part, the unit is dead! We were able to get a replacement part, which is not easy and there is no east way to order one from their website!! With the new part installed, the unit then worked again for about another year before the same part broke again, rendering the unit useless once again. This time, no one is returning my calls or emails and it looks like I will not be receiving a replacement part.
So after all this, I can either modify the unit myself by trying to fix/replace the broken part, or I can buy another unit from the same manufacturer, or I can try a different unit from a different company altogether. I will be trying the first option to modify it first, before I purchase something else from another manufacturer. I really wanted this company to do well as they could easily have had a stellar product if they addressed the failing part or even made it easy to order a replacement online, but ultimately their lack of customer service is what has now turned me away from them.
The product was great while it worked, if only they could have supported it and me better I would have been a customer for life…
Lorena Ávila says
July 29, 2014 at 1:22 pmHello Chris! Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Approximately after a year the Flex Feeder piece of the Pet Feedster whether breaks or bend with the constant use if this piece is not adapted to the kibble size before using it. This part is replaceable. Now there is a new version: the Pet Feedster Special for Cats. The Flex Feeder piece in the cat version is specially designed to feed cat kibble, this means this piece does not need to be adjusted by the cat’s owner so it does not break.
When units come defective which could happen with any product, the nice thing is to have a supplier that takes care of customers effectively and it seems like that that happened in your case. I am happy to know your experience during a year was great with this feeder because almost all automatic cat feeders except a few of them don’t work flawlessly like the Pet Feedster. Thanks again for sharing!
John Harris says
January 29, 2015 at 11:24 pmHi,
How can I buy one and have it sent here to Australia? When we try to order one from Amazon, their system says they are not able to send to us.
Regards
Lorena Ávila says
January 30, 2015 at 6:09 pmHi John! Pet Feedster is currently fulfilling international orders individually and sending invoices through PayPal. Buyers can fill out a Google form and they’ll send them shipping rates, a PayPal invoice, etc.
To get that Google form click here
Hope I could help!
Ben Novak says
March 27, 2015 at 2:48 pmI have 3 outdoor cats that I would like to feed while on vacation. I also have a lot of nocturnal wildlife (raccoons opossums) that can get into just about anything that I have devised on my own. Have you had any experience in this with your feeders?
Lorena Ávila says
March 27, 2015 at 6:44 pmHi Ben, if you have determined raccoons and you want to place a feeder outside, you need to protect it no matter the type of feeder. You can see here a photo of a feeder placed outside with special protection.
Ed says
April 17, 2015 at 11:39 amHi Lorena, thanks for all the useful information! Do you think there’s a way to configure the Pet Feedster so that two cats can eat separately? I was thinking I could attach some more tubing to the chute so that the kibble goes into two separate bowls.
Lorena Ávila says
April 18, 2015 at 12:33 amHello Ed, you could attach the PetFeedster to a Trixie Tunnel. You can see this idea here.
Yaz says
May 14, 2015 at 8:39 pmHi there,
Very useful article, thank you very much. I have two cats and I feed them about 1/2 cup of food twice a day. I’m looking for an automatic cat feeder because there is a weekend coming up where I’ll be out of town and I’m not sure I can get someone to swing by and watch them.
I like the relability of this feeder, but the price makes things a bit difficult. What would you suggest given my situation? I like the idea of getting this because I’m covered for longer trips as well, but I’m really not sure I can afford it.
Thank you.
Lorena Ávila says
May 15, 2015 at 5:44 pmHello Yaz! the Petfeedster is one of the most reliable automatic pet feeders because it works with AC adapter and batteries in conjunction. So if the electricity fails, the batteries keep the unit operating. The Petfeedster gives you the option to customize your cat’s feeding schedule as your convenience. It dispenses up to 5 times a day, from a minimum of 1 tablespoon at a time up to 6 cups of food.
If you need a feeder with a lower price you can check the Crown Majestic Diamond Series V3. If feeds up to 4 meals by day and the minimum amount is 1/4 cup at a time. Its food capacity, cat-proof design and dispensing features are not the same than the PetFeedster though ;-) Good luck!
Gwen Becker says
June 21, 2015 at 11:14 pmIf you set it to feed four times a day does it do that continuously day after day? Can you just use batteries and not plug in?
Lorena Ávila says
June 22, 2015 at 5:39 pmHello Gewn! yes, the PetFeedster continuously feeds your cat everyday at the programmed times. You can use only with batteries, however, the feeder’s main power source is AC Adapter, batteries are for backup in case of power outage.
Joyce Bennett says
August 11, 2015 at 12:58 pmI spend my winters in Florida and have 3 outside cats that need feeding during winter. They have access to garage thru cat door . unfortunately so do raccoon and possums occasionally. Just wondering if it is sturdy enough to keep them from getting at storage compartment I figure if I feed them at same time so food is gone when cats are done maybe I can discourage other animals if no food is present as long as they can’t break in storage compartment .
Lorena Ávila says
August 12, 2015 at 4:57 pmHello Joyce! the Pet Feedster is made from durable ABS material that ensures toughness and impact resistance. The lid is unlock twist type that requires human intelligence to unlock. If the raccoon in your area is big and stubborn he might still be able to damage the unit, but if it’s an average type of racconn he will just try for a while and then give up. Make sure to screw the chute’s protection so unwanted paws can’t access the food. Good luck!
Marina Simms says
June 23, 2016 at 5:57 amIs the food bowl attached to the unit, so the cat cannot dislodge it from under the chute?
Lorena Ávila says
June 24, 2016 at 11:57 pmHello Marina, the tray is removable and attached by inserting the tray into slots of the unit. It’s very firm and I highly doubt if any cat could move it from it. Check a Youtube video here and see how firm the tray is attached to the feeder.