Choosing the best automatic cat feeder isn’t always straightforward. How do you know if the device meets the needs of your feline?
In this article, we present the different types of models to help you make an informed choice!
Our Top 5 Best Automatic Cat Feeders
Investing in a high-quality automatic cat feeder or water fountain is a great choice for your feline’s health.
Animals, despite their great adaptability, generally prefer to have a regular feeding routine. Therefore, any sudden changes could potentially stress them out. It’s important to choose a feeder model that suits you from the outset to avoid subjecting your pet to multiple changes. Have you decided to get an automatic dry food feeder for your pet?
Here is our top 5 list of the best automatic cat feeders for your cat.
| Pet Feeder | Features | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Petkit | Best seller | On this website |
| 2. Puppy Kitty | Voice recording | On this website |
| 3. Puppy Kitty | With camera | On this website |
| 4. Balimo | Best quality-price ratio | On this website |
| 5. Surefeed | Electronic Chip Recognition | On this website |
No. 1: The Best PetKit Automatic Pet Feeder
The PetKit feeder is an automatic food dispenser for cats (and dogs as well). In addition to its large capacity (5.9 L), it is highly regarded for its app-connected feature. This app allows you to track your pet’s food consumption on your smartphone.
If you have doubts about the correct proportions to set, PetKit provides personalized advice based on your pet’s breed, age, weight, and activity level. With its “Immediate Feeding” command and the ability to set convenient feeding times for your cat, it acts as a true “guardian” for your pet.
According to many users, it is very easy to clean. The bowl part, made of stainless steel, can easily go in the dishwasher.
Planning a week-long vacation? Travel with peace of mind! The daily programming will automatically dispense the quantity of kibble you have set, at the time you have configured.
Your pet sitter just needs to come cuddle your feline.
No. 2: Puppy Kitty, the Best Feeder with Voice Recording
In the world of automatic pet feeders, the Puppy Kitty feeder enjoys a very good reputation. It offers a fairly substantial storage capacity (6.5 L).
Time and quantity are adjustable. The Puppy Kitty feeder can deliver up to 4 meals a day, with the option to record your voice for 8 seconds to signal to your furball. In case of a power outage, the battery power kicks in to ensure your cat is never left hungry. The material used is eco-friendly.
Puppy Kitty is easy to install and maintain, making it simple and hassle-free to use.
No. 3: Puppy Kitty – The Best Automatic Feeder with Camera
Puppy Kitty with a camera is an intelligent automatic pet feeder for cats. With its 4 L capacity, it allows you to control food distribution remotely via an app and interact with your cat in real-time, at any time. To ensure your companion always eats until satisfied, the device provides unlimited meals: from 10 to 100 g per meal. Naturally, you can adjust schedules and doses flexibly.
Puppy Kitty with a camera also offers easy cleaning and dual feeding mode to cope with potential power outages.
No. 4: Balimo – The Best Feeder with Facial Recognition
This is the last solution from our shortlist of the best automatic pet feeders. Houzetek offers a relatively small storage capacity compared to previous models, at 3.3 L. That said, in terms of features, it has absolutely nothing to envy.
This device is programmable, equipped with an HD camera with night vision, and allows real-time communication. It sends notifications to your phone when remaining kibble is less than 250 grams.
With Houzetek, you also have the ability to calculate the optimal feeding for your pet. Simply input their age, size, weight, and other information to develop an ideal nutrition plan. The removable food trays are also eco-friendly and easy to maintain. Dual feeding is also possible, thanks to either an adapter power supply or an integrated battery card.
No. 5: Surefeed – The Intelligent Feeder with Electronic Chip Recognition
Do you have multiple cats at home? Does one of your felines tend to steal from the other’s bowl?
With Surefeed Pet Feeder, no more problems. You can program the feeder to only open for one cat and control the dosage easily. Want to know more?
What is an automatic feeder for cats?
An automatic feeder for cats is a device that automates the feeding of your cat.
How does it work?
You program the number of meals and grams suitable for your companion daily. The machine takes care of the rest. It’s simple. It’s practical. It’s effective. It’s a real daily help.
However, like any device made by human hands, the automatic feeder for cats has many advantages but also some disadvantages.
Which ones? Let’s take a closer look.
The advantages of an automatic feeder
The advantages of an automatic feeder for cats are numerous.
In addition to its efficiency in optimally providing your furball with food, it facilitates the proper preservation of meals.
Indeed, the device is designed to preserve the properties of kibble. It also keeps them safe from dust, bacteria, and moisture. This prevents, among other things, your pet from developing health issues.
Furthermore, when you are away from your home or apartment, the cat feeder ensures that your companion is properly fed in your absence.
It is particularly useful in case of constraints related to your work and other daily activities, where it then becomes an indispensable ally in respecting your cat’s consumption habits and thus ensuring its well-being. In addition, the cat feeder is easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to handle.
Whether your pet prefers to eat in one go or nibble several times a day, the automatic feeder is functional enough to provide total satisfaction. It is an installation to be preferred in order to simplify your life. Not prone to forgetfulness, it allows your cat to always feed at the indicated times, whether you are present or not, based solely on your pre-established schedule.
The cat feeder also has the advantage of being a good ration manager. As a result, it helps to fight against food waste, protects your pet from gastric problems, and allows you to make substantial savings or extend the duration of use of a bag of kibble. But everything is not rosy…
The disadvantages of an automatic feeder
The automatic feeder, whether for cats or dogs, unfortunately has a few disadvantages. Among them, the points mentioned below are the most important:
Noise nuisance. Indeed, by providing food for your pet, the machine emits a more or less significant noise. This could either scare it or, on the contrary, be an adequate signal to indicate that it is time to eat. And voila! Your cat comes running.
Risk of overweight or undernutrition. If you have difficulty determining the appropriate doses for optimal feeding of your domestic cat, this could lead to problems of undernutrition — if the quantities indicated are too small or obesity — if the kibble served is always too much. Especially in the scenario where your companion is required to follow a stringent diet. To remedy this, make sure to strictly program the amount of kibble your cat should consume to be healthy and fit, as well as the appropriate feeding times. If in doubt, seek advice from their veterinarian or any other animal professional.
Also, monitor your pet’s weight after one or two weeks of using the device to ensure everything is going well.
Beyond these disadvantages, you also lose out on “quality” moments: the pleasure you can get from feeding your kitty yourself. That said, there is nothing stopping you from doing it from time to time — depending on your availability.
The different types of automatic feeders for cats
There are 3 main types of automatic feeders for cats:
- Classic Feeders These are basic devices, as the name suggests, without special options or features. They have the advantage of being very affordable in terms of price.
- Automatic Feeders Automatic feeders, as you now know, have the advantage of being fully autonomous. Do we still need to show you all their advantages?
- Connected Feeders (with Camera) These are the so-called “smart” models. Connected feeders with a camera allow you to monitor your cat from your phone, wherever you are, take photos, videos, see and talk in real-time to your adorable furball. With them, you have the possibility to capture unusual moments and share them online or with your loved ones.
Feeders with Facial Recognition
Even more modern than connected feeders, we find feeders with facial recognition of your pet. Perfect if you have multiple cats with specific dietary needs. This model will recognize your pet and deliver its content. If you have a cat flap and tend to have visitors, this is a good solution. Neighborhood cats won’t come to steal your pet’s kibble.
How to choose the right cat feeder
Choosing a cat feeder is not done ex nihilo. For an installation that suits the needs of your cat and your lifestyle, you must consider essential criteria:
Your Cat’s Diet
Your pet’s diet is the first criterion to consider. Indeed, most cat feeders define a diameter above which food cannot pass. So, if your cat follows a dry diet or only consumes a particular type of kibble (find our article on the best cat kibble), make sure beforehand that the diameter of these is compatible with your device.
Functional Safety
Safety is obviously a fundamental criterion. Moreover, the best automatic cat feeder is above all one that offers the best safety performance. In your absence, your cat must indeed be able to feed without danger. The devices we presented all meet very strict safety standards. Their plastic, generally ABS, is food-safe and of excellent quality, without risk to your pet. The notification system and dual feeding mode they possess ensure that your furball will never be deprived of meals.
Average Time of Your Absences
How much time do you spend away from home on average?The answer to this question will also be decisive in choosing your cat feeder. Cats, as you know, eat several times a day, ideally at regular hours and with adequate rations.So, if you plan, for example, to travel for several days, prioritize a device that offers daily scheduling of multiple meals, despite a possible Wi-Fi outage. If, on the other hand, you’re into the routine of subway, work, sleep, a simpler solution might be
In short, what is the best automatic cat feeder?
It is simply the one that perfectly matches your cat’s consumption habits while adapting to your lifestyle.
Do you like everything that is new technology?
Opt for a connected cat feeder or a feeder with recognition. Otherwise, a device with fewer features might suit you.
In any case, in the top 4 presented above, you will find your happiness and that of your cat.
Your Budget for this Feeder
Of course, the choice of this feeder will depend a lot on your budget. There are feeders for all prices with more or fewer options. A multi-option connected feeder will require a higher budget than a simple plastic feeder.