It’s home-time after a long day at work, you hop in the car and are ready to go home. The only thing you’re thinking about is your furry friends waiting at the door for cuddles and dinner. It’s a long drive to see your four-legged friends and traffic never helps. “My poor Toby and Felix” you whisper to yourself.
Two hours later, you finally park in your driveway. You grab your bag and keys and run to the door to see your dog and cat. There they are, Toby with his wagging tail and Felix rubbing you with his tail and purring, they’re both so happy to see you. “Hello my babies,” you say to them and give them a big hug. You throw your keys and bag on the table and run to the kitchen to fill up their dry food, which has been empty since this morning.
You feel so sorry for them and wondering how can you solve this problem because you know that nutrition it’s vital for their well-being.
It’s four o’clock in the morning, Felix and Toby are trying to wake you up because their eating schedule has been affected (again).
If this sounds like something you’ve been going through, keep reading, this article is for you!
WHAT ARE AUTOMATIC PET FEEDERS AND HOW DO THEY WORK?
Automatic food dispensers are configurable feeders built to give your cat or dog their appropriate nutrition at custom set times.
They generally work by filling up the device’s storage and setting up an internal timer. When it’s time for your pet to eat, the automatic feeder will dispense the right amount of food.
In this article we’re explaining the pros and cons of our favorite timed pet feeders, but before we dive in, we’re answering some frequently asked questions about these useful devices.
WHO SHOULD PURCHASE AN AUTOMATIC FEEDER?
Automatic feeders might be a solution if you related to Toby and Felix’s owner. You’re away from home for most of the day and don’t have anyone to feed your pets. Make sure to give them extra love when you get home and don’t leave them alone for over 8 hours depending on the pet’s needs.
An automatic cat or dog feeder also would be a good idea if you:
- Need to control their amount of food: for example, your vet recommended your dog to lose weight
- Have pets with a prescribed or special diet
- Have a busy life and travel a lot: best if you also have someone who can monitor your pet, such as pet sitters or family member
TYPES OF TIMED PET FOOD DISPENSERS
When choosing the right automatic pet feeders, take into account the following classification:
- Multi-household pet feeders
- Automatic cat feeder: specially designed for cats
- Automatic dog feeders: best features for dogs
- Dry food dispenser
- Wet food dispenser
- Smart feeder
WHAT FEATURES DO PET AUTOMATIC FEEDERS HAVE?
Features depend on the model of the automatic feeder. Some amazing and cool features will make your pet’s experience even better! Here is a list with some of them:
- Voice recording: nothing more comforting for your furry friend than your voice!
- camera: for those times you’re missing your canine or feline bestie (I’m always missing my two furry babies so I will always have the camera on)
- Apps: so many customizable options and tracking of your pet’s feeding times
- Automatic stop cover or lid: to avoid pet’s going after the wrong meal
- ID or microchip scan: for multi-pet households
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST FEEDER DEVICE?
There are dozens of automatic pet feeders in the market, and to find which one works best for you, consider the following questions:
- How many pets do you have?
- Do you have a cat or a dog?
- Are any of your pets in a particular diet?
- What features are you looking for in an automatic feeder?
- What’s your budget?
- What size are you looking for?
- What size kibble is your pet consuming?
No matter which one you’re choosing, it’s important to look for:
- Quality products
- Easy to clean
- Warranty
- Heavy so that Toby and Felix can’t knock the feeder over
A GUIDE TO OUR FAVORITES AUTOMATIC FEEDERS
WOPET Automatic Pet Feeder F05
Features
- Food storage capacity: 18 cups
- Voice recording (10 seconds)
- Dimensions: 7.8×13.5x13inch (19.8×34.2x33cm)
- Schedule up to 6 timed feedings per day
- Dual power supply (batteries and plug)
- Removable food tray and container to maintain hygiene
Pros
- This automatic pet feeder has an anti-jam design which makes it easy to fix if the kibble gets stuck
- Affordable
- Light indicator when the container is low
- Easy to use
Cons
- It can take time for the feeder to figure out the right size portion
- The customizable portions may not be enough for a large-breed dog
WOPET Automatic Pet Feeder F03
Features
- Food storage capacity: 12 cups
- Voice recording (10 seconds)
- Dimensions: 15x11x8inch (38x28x20cm)
- Schedule up to 4 timed feedings per day
- Dual power supply (batteries and plug)
- Control food portions from 5-195g per feeding
- Built-in programmable timer with a digital screen
Pros:
- Cheapest
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Designed for cats and small dogs
- Non-removable food tray
WOPET Automatic Pet Feeder F01
Features
- Food storage capacity: 1.5 kg of food
- Voice recording (10 seconds)
- Dimensions: 14×9.6×14.7inch (24.5×35.5×37.5cm)
- Schedule up to 4 timed feedings per day
- Dual power supply (batteries and plug)
- Control food portions from 5g-390g per feeding
- Built-in programmable timer with a digital screen
- Removable food tray and container to maintain hygiene
Pros:
- Suitable for medium and small dogs
- Large storage capacity
- Affordable
Cons:
- It might be challenging to learn how to measure the right amount of food per portion
- Toby and Felix might knock food out of it
WAGZ Serve Smart Feeder
Features:
- Food storage capacity: 19 cups
- Smart feeder
- Built-in camera and audio
- Smart feeder
- Set feedings from a smartphone (this can be a drawback if the app doesn’t connect properly to the feeder or you leave your phone at home)
- WAGZ has other appliances such as collars that can connect to the same app
Pros:
- Camera and audio to interact with your pets
- ID smart pendant, so the pet eats their meal (No more Toby eating Felix’s food)
- Automatic lid
- Anti-jam design
- If you purchase WAGZ food, the machine will read the levels of food in the storage area and will re-order it if you’re running low
Cons:
- Expensive
PETSAFE Smart Feed
Features:
- Food storage capacity: 18 cups
- Dimensions: 9.4” W x 20.3” L x 12.6” H
- Schedule up to 12 timed feedings per day
- Dual power supply (batteries and plug)
- Smart feeder
Pros:
- Slow food dispense option with a duration of 15 minutes. This is ideal for pets that eat fast and can prevent vomiting or other health issues
- The feeder can dispense dry and semi-moist food
Cons:
- If you have a bad wi-fi connection, it’s hard to schedule feeding times
- Expensive
And the winner is…
After reviewing the products, we concluded that there’s actually no winner. Every product we chose in this article has its own unique features and are of high-quality.
Here’s how we broke them down:
- If you have more than one pet and are looking to interact with them while you’re at work, your best option would be: WAGZ Serve Smart Feeder
- If you’re on a budget and have a kitty friend or small dog, our choice would be: WOPET Automatic Pet Feeder F03
- If you’re looking for something for a great price and that covers the necessary functions for cats, medium-breed and small-breed dogs, your solutions would be: WOPET Automatic Pet Feeder F05 or WOPET Automatic Pet Feeder F01
- If you want a feeder that can dispense semi-moist food and has a unique slow dispensing option, the PETSAFE Smart Feed may be your way to go
If you decide to buy one of these automatic pet feeders, we would love to know your experience! Send us a message on our social media.
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