If you own a cat, there’s a pretty good chance your cat has woken you up to beg for food on at least one occasion. A hungry cat doesn’t care if you’re supposed to get a couple extra hours of sleep on Saturday morning. He knows when his food comes, and if it’s late, he’s going to let you know about it.
Cats crave regularity. Keeping your cat on a regular feeding schedule has a ton of benefits. If your cat gets fed according to a set schedule, he’s way less likely to beg you to feed him. This means fewer morning wake-up calls, fewer coincidental strolls in front of the TV, and fewer items swatted off of tables. Controlling your cat’s feeding time also can help control when they nap, since cats tend to take pretty heavy naps following a meal. Feeding your cat at night before you go to bed can help your cat sleep while you sleep. Plus, scheduled feeding can help you manage your cat’s weight more effectively by maintaining set portions.
For many of us, maintaining a regular feeding schedule for our cat can be a challenge since our own schedules are full of irregularity. That’s where an automatic cat feeder can be a huge help.
Reasons for Using an Automatic Feeder
- Allows you to leave your cat unattended for a bit
- Lets you feed your cat at regular times even if work keeps you out of the house during irregular hours
- Allows you to manage feeding of multiple cats, feeding different foods to different cats at different times
- In multi-pet homes, prevents food stealing from other pets
- Prevents your cat from eating all of his food too quickly
- Keeps you cat’s food fresh right up until the moment it’s served
Critical Considerations When Choosing an Automatic Feeder
- Wet vs. Dry: Most models can handle dry food, but only a few can handle wet food
- Size: Make sure the feeder is capable of handling the kibble size of your cat’s favorite foods. If your cat likes a food with large kibble chunks, make sure to keep this in mind when choosing a feeder
- Capacity: How much can your feeder hold?
- Timer: Can you program exactly when feeding occurs?
- Ease of Use: How hard is it to program the feeder?
- Power: Is it battery powered or do you need to plug it in?
The 6 Best Automatic Cat Feeders of 2018
We’ve assembled a list of the six best automatic cat feeders that are currently on the market in 2018. We plan on keeping this list updated as new models are released, so stay posted!
6. Super Feeder Automatic Cat Feeder CSF-3
Specifications
- Dimensions: 11 x 10 x 15 in.
- Weight: 5 lbs
- Power: AC Adapter
- Wet Food Compatible?: No
- Dry Food Compatible?: Yes
- Capacity: 4.75 cups
Description
The Super Feeder Automatic Cat Feeder (developed by Super Feeder) has a much more mechanical looking design than the other feeders on this list. It doesn’t hold quite as much as some of the other feeders, but it also has some pretty unique features. It can even be connected to a home automation system such as Alexa.
By default, the Super Feeder is equipped to hold up to 4.75 cups of dry food. However, you can purchase an extension that increases the feeder’s storage capacity. Food is kept safely within the chamber using a polycarbonate lid. It works best with kibbles that are 0.25” in diameter.
The Super Feeder does not give you the option to operate it using batteries. This may be a problem if your cat’s feeding area is in an area where there are no convenient power outlets.
One of the biggest downsides of the Super Feeder is that it cannot be programmed digitally. Instead, you have to use a separate analog timer piece that plugs into your wall outlet. However, the use of the analog timer gives you the ability to program up to 48 feedings per day. That’s way more feedings than you should ever need, but it’s nice to know you have that kind of flexibility.
Ratings
- Value: 7
- Design: 6
- Quality & Durability: 7
- Special Features: 7
- Easy of Use: 7
Final Rating: 6.2 / 10.0
5. WOpet 7L Pet Feeder
Specifications
- Dimensions: 13.7 x 9.8 x 15.3 in.
- Weight: 6 lbs
- Power: 3 D Batteries or AC Adapter
- Wet Food Compatible?: No
- Dry Food Compatible?: Yes
- Capacity: 7 L
Description
The WOpet 7L Pet Feeder has the highest capacity of any of the feeders on our list. This feeder gives you the option of setting the volume of food to be dispensed at a feeding. You can choose a portion size ranging from 2 teaspoons to up to 4.5 cups. The feeder lets you choose what times during the day it should release food. You can set it to provide up to four meals per day.
The WOpet also gives you the option of recording a custom message to play whenever your cat’s food is released. It comes with a built in microphone and lets you record up to 10 seconds, so feel free to be creative.
The capacity of the WOpet feeder is one of its nicest features. Additionally, the feeding tray is dishwasher safe, and you can remove the food storage container for easy cleaning.
Ratings
- Value: 8
- Design: 7
- Quality & Durability: 6
- Special Features: 7
- Easy of Use: 7
Final Rating: 7.0 / 10.0
4. HoneyGuaridan A26 Automatic Pet Feeder
Specifications
- Weight: 4.3 lbs
- Power: 3 D Batteries or AC Adapter
- Wet Food Compatible?: No
- Dry Food Compatible?: Yes
- Capacity: 12 cups
Description
The HoneyGuaridan A26 Automatic Pet Feeder is one of the coolest looking feeders on our list, resembling a small robot. This feeder, developed by HoneyGuaridan, allows you to program in your cat’s portion size, giving you the option of setting a meal size anywhere from 1/32 cup to 4 cups.
The dispenser on the HoneyGuaridan feeder has a twist lock to prevent your cat from prying it open and stealing all of the food. You can program it to feed your cat up to six times per day. It also comes with an infrared sensor that is used to detect the amount of food in the bowl at any given time. If the sensor detects that the bowl is full, it will stop dispensing until the level of the food in the bowl drops.
Check out this video to learn more about how the HoneyGuaridan works:
Like the WOpet feeder which also appears on this list, the HoneyGuaridan feeder lets you record a custom greeting to play each time your cat is fed. The built in recorder gives you up to 12 seconds of recording time.
The HoneyGuaridan feeder is not equipped to handle food larger than 0.39” x 0.39”, making it unsuitable for larger kibble sizes. It comes with a one-year warranty.
Ratings
- Value: 7
- Design: 8
- Quality & Durability: 6
- Special Features: 7
- Easy of Use: 7
Final Rating: 7.0 / 10.0
3. PetSafe 5-Meal Pet Feeder
Specifications
- Dimensions: 15 x 5 x 18 in.
- Weight: 3.28 lbs
- Power: 4 D Batteries
- Wet Food Compatible?: Yes
- Dry Food Compatible?: Yes
- Capacity: Approx. 5 x 1-cup compartments
Description
If you’re looking for a bargain automatic feeder, the PetSafe 5-Meal Pet Feeder should definitely be your go-to. Developed by PetSafe, it’s easily the cheapest automatic feeder on this list, and it costs less than half the price of the next cheapest feeder. That being said, it also has a lot very positive feedback from tons of satisfied customers. If your cat doesn’t need all the bells and whistles of a fancier feeder, then PetSafe 5-Meal feeder may be perfect for you.
As the name suggests, the PetSafe 5-Meal feeder can hold up to five meals at once. Unfortunately, one of those meals is going to be exposed to your pet as soon as the feeder is set up, meaning that, in reality, you can automatically feed your cat four meals in addition to one manual feeding. On the plus side, it’s wet food compatible, and it’s dishwasher safe.
The PetSafe 5-Meal feeder is fully programmable and allows you to select what time each meal is made available to your cat. You can program the feeder for up to four meals within a single day or for a single meal delivered at the same time on four consecutive days.
One word of caution regarding this feeder: if your cat is particularly motivated, he may be able to force the feeder to advance with his paw. However, for most cats, the feeder is strong enough to prevent your cat from forcing the bowl to advance.
Considering how much less expensive it is than the other feeders on this list, the PetSafe 5-Meal feeder is pretty slick. It gives you just enough flexibility to allow you to regiment your cat’s feeding schedule without crushing your wallet.
Ratings
- Value: 9
- Design: 8
- Quality & Durability: 7
- Special Features: 5
- Easy of Use: 9
Final Rating: 7.6 / 10.0
2. SureFeed Microchip Feeder
Specifications
- Dimensions: 12.6 x 9.1 x 7.9 in.
- Weight: 2.2 lbs
- Power: 4 C Batteries
- Wet Food Compatible?: Yes
- Dry Food Compatible?: Yes
- Capacity: Approx. 0.5 oz (14.8 mL)
Description
The SureFeed Microchip Feeder, developed by Sure Petcare, is unlike any other feeder on this list. It interacts with an RFID chip installed on your cat’s collar. Whenever a cat sticks his head through the entrance ring mounted on the front end of the feeder, the feeder automatically scans the cat’s RFID chip.
Using data that has been programmed into the feeder based on your specific cat’s RFID chip, the feeder will open automatically, letting your cat have his dinner. If your cat’s RFID chip does not match the feeder’s programming, the food chamber stays shut. This feeder is perfect for households with multiple cats, especially if one cat is on a restricted diet or is taking a prescription food. The feeder “knows” which cat is trying to eat food at any given time, allowing it to prevent your cats from stealing each others food.
You can either use a pre-existing microchip that has been implanted in your cat, or you can use a microchip embedded in a collar that comes with the feeder. In total, the SureFeed is capable of holding data for up to 32 different pets.
One of the downsides of the SureChip feeder is that it has a pretty small capacity. Some of the other feeders on this list are definitely more appropriate if you want your feeder to operate for several meals. However, the SureChip feeder is wet-food compatible, which gives it a large advantage.
The SureFeed isn’t cheap, but at least it comes with a 3-year warranty. It’s also the only feeder on the market that uses RFID technology to identify specific cats and respond accordingly, making it worthy of its price tag.
Ratings
- Value: 6
- Design: 9
- Quality & Durability: 9
- Special Features: 9
- Easy of Use: 8
Final Rating: 8.2 / 10.0
1. PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Dog and Cat Feeder
Specifications
- Dimensions: 20.3 x 9.4 x 5.65 in.
- Weight: 5.65 lbs
- Power: 4 D Batteries or AC Adapter
- Wet Food Compatible?: No
- Dry Food Compatible?: Yes
- Capacity: 24 cups
Description
The PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Dog and Cat Feeder is a cat feeder for the 21st century. It’s jam-packed with ultra-modern features and capabilities. Plus it also holds a large amount of food, so it can be used for an extended period of time.
Check out this video for a brief introduction to the PetSafe Smart Feed feeder.
The PetSafe Smart Feed feeder includes a Slow Feed option that gradually dispenses food over a 15 minute period. This is perfect if you have a cat like mine that tends to eat too quickly whenever he’s particularly hungry. This reduces the chance that your cat may throw up after eating too quickly.
You can program this feeder to provide up to 12 meals per day, ranging in size from ⅛ cup to 4 cups per meal. Food is stored in a hopper with a locking lid and is deposited into the bowl via a cat-proof dispenser to prevent your cat from fishing out extra food. The feeder’s lid, hopper, bowl, and bowl holder area all dishwasher safe.
One of the coolest features of the PetSafe Smart Feed feeder is that it can send you alerts to let it know whenever it has completed a feeding. You can program it by connecting it to your phone using Wi-Fi. Be aware, though, that Wi-Fi is required to program the feeder. If a Wi-Fi signal is lost after it has been programmed, you may not receive alerts, but your cat will still be fed as programmed.
The PetSafe Smart Feed feeder is a bit more expensive than your average automatic feeder. Fortunately, it boasts more unique features than any of the other feeders on our list, making it well worth the price.
Ratings
- Value: 6
- Design: 10
- Quality & Durability: 9
- Special Features: 10
- Easy of Use: 8
Final Rating: 8.6 / 10.0
Final Verdict
Based on our assessment, the PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Dog and Cat Feeder (8.6 / 10.0) is the best feeder on the market right now. It’s a little pricey for some, which makes PetSafe’s other offering, the PetSafe 5-Meal Pet Feeder (7.6 / 10.0), a great alternative for the budget-conscious. If you have a multi-cat household and you’re struggling with keeping your cats from eating each other’s food, the SureFeed Microchip Feeder (8.2 / 10.0) may make your life easier. If you really want to greet your pet with a recording, the WOpet 7L Pet Feeder (7.0 / 10.0) or the HoneyGuaridan A26 Automatic Pet Feeder (7.0 / 10.0) will make a fine choice. And the Super Feeder Automatic Cat Feeder (6.2 / 10.0) will be your best bet if you need to schedule several very small feedings throughout the day.