Tips for choosing the best automatic cat feeder
How do automatic cat feeders work?
There are two different types of automatic cat feeder – a simple feeder that opens up different segments of pre-portioned food at a particular time to give your cat access to it. The other works from a hopper device which dishes out food depending on the size of portion you’ve programmed into it.
The latter is better to give you more control over portion size – if you need to change it, you can easily do so. With the simpler model, the portion size is down to you and the device simply reveals it.
What kind of food can be used in automatic cat feeders?
It differs from model to model – the feeders which work from a hopper can only work with dry cat food, and the models that simply reveal an enclosed panel can be used with any type of cat food.
Is it a good idea to use automated feeders?
Many house cats are fine to be left home alone while you’re at work or out for the evening, but it isn’t recommended to leave them home alone for too long. Most cats can be left home for 24 hours, but kittens shouldn’t be left home for more than a few hours (roughly 1 hour per month of age).
It’s common for people to leave food out for cats when they go out, but like dogs, cats will tend to eat anything that’s put in front of them and if they eat up too early, they may end up hungry again before you’re home. If you were to leave out too much food, it wouldn’t be good for the cat, so an automated solution works well as it lets you control portions and the time of day your cat eats.
Every cat is different but most cat owners will know what’s best for them.
The Best Automatic Cat Feeders Compared
Here’s our selection of the best automated cat feeders in the UK
Roffie Automatic Cat Feeder UMEI Smart Pet Automatic Feeder Cat Mate C500 Automatic Feeder Automatic Cat Feeder Puppy Kitty Automatic Pet Feeder
Roffie Automatic Cat Feeder
1. Roffie Automatic Cat Feeder
The Roffie Automatic Cat Feeder is a wonderful hopper-driven feeder that lets you program how much food should be in each of the 4 possible daily portions. Each portion is controlled in 5g increments, up to 390g, which means you can schedule main meals and even a few smaller treats for your cat during the day.
The sleek design looks at home in any kitchen, it’s extremely well constructed and can be washed in the dishwasher. The lid on the top is also well-secured just in case your feline friends try to figure out where the magical source of food comes from!
The feeder comes with a mains adapter and will run from the mains, but you can also add batteries as a back up. In case of a power cut, the feeder will still continue to feed your cat.
One great little feature is the ability to record short voice messages to trigger at feeding times (“here kitty”, etc) – that’s a great way to get your cat accustomed to using it when you’re not around.
- Portion control system lets you program different amounts of food.
- A larger capacity hopper than most, with 7 litres.
- Voice recording – record a message for your cat to help train them.
Our verdict…
The Roffie Automatic Cat Feeder is a good, all-round dry food feeder. While it’s priced slightly higher than other models in this guide, it looks great, does everything you need it to and the larger capacity means you won’t need to top it up as often.
UMEI Smart Pet Automatic Feeder
2. UMEI Smart Pet Automatic Feeder
The Smart Pet Automatic Feeder from UMEI is another great little feeder that allows you to carefully control the portions that your cat has access to (again, in 5g increments up to 195g, although it comes with a 10g dispenser wheel you can use to replace the 5g if you want).
This is just a super-simple automatic feeder that allows you program up to 4 meals per day via the control panel on the front. It looks good and wouldn’t be out of place in any kitchen. The hopper is notably smaller than the previous model though (3 litres), but that isn’t too much of a problem for every day use – you might only need to fill it up every couple of weeks.
Like some of the other models, this also allows you to record short voice messages to trigger when the meal is scheduled.
- Portion control system lets you program different amounts of food.
- Voice recording – record a message for your cat to help train them.
- Dual power supply.
Our verdict…
This is a reasonably priced automated feeder that has a few nice features, looks good, is compact enough to be fine for smaller rooms and does everything you need it to do.
Cat Mate C500 Automatic Feeder
3. Cat Mate C500 Automatic Feeder
Cat Mate are a wonderful brand when it comes to pet products and the C500 Automatic Feeder is no exception. Unlike other hopper driven feeders which can only distribute dry cat food, the C500 is a timed rotation feeder which can serve both dry and wet food.
The system is simple – there are 5 segments, one of which is “open” at any given time. You simply set the timer to rotate the open segment to the next food portion as required, and this can be done up to 4 days in advance. As it’s a much simpler solution, the feeder takes up less space and it’s presence shouldn’t confuse nervous cats as it looks more like a normal cat bowl.
The feeder also comes with twin ice packs in the bottom which are used to keep wet food cool for longer – they should be able to keep it cool for 1 to 2 days (depending on the ambient temperature of the room).
While the limited storage capacity is a drawback, the lower price than other automated models and the simplicity of the C500 is what makes it a good choice.
- Up to 5 portions.
- Twin ice packs in the bottom help keep food fresh.
- This is a timed rotation feeder.
Our verdict…
This is a great low to mid priced cat feeder, which is ideal for cats that are fed on wet food. A fairly-priced product from an excellent brand.
Automatic Cat Feeder
4. Automatic Cat Feeder
This is a lovely little rotation automatic feeder for cats and small pets. Like the C500, it can hold 4 portions of wet or dry food (or treats if you wish) and you simply program it to open each segment at specific times. It also has a water tray on top, on which you can add water bottle (bought separately) to keep the water topped up throughout the day. You can even use a 500ml soft drink bottle if you don’t want to buy the official version.
Like other feeders, this also allows you to record voice messages to trigger when the food is served, making it a great little personal touch for your cats.
Although the unit is pretty small, its base has a non-slip design to prevent your cats nudging it across the room if they try to get into the sealed sections before they’re meant to.
- Voice recording – record a message for your cat to help train them.
- The feeder can serve wet or dry food.
- Separate water bottle attachment can be bought to serve water.
Our verdict…
This a great budget automatic feeder for dry or wet food, which comes with the added benefit of being able to attach a water bottle to keep the water tray topped up.
Puppy Kitty Automatic Pet Feeder
5. Puppy Kitty Automatic Pet Feeder
The most expensive automatic feeder on our list, this model from Puppy Kitty is a great looking, large capacity hopper-driven feeder. Like some of the other models, it can only serve dry cat food – the hopper holds 6.5 litres of food and you can program it to serve in increments of 5g portions.
One nice little feature of this unit is the build in alarm system that reminds you when the hopper needs to be filled up – a great way to avoid coming home to grumpy kittys who only got half portions!
The modern design looks good and the unit is well-constructed with non-slip rubber feet on the underside to prevent it moving when your cats attack the food it dispenses. The feeder keeps dry food fresh prior to dispensing, so your cats will be more likely to take to it (particularly if they’re more fussy eaters or prefer wet food).
- Portion control system lets you program different amounts of food.
- Voice recording – record a message for your cat to help train them.
- Built in alarm to remind you to fill up the hopper.
Our verdict…
This is a wonderful gadget that will help you tame the demands of impatient cats! While it’s priced higher than others on this guide, it is a high quality feeder and certainly worth the price.
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