There’s plenty of pet tech to help you keep your furry friend safe, fed, and entertained. With so many options, however, it can prove challenging to choose the right one. We’ll show you how to choose the best automatic pet feeder for your cat or dog and highlight some of the great options available on the market today.
Pet Feeders With Wi-Fi Allow You to Program a Feeding Schedule
Some pet feeders have digital timers that let you customize your pet’s feeding schedule. Look for a pet feeder with connectivity for easier programming.
You can use the timer to program customized mealtimes. But you can also program the automatic feeder using an app if you choose one with Wi-Fi connectivity.
The PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Dog and Cat Feeder is one of several pet feeders with Wi-Fi connectivity. You can download the My PetSafe app for free and it also works with Amazon Echo so you can control it with voice commands.
Look for Feeder Portioning Capabilities if Your Pet Has a Strict Diet
Suppose you only want your dog or cat to eat a half cup of food per day. If so, look for an automatic pet feeder that allows you to provide small portion control with accuracy.
You’ll need to compare your pet’s recommended diet in grams to the smallest portion a feeder can disperse. For instance, some feeders can dispense a minimum of 10 grams. Most feeders let you program a small portion as many times as needed throughout the day.
The PetLibro Granary Camera Monitoring Feeder, for instance, lets you dispense small pet meals as small as 10 grams a day. That’s equal to about a 12th cup of kibble.
Feed Compatibility Is Important to Avoid Pet Feeder Jams
Your automatic feeder needs to be able to handle the size and type of your pet’s kibble. Also, pet food with odd shapes, like flowers, fish, and stars tend to jam automatic feeders that have chutes. Meanwhile, kibble that’s too flat and small can also cause problems. Luckily, some automatic feeders allow you to adjust the chute to accommodate various feed sizes.
With the PetSafe 5 Meal Pet Feeder, you can avoid this issue altogether. It uses a covered dish-type feeding mechanism that enables you to avoid the chute jamming issue. This means you can set out any food you like, and not have to worry about the automatic pet feeder jamming or sticking.
Look for Pet Feeders With Backup Power to Guard Against Interruptions
Backup power is an important feature for pet feeders. For example, the PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed automatic feeder works with batteries. You can also purchase an AC wall adapter to ensure your pet’s feeding schedule isn’t interrupted.
Battery backup is also helpful because it saves your settings if the power goes out. It’s a good feature to have if you don’t like the idea of reprogramming the feeder. Some feeders have a digital internal memory that will save your settings temporarily, even if both your battery backup and AC power fail. This feature is a great way to ensure you don’t lose your settings when you change batteries or unplug the device.
The Whisker Feeder Robot, for instance, also allows you to use both battery and AC power. The battery backup will save your settings and provide 24 hours of automatic pet feeder function.
Dual power sources offer another benefit. They enable you to ensure your pet receives meals—even if the power goes out. Backup power also becomes very important if you need to leave your pet alone for several days. The automatic pet feeder will keep dispensing no matter what because it has a battery backup. More importantly, you’ll ensure your pet stays healthy and happy.
Consider Feeder Security If Your Pet Is Extra Curious
Pets follow their instincts—which often include curiosity and hunger. As a result, you should also consider the security of an automatic pet feeder. Security is especially important if your pet works fasteners and containers like Harry Houdini.
In most cases, you’re safe with a feeder that portions out food regularly. However, some pets like to overindulge. If this sounds like your pet, you’ll need to look for a more secure automatic pet feeder.
Consider the Sure Petcare Microchip Pet Feeder if you need an extra secure pet feeder. You can also use it to feed a special diet to only one of your pets. It allows you to single out a pet for special meals using either a pet identification microchip or the SureFlap RFID collar tag.
Make Feeding a Breeze With an Automatic Pet Feeder
You most likely love your pet, or pets, just as much as you love gadgets. With the right automatic pet feeder, you can make sure you’re taking good care of your furry friend and fulfilling your craving for gadgets.
These tips should help you choose the right automatic pet feeder for your cat or dog. They’ll make feeding time much easier. More importantly, your pet will never miss a meal.
