If you have more than one cat like us, you’ll understand it can be tricky to organize their meal times. Amongst all the daily to-dos, I sometimes feel quite overwhelmed.
That’s when my husband suggested the best automatic cat feeders. Automatic cat feeding is a really convenient way of ensuring that Lilo’s basic feeding needs are met.
Best Automatic Cat Feeders Comparison Table
| Best Automatic Cat Feeder | Check Price: | Food Storage Capacity | Meal Servings Per Day | My Rating Out of 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Petsafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed - Automatic Cat Feeder | Check Latest Price Here | 12 pounds | 12 meals | 4.7 |
Feed and Go Smart Feeder | Check Latest Price Here | 24 oz | 6 meals | 4.6 |
Ergo Systems Cat Feeder | Check Latest Price Here | 5 pounds | 8 meals | 4.5 |
Robotic Dry Feeder Food Dispenser by Cat Mate | Check Latest Price Here | 6.5 pounds | 3 meals | 4.4 |
Diamond Series V3 Cat Feeder by Crown Majestic  | Check Latest Price Here | 4.4 pounds | 4 meals | 4.3 |
Petsafe 5Meal Automatic Dispenser Feeder | Check Latest Price Here | 5 cups | 5 meals | 4.3 |
Six Meals Dispenser | Check Latest Price Here | 4.5 to 6 cups | 6 meals | 4.6 |
Lentek 6-Day Automatic Cat Feeder  | Check Latest Price Here | 3.3 cups | 6 meals | 4.5 |
Aspen Le Bistro Portion-Control Automatic Feeder  | Check Latest Price Here | 5 pounds tank size | 3 meals | 4.3 |
Eatwell 2 Meal Automatic Dispenser | Check Latest Price Here | 1.5 cups 2 portions per day | 2 meals | 4.0 |
Bergan Gourmet Food and Waterers Automatic Feeder | Check Latest Price Here | 13 pounds | no programming, constant food | 4.2 |
WoPet Automatic | Check Latest Price Here | 7 litres food capacity | 4 meals per day | 4.0 |
Best Automatic Cat Feeders (2020)
1. PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Cat Feeder
This best automatic cat feeder from Petsafe Healthy Pet is like the mega sized of the lot! I love that I can allocate Program up to 12 meals each day with very flexible meal sizes from 1/8 cup to 4 cups. It can hold dry and semi-moist cat food and can put up to 24 cups in the large hopper. This makes it suitable for cats and dogs of all sizes.
The best feature is its Slow Feed Mode that slowly dispenses portion size greater than 1/8 cup over a 15 minute period. This is to prevent your cat from eating fast. This automatic cat feeder helps fast gobblers like my cat and helps prevent digestion problems in the long run.
The Pause Feed Mode also lets you stop feeding immediately but it doesn’t cancel your programming. Very helpful if you have a temporary schedule change. You can simply resume programming with a click of a button. The main disadvantage of this Petsafe Healthy Pet Simply cat feeder is that you can’t know how much cat food is there left in the hopper.
The cat feeder bowl is also a stainless steel bowl (a lot safer than plastics!). It’s also dishwasher safe. The hopper is made of BPA free plastic and you can rest assured that it’s safe and non toxic for your dog or cat.
Its construction and design is rather solid and stable. This means if you have any hyper active, strong dogs or even cats, you won’t have to worry about it tipping over.
One thing that can be improved is that there is no clear monitor level of when the food runs out. It’s a little hard to tell when the supply is running low. It’s quite simple though. You just have to pop the top lid and have a quick look. Easy peasy!
The Petsafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Cat Feeder is an excellent choice if you plan many meal throughout the day and want a feeder which you can tailor to your pet needs.
Features:
- Dry kibble and semi-moist foods for your cat or dog
- 1/8 cup to 4 cups serving sizes
- Stainless Steel Bowl
- 12 meals each day
- Programmable LCD screen display
- Can dispense food in Slow Feeding Mode over 15 minutes.
2. Feed and Go Smart Feeder
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Feed and Go claims this is the only feeder that can dispense both wet and dry food! Use it to dispense medication as well. Designed to be ‘smart’, you can connect it to your home wifi. Then, use your iOS or Android app to select your feed schedule.
This super useful feeder even has a webcam so you can monitor your dog or cat. It’s a 2 in 1! I love the 6 compartments which lets me dispense 8oz cup per compartment. You can use it for multiple cats too. This automatic feeder for cats also has a microphone built in. You can schedule up to 6 meals daily and control the feeder from your phone.
The main disadvantage of this automatic cat feeder is that you cannot control it without the Internet. However, if you work in an office environment where you know you’ll have access to Wi-Fi, then this might be the best option for you to ensure your pet is well fed and feeling satisfied.
Features:
- Wet or dry food
- 6 compartments of 8oz each
- Has a webcam
- Multiple cats and multiple meals a day!
- Control everything via iOS or Android app
3. Ergo Systems Cat Feeder
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This small automatic Ergo feeder was designed to feed small cats or dogs, like a small pup. You can program it to release small quantities, such as 4 to 5 kibbles of food if necessary.
With adjustable meal servings, this automatic feeder is suitable for cats and dogs with health problems that need to be monitored and follow a specific feeding schedule.
It dispenses food slowly to prevent kibbles from piling up. This is also helpful to prevent fast eating, indigestion and bloating. The Ergo automatic feeder is the best to keep track of smaller quantities when you’re not able to monitor your pet’s eating habits 24/7.
Features:
- 5lbs tank size
- Dry foods only
- Can be programmed for a small quantities such 4 to 5 kibbles of food if need.
- 8 meals each day
- Digital cat timer feeder with battery backup for programs
- Works with AC adapter and with batteries as backup for programs
4. Robotic Dry Feeder Food Dispenser by Cat Mate
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Perfect for smaller cats or dogs, this Catmate automatic feeder can be set for a small serving of dry foods. It is Easy to wash seeing as it’s dishwasher safe, and it terms of the interface, it also comes with an easy to program LCD screen control. Despite its impressive tech specs, it has a battery life of 6 to 9 months which means you can trust your Catmate feeder to last for at least half a year.
If you have a cheeky pet who loves tampering with gadgets like these, this automatic feeder has a tamper-proof feeding nozzle. I also like the snap locking lid which is cat and dog proof as well, but also means that it keeps their food fresh.
Features:
- 6.5lbs tank size
- Dry foods only
- Serving size is a minimum of 2 teaspoons (10g) and upwards
- 3 meals each day
- Easy to program using the LCD screen control
- Works with 4 C batteries (not included)
5. Diamond Series V3 Cat Feeder by Crown Majestic
This cats food dispenser comes in a complete unit, with a water dispenser (detachable drinking bottle). It also comes with a drinking bowl and extender container, which I find is an advantage to any pet feeder product as it’s basically a 2 in 1.
You can even use the voice recorder to be able to play a personal voice message (12 seconds) to alert your cat when it’s mealtime! It is well designed to be stable and difficult to tip over. I find the automatic backlit display pretty cool and it also displays the time and number of meals.
You get many features with the Diamond Series V3 Cat Feeder which you won’t get with other products.
Features:
- 4.4lbs tank size
- Dry foods only
- Gravity cat feeder
- Voice recorder
- Dispenses 1/4; 1/2; 3/4; 1 and 2 cups of dry food
- 4 Meals per day
- Equal hour intervals. i.e 1 feeding every 24hrs 2 feedings every 12 hrs
- Works with 4 AA batteries as a primary source (not included) and with AC 6V adapter (included) in conjunction as battery backup
- Power battery indicator
6. Petsafe 5Meal Automatic Dispenser Feeder
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This is another automatic feeder made by PetSafe. It’s a very popular option because it can provide up to 5 meals for your cat or dog, which can be set for everyday use. You have the option to dispense one large meal for your pet to enjoy throughout the day, or control their diet with smaller portions.
Dogs and cats cannot easily turn this automatic feeder over, as it’s quite big and flat – it is very stable indeed. The tray is easy to wash (just pop in the dishwasher), and I do appreciate that I can include wet foods as well. A very useful feeder with timer.
Features:
- Dry and wet
- 5 x 1-cup food storage capacity
- 5 meals per day
- Timed cat feeder
- 4 D-cell batteries (not included)
7. Six Meals Dispenser
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Featuring 6 compartments (feeds 6 times a day!) and a function to record a 6 second voice message for your cat or dog, this automatic food feeder also has a built in clock. Fill the compartments with either dry or wet foods. I have to say I love the design as well as the secure locking lid, which allows us to keep their food fresh so no bad bacteria infect them.
This automatic cat feeder is best for its simple and slick design which will not only look good in your home, but is also one of the best cat automatic feeders to keep your cat happy with fresh food.
Features:
- 3/4 to 1 cup of food (tank size)
- Dry and wet food
- 3/4 cup to 1 cup serving sizes
- meals 6 times a day
- Built-in clock with easy to read LCD. Records a 6-second personal message. Can only be set in one-hour intervals and it will only program at the top of the hour (11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, etc…).
- 4 C-cell batteries
- Battery Indicator
8. Lentek 6-Day Automatic Cat Feeder
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This model allows you to select intervals of 6, 12 or 24 hours. It also comes with a removable lid and 2 inserts which comes in handy when one is being washed. This cat food dispenser has an accurate timer with a rotating lid, and provides specific portions so your pet doesn’t overeat.
Features:
- 2/3 cup dry or 5 1/2 ounces tank size
- Dry and wet foods
- 2/3 cup dry or 5 1/2 wet serving size
- Meals: 6 times a day
- Selectable feeding intervals of 6, 12 or 24 hours
9. Aspen Le Bistro Portion-Control Automatic Feeder
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Program up to 3 meals a day in sizes of 1/4 to 3 cups. This Le Bistro timed cat automatic feeder has a gravity design and helps to control your dog/cat’s weight/obesity by controlling the portion size. I also love that it has a microban protection that helps to stop the growth of bacteria and odor.
This cat feeder is the best if you have two cats since you can choose to purchase it with a 5lb or 10lb hopper. The feeding bowl itself is large enough for two lovable pets to eat at the same time.
3D batteries and power adapter must be bought separately.
Features:
- Tank Size: 5lbs, 10lbs also available
- Type of Food: Dry only
- Serving Size: 1/4 to 3 cups
- Meals each day: 3
- Cat Feeder Timer: Can be programmed to dispense up to 3 meals per day
- Power: 3 D-cell alkaline batteries
10. Eatwell 2 Meal Automatic Dispenser
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Most experts recommended that dogs should be fed twice a day. That is the logic that this Petsafe automatic feeder is based on. If you only feed your pet twice a day, this will be perfect.
It’s designed to hold wet and dry food as the two lids help keep your pet’s food fresh.
Best for small to medium dogs and felines, this automatic pet feeder allows you to set your timer up to 48 hours in advance. Even if you’re not home, you can expect your cat feeder to do its job and feed your furry companion as planned.
Features:
- Tank Size: 1.5 cups each
- Types of Food: Dry and wet
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups each
- Meals per day: 2
- Feeder with Timer: It has a 48-hour timer. You need to reset it after each feeding with no sound
11. Bergan Gourmet Food and Waterers Automatic Feeder
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This best combo set includes a cat water dispenser or water fountain as well. Made from durable plastic, both are sturdy and stable. preventing your cat from knocking it down. The food capacity is 13 pounds while the water capacity is 3 gallons.
This automatic pet feeder set has no timer so it’s an easy system if you need something simple and not sophisticated. Since it has a plastic container, you’ll be able to see how much food is left and refill accordingly. It does the job of ensuring food and water is present when you’re not around.
Features:
- Tank Size: 13lbs
- Type of Food: Dry foods only
- Serving Size: Will keep supplying food until empty
- Meals Per Day: Will keep supplying food until empty
- Timer: No timer
12. WoPet Automatic
This WoPet sleek feeder lets you time up to 4 feedings each day. Best for portion control with a 7 litre food storage capacity. This automatic cat feeder allows you to even record your very own message to your pet at home. Be sure to use it with dry food and you’ll be happy to know its large automatic pet container can contain up to 20 cups!
Benefits of Having Automatic Cat Food Feeders
The best automatic pet feeder supports you when you have busy schedules. If you’re a late riser and tend to rush off to work, an automatic cat feeder can come in handy. You don’t have to worry about feeding your cat or dog before you head off. With automatic feeders, you have a set and forget option at your fingertips.
Some other perks include: Not having to keep track of times to feed your pet . Not having to be alert to stick to a schedule (there are already so many things to keep track of each day!)
For elderly cat owners or pet parents who have physical challenges, it is a much-needed solution to help simplify the feeding task for their cats or dogs.
Also, if you have more than one cat or dog, most automatic dispensers these days have a large enough basin to feed multiple felines or canines. Especially if you have a handful of felines, getting an automatic pet feeder can help.
- An easy routine to ensure your dog or cat gets fed. You no longer have to worry about accidentally forgetting.
- Best for cat owners who travels for short trips. Set and forget. And you don’t have to ask your family or friends to help you feed your dog or cat anymore.
- High tech features such as portion control and slow feeding. Best for helping to control your dog or cat’s feeding portions and the way they eat.
What Makes A Good Automatic Feeder?
The 3 main things to keep in mind are the automatic cat machine itself, your cat’s characteristics (breed, size) and your own preferences. Be sure to consider its size when buying one.
Some automatic cat feeders best suit a bigger pet (they allow a bigger capacity to hold and dispense more food). Other pet food dispensers suit smaller ones more. Here are some questions you might consider:
Choosing an automatic cat feeder can be a tiresome process due to a variety of options available. There are several important factors to consider when choosing a pet feeder.
- How efficient is it? Is the capacity big enough so you don’t have to refill so often?
- Is it raised or elevated?
- Again, the size of the tank will have to be able to dispense a suitable amount for the size and appetite of your furkid.
- Are the container and dispenser big enough if you have multiple cats?
- What is the kibble size? Some dispensers will transmit the food through a tube, then pour it out. If the kibble you use is too big to let it through, it might get stuck. Some better auto feeders come with adjustable parts for this. So make sure to pay attention to the shape of your kibble as it is a significant factor. If it’s round there will be no problem at all, but if it’s square or any other shape, it might get stuck inside the tube.
- For foods that are longer stored inside the dispenser, an airtight hopper is a must.
- Some cats have health issues. Choose one that has better control of food quantity per serve.
- Some like the Catmate C20 automatic cat feeder even come with an ice pack. Some even come with water fountains.
1. Different Speed Modes
It is important to choose an automatic cat feeder that will dispense just the right amount of food for your cats. In order to prevent your pet from becoming obese, it is necessary to find an automatic pet feeder that gives you lots of control and options such as different speed modes. A food dispenser of this kind will help you keep track of your pet’s food intake and monitor their weight accordingly.
2. The Number of Pets
It might not be a good idea to buy one automatic cat feeder if you have more than one cat. Cats and dogs can be aggressive when eating and they can prevent another pet from reaching the food. It is best if you buy separate automatic cat feeders for each.
3. Can Food Feeders be Used For Cats?
There is a great difference between dogs and cats and their dietary needs. If an automatic pet feeder is designed for dogs, you should consider this before using it for your cat. An automatic cat feeder has specific features and design meant for your feline friends.
4. The Amount of Food Dispensed
A perfect automatic cat feeder should dispense a small amount of food during each feeding time. In this way, you can control how much food does your fur baby eat and prevent your cats or dogs from becoming obese. For fast-eating pets, there is a possibility that the feeder will shut down upon noticing that your pets eat extremely fast. These pet feeders operate on batteries.
At the end of the day, you want your pet food dispenser to simply feed your petin appropriate amounts to ensure their health and wellbeing.
5. Big and Small Pets
Automatic cats feeders are specially designed to fit the needs of your cats and dogs. If you own a bigger cat that requires a great amount of food each day, there is a cat feeder designed just for that. On the other side, there are cat feeders for smaller cats as well.
6. How Many Meals Can It Be Programmed For?
Make sure the feeder you choose gives you lots of options and flexibility to program multiple meals each day.
7. How Easy Is It To Use?
There’s no point getting auto feeders so high tech that they’re so difficult to use. It’ll just end up not being used at all! The best feeder is one that’s easy to use and set up.
8. Easy to Clean?
Get the best one which is easy and convenient to clean, preferably even dishwasher safe. Make sure the food bowls and hopper are both easy to clean.
9. Stable and Sturdy
The last thing you want is to invest in something that’s so flimsy and light. Your hyper and strong dog or your curious cat will easily tip it over, giving you more mess to clean up. The feeder should help you, not cause you more trouble! Get one which is well designed, sturdy and can stand strong on its own.
What are Some Possible Disadvantages?
Nothing’s perfect so there’s definitely downsides to using such feeders. One of the most common points brought up is that the pet owner and the dog or cat will not be able to enjoy bonding time during meals.
Also, there’s the discipline element. I like to be strict with my dog and cat and make them sit patiently to wait during meal times. With the best automatic feeder dispenser, there’s no need to sit or wait. This can be a bit disruptive to your dog or cat’s discipline routine as it’s hard to be consistent.
Lastly, if the automatic cat feeder you pick is not an electronic, computerized feeder (in other words, a gravity one), you won’t be able to control your dog or cat’s meals and portions as much. Your greedy food-loving dog or cat will probably just enjoy gobbling everything up.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Can I make a customized feeding schedule?
An automatic pet feeder provides the possibility to avoid default feeding schedule and choose the feeding times instead. You can decide on the length of the intervals between each meal, and you can even set the feeder to dispense small amounts of cat food and prevent your pet to become overfed.
2) Does the performance depend on the food my cat eats?
The type of food your cat eats is related to how well the automatic cat feeder performs. For example, the type of cat food will affect the accuracy of the amount dispensed.
3) Is a battery powered cat feeder reliable?
Battery operated automatic cat feeders require long-lasting batteries. Otherwise, it is less reliable than an automatic pet feeder. Battery powered feeders do dispense food even during power outage.
4) Does the programming change when I change the batteries or during a power outage?
It is possible that a battery powered cat feeder may lose the programming when you change the batteries.
5) Can I use the Cat Feeder anywhere?
If you would like to be able to feed your cat from anywhere, you should purchase automatic feeders with webcams. You can control automatic cat feeders through your computer or tablet. In that way, you can make sure that your cat is eating the food. The food dispenser will do the job for you as you monitor from your work space or vacation abroad.
Introducing Your Cat To A Feeder
Dogs usually adapt a lot faster to the automatic pet feeder. But it is a good idea to monitor them first because they do have the tendency to try to turn the feeder over.
From my experience, cats are a little trickier to train with the feed automatic dispenser. Yes, you need to do some prep work even with the best automatic cat feeder. Try to place it where you usually feed your cat, right next to their usual cat food bowls. You can even try a feeder dispenser with sounds to attract the attention of your cat!
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