By Mashum Mollah
With technological advancements, feeding your pet is no longer stressful, thanks to automatic pet feeders. Automated pet feeders simplify the process of feeding pets with a big hopper to store sufficient food and a timer to automatically dispense pet food at different times.
Automatic pet feeders also allow you to maintain your pets’ diet. Nonetheless, numerous automatic feeders have flooded the market, meaning there are good and bad quality products.
That said, there are vital factors you should consider when shopping for an automatic pet feeder.
Factors To Consider When Purchasing An Automatic Pet Feeder
If you are thinking about purchasing an automatic pet feeder, then you might want to consider these factors. So, you can get the right automatic feeder for your pet.
Some of these factors you should consider are:
Timer
The best automatic feeder should have a timer to enable you to choose instances of feeding your pet using the timer setting. For instance, if your cat eats three times a day, then you can set the timer three times to disperse the pet food three times a day.
Portion sizes
Another crucial feature you should have in an automatic pet feeder is the ability to measure the size of the food dispensed to the cat.
This is quite helpful if, for instance, you want to monitor your pet’s diet, so they won’t gain excess weight through unhealthy eating habits. Indeed, innovation makes holistic pet care much easier than old feeding techniques.
Generally, cats should be fed twice daily using portion-controlled feeding. Divide the suggested pet food into two meals at an interval of 8 to 12 hours apart. Adjust meal portions by observing your cat’s ideal daily “maintenance” needs.
A feeding routine helps your pets cope with household changes and makes a necessary food change much easier. Your pets will be used to eating at the scheduled time each day, conditioning their bodies to expect to eat at those times with the help of an automatic pet feeder.
Type of Food
Automatic pet feeders come in different designs depending on the food, which can be wet or dry. You can buy a wet or dry auto pet feeder, depending on your pet. If your pet eats wet food, you must buy an automatic pet feeder specifically for wet food.
However, note that wet food is susceptible to spoiling quickly in a warm environment; therefore, you must ensure that the feeder comes with ice packs on the bottom to keep the wet food cold.
If you’re searching for different types of pet food, checking out brands like Greenies Canada can be a good place to start to ensure your pet gets its essential nutrients.
Best Automatic Pet Feeders
Are you looking for the best automatic pet feeders? You might like the pet feeders listed below. With these feeders, you will have one less task to worry about in your house. Additionally, when traveling for work or vacation, your pets will be well-fed.
PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder
PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder is the best overall automatic pet feeder, attributed to its sleek modern design, ease of programming, and sufficient storage space (24 cups of kibble at a time).
Its digital timer is quite sophisticated, allowing users to program up to 12 meals daily with portions ranging from 1/8 to 4 cups per serving. This automatic pet feeder is also perfect for feeding multiple pets at specific times throughout the day, whether together or separately.
The other great feature of this feeder is the slow-release function that allows the release of food in over 15 minutes to prevent overeating, especially between two cats.
The anti-jam conveyor system makes it suitable for dispensing dry or semi-moist foods. This automatic pet feeder is also pet-proof, meaning it keeps the food locked away until it’s the right time for your pet to feed.
WOpet 7L Automatic Pet Feeder
The WOpet 7L is a versatile automatic pet feeder featuring a 7-liter hopper that stores pet food. This automatic feeder has a small dish attached at the bottom for easy and quick feeding, even for small pets.
Additionally, the quality of the construction makes this pet feeder stand out. Furthermore, the timer on an LCD screen allows you to schedule up to four precise feedings (4.5 cups at a time) per day.
If your pet is stubborn, you need not worry, as the feeder has a secure locking lid to prevent your pet from getting in. It also comes with a D-cell battery backup to ensure regular feeding even when the power is out.
PetSafe Smart Feeder
Imagine feeding your pet through your smartphone. Yes! This is possible thanks to the PetSafe Smart Feeder, which lets you control your pet’s food intake via your smartphone.
The Smart Feeder comes with both iPhone and Android apps. So, you can efficiently use your phone to control your pet’s feeding schedule even when you are away from home.
Additionally, with its “smart” feature, PetSafe is an excellent pet feeder with a 24-cup storage capacity. Therefore, it can hold food for days when you are out of state.
The timer is quite versatile, allowing you to program up to 12 meals in a single day. A stainless-steel bowl is a healthy option, and it’s also dishwasher safe.
Tips When Using Automatic Pet Feeders
Check the following useful tips when using automatic pet feeders：
- Use automatic feedings when it’s only necessary. Don’t rely too much on the machine to avoid influencing your connection with your pet.
- Install batteries as a backup so the automatic pet feeder will still function during a power outage.
- Avoid food jamming by aligning the food tray with the rotary impeller slot.
- Guide your pet to wait at the automatic pet food feeder so it can get used to it. Some pets need an adjustment period, so placing the feeder next to your pet’s current bowl is a good idea. You can set more meal plans in the automatic pet feeder. Start with gradually placing less food in the bowl than in the feeder. You can remove the bowl once your pet shows a preference for the automatic feeder.
The Bottom Line
With numerous automatic feeders in the market today, choosing an ideal pet feeder is daunting. Nonetheless, best automatic pet feeders should have an excellent design with key features!
Features such as a timer to choose an ideal feeding schedule for your pet, even when you are away from home. You will get to learn a lot more about feeding your pet in this article!
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