Your cat loves to eat and will not be happy about missing a meal. The best automatic cat feeder makes sure your cat gets the food he craves when he wants it.
Finding an auto cat feeder that meets your needs can be tricky, though. Some feeders dispense too much food while others are difficult to program. The best cat feeders let you customize feeding times and amounts, so your cat doesn't over or undereat.
The top-rated cat feeders had a few features in common. They included:
- Portion control
- Ability to schedule at least one meal throughout the day
- Easy to use
- Cat-proof hoppers
Below, we’ve rounded up a few of the best automatic cat feeders on the market.
Top Picks For Best Automatic Cat Feeder
PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder
BEST AUTOMATIC CAT FEEDER
PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder
Price range: $115 - $120
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
Whether your cat has a voracious appetite or likes to graze throughout the day, the PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder is one of the best automatic cat feeders out there.
Although the feeder comes automatically programmed to dispense food twice a day (at 8 am and 5 pm), you can program the device to feed your pet up to 12 times a day. The pre-set "cat" feeding option dispenses 2.25 cups of food at each meal, which might be a bit much for your cat.
Fortunately, you're able to adjust the size of the portions at each meal as well as the frequency of the meals. The minimum portion size is 1/8 cup while the max portion size 4 cups. If your cat is known for scarfing his food and puking it up quickly, the feeder has a slow feed option, which dispenses the kibble slowly over the course of 15 minutes, forcing your pet to relax.
Some users of the cat feeder who have multiple cats find that it works well for feeding two pets at once, with a few tweaks. For example, some reviewers have said that they swapped out the included metal bowl for a wide tray so that both cats can eat at once. Many people have stated that the best way to use the feeder is to read the instructions closely.
WHAT WE LIKED
- Ability to schedule multiple feedings throughout the day and to adjust the portion sizes to our cat's needs.
- The metal bowl, as using plastic food bowls can lead to cat acne.
- The feeder is easy to take apart and clean when needed. Some of the parts can be tossed in the dishwasher.
- The unit is pretty sturdy, and our cat was unable to break into the hopper or tip it over.
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- Programming the feeder can be a nightmare unless you keep the instruction manual handy. The buttons on the control panel are a bunch of arrows, so it's tricky to figure out what to press and when.
- Some more inquisitive cats put their paws into the food dispenser part, which put them at risk for injury.
- Feeder runs on batteries. If you want to plug it in, you need to put an adapter separately.
OUTAD 5.5L Automatic Pet Feeder
BEST AUTOMATIC CAT FEEDER
OUTAD 5.5L Automatic Pet Feeder
Price range: $65 - $70
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
If you've got a skittish cat, the OATAD 5.5L Automatic Pet Feeder might help make (automatic) feeding time more enjoyable.
The feeder holds just under 24 cups of dry food and can dispense between 1/4 cup and 3 cups of food at once. You're also able to program three separate feedings per day. If your cat is a grazer who eats tiny portions frequently, the OATAD feeder might not be enough for him.
People seem divided over whether or not their cats love or are terrified of the feeder.
Being able to record a voice message for your pet seems to help some small animals get over their fear of the hulking pet feeder. But others are terrified of the device. If you know your cat is skittish, this feeder might be a hard pass for you, despite its qualities.
WHAT WE LIKED
- Feeder holds a lot of food, which is great if you need to leave your cat alone for a few days.
- Food holder is clear, so you can easily see when it's time to refill.
- You can record a message to your pet, which is a nice touch.
- Relatively sturdy design keeps hungry and curious cats out.
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- Feeder only operates on batteries.
- Limited options for dispensing meals and portion sizes.
- Voice recording can freak some cats out.
WOPet Smart Feeder
BEST AUTOMATIC CAT FEEDER
WOPet Smart Feeder
Price range: $145 - $155
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
Is a smart cat feeder what's been missing from your life? The WOPet Smart Feeder would like to think so. The Smart Feeder claims that it can replace your pet sitter. Instead of only programming the feeder before your next trip, it gives you the option to program feedings remotely (via a smartphone app for iOS or Android). You can also schedule an immediate feeding using the app or record a special voice message to your cat if you want to freak him out from a distance.
There's a camera so you can check on your cat even when you're on the other side of the country. Although the camera can let you see your cat, many people have noted that it doesn't show you the contents of the food bowl. You can't confirm that the feeder is dispensing the right amount of food or that your pet is eating it.
Although some people raved about the convenience of using a smartphone app to program their cat feeder and check in on kitty, others had trouble connecting the app to their device. It's difficult to tell if that's a problem with fear of technology or an actual problem with the feeder itself.
WHAT WE LIKED
- Ability to program the feeder at home or remotely.
- You can program a variety of portion sizes per meal, from 1 to 10 (one portion = 24mL).
- The camera lets you check in on your cat while you're away from home.
- Includes an AC adapter, so you don't have to worry about the feeder running out of power.
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- We felt like we were spying on our cat.
- App set-up was pretty tricky. We had to adjust the wifi setting on our router and reset our mobile device's network.
- Only works with kibble between 0.2 and 0.59 inches in size. Break out the ruler before buying!
PYRUS Automatic Pet Feeder
BEST AUTOMATIC CAT FEEDER
PYRUS Automatic Pet Feeder
Price range: $48 - $53
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
The PYRUS Automatic pet feeder looks like a UFO or Frisbee but is something designed for feeding your cat.
You pour your cat's food into each section of the tray, then place the tray in the feeder. When it's feeding time, the cover on the feeder opens up to reveal a section of the tray. That said, the feeder only has room for six meals (six sections) at a time. So it's not the best option if you're going to leave your pet alone for more than a few days.
Fans of the feeder praised its simple design and ease of use. Although the feeder itself is pretty basic, it does give you the option of recording a voice message for your cat, which many people enjoyed. The consensus among people who have used the feeder and liked it seems to be that it's best suited for times when you need to leave your cat for a day or two.
WHAT WE LIKED
- Simple design and easy to use.
- Voice recording feature appeals to some cats.
- The lid keeps food in the tray fresh and secure until feeding time.
- Small footprint doesn't take up a lot of space in your home.
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- Only room for six small meals or portions.
- Runs on batteries only.
- You need to reprogram the feeder each time you remove and refill the tray
WOpet Automatic Pet Feeder
BEST AUTOMATIC CAT FEEDER
WOpet Automatic Pet Feeder
Price range: $19 - $24
*at the time of publishing
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
If you're a bit nervous about relying on the gods of technology to feed your pet or if your cat loves wet food, the WOPet Automatic Pet Feeder might be the option for you.
To "program" the feeder, you set the dial on the top based on when you want the feeder to open. If you're setting the dial at 6 pm and you want the feeder to open at 7 am, you turn the dial to 13 hours. There is enough space on the dial for 48 hours.
The feeder's simplicity works in its favor. If you're not looking for a feeder that will dispense food while you're away for multiple days, but instead need something that will deliver chilled wet food to your pet at the right moment, this is a good pick. Fans of the feeder praised its ease-of-use and the ability to use it for dry or wet food.
WHAT WE LIKED
- Basic, bare-bones automatic cat feeder.
- Includes a freezer pack so that you can use it with wet food as well as dry food.
- You can combine multiple automatic feeders and program them to open and feed your cat at various intervals over the course of 48 hours.
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
- Dial for setting the time can be a bit fussy. On some feeders, the dial never reaches zero, and the feeder doesn't open.
- It's a one-and-done feeder. If you need to schedule multiple meals, you need to buy more than one feeder.
- The lid popping open scares some cats.
How to Choose an Automatic Cat Feeder
When choosing the best automatic cat feeder, you want to pick a feeder that matches your cat's eating habits, rather than try to adjust your cat's eating habits to fit the feeder. Seriously, changing your cat's food so that it works in a feeder can leave you with a mess. You don't want to make one area of pet ownership easier while making another part of it more difficult.
Although how much each of the following things matter depends on your preferences (or rather, your cat's preferences), here are a few thing things to consider when choosing a cat food dispenser.Size of the portions. If your cat is a grazer who picks at his food throughout the day and won't touch kibble that's been in the bowl for more than a few hours, you need to pay attention to portion size when choosing a feeder. Some feeders dispense tiny (1/4 cup) portions several times a day. Others are going to dump a cup of kibble in the bowl and be done with it.
Number of feeding times per day. Does your cat eat three square meals a day? Is he a one-and-done type of kitty (unlikely)? Choose a feeder that lets you schedule the appropriate number of feedings each day.
Type of food. Most cat feeders work with kibble or dry food. Put wet food in them, and you'll end up questioning your life choices. That said, if you've got a cat who only eats wet food, you'll need to choose a feeder that dispenses wet food.
Kibble size. It's not just your cat who might be picky about the kibble. Some cat feeders only work with smaller sized kibble. Others, fortunately, claim to work with dry food of all sizes.
Durability of the automatic cat feeder. Most cats are pretty smart. Some are much smarter than others and will find a way to break into a flimsy plastic auto cat feeder, devouring all the kibble in sight in one sitting. We've seen it happen. If that's your cat, you better get a cat feeder that can stand up to him.
Benefits of an Automatic Cat Feeder
Once you've got your cat feeder set up and programmed, it offers you some benefits. They include:
Portion control. You can laugh at the idea, but pet obesity is a big problem. During a recent checkup with our cat, our vet recommended that we put him on a diet, because he needed to lose a few pounds. Weighing out a specific portion of cat food a few times a day is annoying. With a cat feeder, you program the right portion size, and it dispenses it to your cat the right moment.
Feedings without a pet sitter. If you travel a lot or spend a lot of time at the office, you need a cat feeder. The feeder will make sure your cat is happy and fed, even when you can't be there.
Avoids fights in multi-cat households. It's usually the case that when two cats live together, one loves to eat and the other seems ambivalent about it. Often, the fat cat eats all the skinny cat's food, which makes the problem worse. Having separate cat feeds for each cat can help you put an end to the battle for food.
Convenient. You can't ignore the convenience of a cat feeder. If you've ever had your cat wake you up early in the morning or demand food while you're trying to do something else, you'll appreciate having a machine to do the feeding for you.Drawbacks of an Automatic Cat Feeder
Of course, auto cat feeders aren't perfect. There is a chance that your cat will hate the one you buy, even if it's the best model ever and has earned high praise from everyone, including your vet.
That's because cats are pretty unpredictable. You think they'll love something and they end up ignoring it, or, more likely, being afraid of it. So, yes, there's a chance that a cat feeder will solve all your mealtime problems with your pet. But there's also the possibility that your weirdo cat is going to reject the feeder as not being up to his precise standards.
If you're looking for a timed cat feeder that gives you the most control over meal frequency and portion control, the PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder is the best of the bunch. It offers the widest range of portion sizes and the greatest numbers of meal times per day. It's pretty much pet-proof, so even the most dedicated and hungriest of cats won't be able to get into and take extra food.
While it can be tricky to figure out how to program the PetSafe feeder, reading over the instructions does help. Whether you're looking for a machine to feed your cat while you're at work for the day or a device to feed your cat when you're away for a weekend, the PetSafe feeder is the best automatic cat feeder out there.