Buying an automatic feeder for your cat is a great way to ensure consistent meal times, even if you can’t be around to provide it. We’ve hunted down the best automatic cat feeder models that offer ease of use, reliability, and value for money.
Many of the best automatic feeders for cats feature fully programmable timers, slow-feeding modes, and are capable of holding six or more meals at once!
After taking a look at the options out there, testing out a handful of models, and comparing user reviews, it seems that the PetSafe Healthy Pet Automatic is the best automatic feeder for cats. It’s reliable, simple to set up, and dishes out consistent portion amounts every time.
- 1 5 Top Rated Automatic Feeders For Cats
- 2 The Best Automatic Cat Feeders (Our Recommendations)
- 2.1 1. PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Pet Feeder
- 2.2 2. Arf Pets Automatic Cat Feeder
- 2.3 3. PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Cat Feeder
- 2.4 4. PetSafe Eatwell Automatic Pet Feeder
- 2.5 5. Qpets Automatic Feeder
- 2.6 6. SureFeed Microchip Cat Feeder
- 2.7 7. Cat Mate C3000 Automatic Cat Feeder
- 2.8 8. PetSafe Six-Meal Cat Feeder
- 2.9 9. Cat Mate C500 Digital Cat Feeder
- 2.10 10. WOPET Automatic Cat Feeder
- 2.11 11. Aspen Pet LeBistro Cat Feeder
- 3 Our Conclusion
5 Top Rated Automatic Feeders For Cats
We’re going to take a quick look at why we think each deserves a place on our list in a short while. First up, here’s a quick table containing what we believe to be the best choices for truly automatic feeding.
| Editor's Pick | Name | Slow-Feeding | Capacity (meals) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Overall Feeder | PetSafe Automatic Pet Feeder | Yes | 12 |
| Best Single Cat Feeder | Arf Pets Automatic Cat Feeder | No | 4 |
| Best Smart Feeder | PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Feeder | Yes | 12 |
| Best Budget Feeder | PetSafe Eatwell Automatic Pet Feeder | No | 5 |
| Special Mention | Qpets Automatic Pet Feeder | No | 6 |
From our testing and research, we found the five automatic cat feeders listed above to be the best value around. Automatic dispensers with slow-feeding options are preferable, and the capacity required depends on how long you want to rely on the feeder and how many cats you have.
After putting a few automatic cat feeders through their paces and testing for reliability, portion accuracy, and ease of use, we’ve narrowed down the options to a handful. Below is a list of the best automatic feeders for cats that will ensure your cat is fed the right portions at the right time.
The Best Automatic Cat Feeders (Our Recommendations)
1. PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Pet Feeder
Slow-Feeding: Yes | Capacity (meals): 12
The PetSafe Healthy Pet Simple Feed feeder has an “anti-jam” conveyor system that dispenses dry and semi-moist foods correctly every single time without issue.
You can adjust the meal portions to be anywhere between 1/8th of a cup to a huge 4 cups. Modifying the portions is very straightforward when compared to some of the other feeders on the market. If you’re guilty of overfeeding your cat, then you can sleep easily knowing the portion sizes are pre-set and reliable.
The large hopper holds up to 24 cups of food, and the bowl provided holds as many as 5 cups at a time. The “pet-proof” food dispenser means that your cat can’t stick their paws up into the feeder to sneak some extra food out behind your back.
The Healthy Pet Simple Feed feeder comes with a fantastic feature called slow feed mode. It allows you to dispense large meals slowly over 15 minutes to prevent gulping and vomiting. This brilliant feature, along with the large capacity, is what sets this automatic cat feeder apart from the competition.
You have options to skip ahead to the next meal-time ahead of schedule, or to pause the whole system without losing the programmed schedule. We found that skipping ahead comes in handy often, especially if you happen to be on hand to provide some treats or want them to eat a different meal.
The whole feeder unit is easy to disassemble and can be cleaned in less than 15 minutes. Its removable steel bowl is more hygienic than your standard plastic bowl, a nice bonus.
It operates using 4 D batteries that aren’t included. We’d recommend you opt for the optional power supply cable that is sold separately.
It isn’t that expensive to buy at all and will save you money in the long run, given how expensive batteries can be. You’ll also have the peace of mind of knowing that the batteries won’t die while you’re away and leave your cat hungry.
This automatic feeder has pretty much everything covered. It’s no surprise that we’ve rated it as the best automatic food dispenser for cats, and we’re sure you’ll agree.
2. Arf Pets Automatic Cat Feeder
Slow-Feeding: No | Capacity (meals): 4
The Arf Pets automatic feeder for cats is a little different. While it only allows for timing up to 4 meals a day, the portion size can range anywhere from 1-10 portions per meal. Each portion is assumed to be 24ml, so you get a vast range of flexibility when it comes to portion size.
We think this is the best automatic cat feeder for single-cat households since you’re guaranteed to be satisfied with the 4 meal maximum per day.
As with the previous feeder, it can be powered by battery or by a DC power cable; the latter is included.
It holds around 18 cups of food in its 1.1-gallon hopper, which is plenty for a few days of feeding with most cats. The lid has a magnetic lock, which is pretty much impossible for cats to open (believe me ours tried it’s best during testing!). The seal is airtight enough to contain the odor of food and keep it fresh for the duration of the feeding schedule.
It features a few different voice commands which you can record yourself and dispensing alarms to let your cat know from afar that it’s meal-time. We found that the dispensing alarms led to our cat quickly anticipating the feeding times, making it perfect for setting a feeding routine!
The slanted tray is perfect for making the food easily accessible, since a flat bowl would just cause the food to build up at the back close to the feeder, making it hard for cats to reach.
Programming this automatic feeder is pretty straightforward, providing you read the instructions carefully; it can take a few tries to get right, but it isn’t difficult by any means.
We love this feeder for its simplicity and reliability. It also provides excellent value for money, which is most likely the reason for it being the #1 best selling automatic cat feeder at the time of writing.
To put it bluntly, it’s the best cheap automatic feeder for your cat, and with its excellent design, it looks no less expensive than the top of the range models.
3. PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Cat Feeder
Slow-Feeding: Yes | Capacity (meals): 12
The PetSafe Smart WiFi/Smartphone feeder is the upgraded version of the PetSafe Healthy Pet Automatic cat feeder mentioned above that comes with WiFi capabilities built-in.
It features the same basic functionality we saw in the older model, including the excellent “slow feed” mode that prevents rushed eating.
Much like the older model, it also allows you to schedule up to 12 meals per day, with portion sizes between 1/8 to 4 cups.
Aside from an updated design which we think looks great, the only real difference is the ability to remotely schedule your automatic feeder via an excellent mobile app interface. The smartphone app is available on both Android and Apple iOS operating systems.
The app itself is intuitive and straightforward, meaning that this is, without a doubt, the easiest automatic cat feeder to configure. The app allows you to check up on the status so you’ll know just how many meals your cat has had so far throughout the day, which is excellent for reassurance.
As you probably expect, the remote capabilities of this automatic food dispenser come at a premium cost. If you have the budget to be able to afford this model, we’d say it’s worth the money.
We’ve always taken value for money into consideration when looking at the best products on the market, and it’s been no different while comparing the best electronic cat food dispensers.
Unlike the older model, the power cable comes supplied with the feeder itself. This modern automatic food dispenser is fantastic; based on just features and design, it’s easily the best automatic cat food dispenser available. But we got along just fine with the older, cheaper model, so it’s hard to justify the extra cost unless you love those remote feeder features.
4. PetSafe Eatwell Automatic Pet Feeder
Slow-Feeding: No | Capacity (meals): 5
This digital pet feeder from PetSafe is a return to the more simplistic style of food dispenser. It features 5 chambers that hold a maximum of 1 cup of food each. If you’re keen on feeding your cat less, then it’s fine to fill them as much as you see fit.
The timer is super easy to set up and was extremely reliable during our testing. You can program up to 5 meals a day using a digital timer that goes up in hour increments. It genuinely couldn’t be easier.
It’s entirely battery-powered, though since it’s mostly inactive, you can expect the (4x) D batteries to last up to 12 months.
This automatic food dispenser is super easy to clean. The tray is BPA-free plastic and is entirely dishwasher-safe. You just detach it, pop it in the dishwasher, and away we go.
It’s efficient, reliable, and, best of all, it’s extraordinarily affordable. We view it as the best cheap cat feeder around, and since it’s relatively low-tech, it’s difficult to see how anything could go wrong.
If you’re on a tight budget or have no need for the fancy features of the more premium cat food dispensers, then this is probably going to the best automatic cat feeder for you.
5. Qpets Automatic Feeder
Slow-Feeding: No | Capacity (meals): 6
Qpets have manufactured an excellent automatic cat feeder in the AF 108 model that’s robust and feels quality all round.
Capable of holding up to 6 meals at a time, it’s rotating style means that food is kept safely away from wandering paws for the whole day.
It has an easy to read LCD screen that makes setting up scheduling a breeze. We’ve heard reports that it can lose time over long periods (6 months or more), so meal-times drift out of sync. You can quickly set them back to be correct as there’s no permanent effect, though.
When setting the times, it’s important you set them up from 1 to 6 in chronological order. If you fail to do so, it will skip entire days between the two times!
The feeder operates off (4x) C size batteries that last a good few months, depending on the frequency of use.
A nice feature of the Qpets automatic food dispenser is the ability to record custom voice messages. You can record up to 6 seconds of audio that will be played before meal-time to alert your cat that food is on its way.
It’s a very cheap automatic cat feeder that doesn’t quite reach the heights of the more expensive options; however, despite that, it does a solid job for those who want a cheap solution for automatic feeding.
6. SureFeed Microchip Cat Feeder
Slow-Feeding: No | Capacity (meals): 2
The SureFeed Microchip Cat Feeder is a little different, but we were so impressed by it that we felt we had to include it in our round-up.
If you have a multi-cat household, you’ll be familiar with the struggle of keeping food separate and ensuring there’s enough to go around. With the SureFeed cat feeder, that’s a problem of the past.
You simply program your cat’s microchip, fill up the tray, close the lid, and it will only open for them. You can register up to 32 microchips or RFID collar tags, and it’s as easy as pressing a single button once they’re nearby.
This automatic feeder is a total lifesaver for those who have multiple cats where one requires a special diet. It could be due to them being on a diet, or requiring expensive prescription food that you don’t want the other cats getting at.
We’re amazed it took so long for someone to come up with such a perfect solution for restricted automatic feeding, and we couldn’t be happier with how they’ve implemented it. Very, very highly recommended!
7. Cat Mate C3000 Automatic Cat Feeder
Slow-Feeding: No | Capacity (meals): 10+
The Cat Mate C3000 automatic cat feeder is one of the first we ever got our hands on. It set the bar pretty high and remains one of the most cost-effective automatic feeding options available today.
Featuring a large hopper that holds up to 6 and a half pounds of food, the Cat Mate C3000 dispenses up to 3 meals a day and is super easy to set up.
The portion sizes dispensed by this automatic food dispenser are impressively accurate when above 10g, and the battery life is around 6 to 9 months, which is wonderful.
8. PetSafe Six-Meal Cat Feeder
Slow-Feeding: No | Capacity (meals): 6
When it comes to automatic feeders, it’s safe to say that PetSafe has nailed it. This 6-meal automatic cat feeder is another fine example of how it should be done.
Each of the six slots holds up to 1 cup of dry or semi-moist food, and scheduling using the LCD display is effortless.
As the carousel turns, food is dropped down into the tray. This design, unlike other cheaper cat food dispensers, means that there’s no way your cat can get at food until the intended meal time.
9. Cat Mate C500 Digital Cat Feeder
Slow-Feeding: No | Capacity (meals): 5
The C500 Digital Cat automatic feeder from Cat Mate is great for those looking for something that is dead simple.
With 5 compartments, this automatic feeder allows for scheduling up to five meals a day. An LCD display screen makes configuring the feeding times a very straightforward task.
One thing we loved about this automatic cat feeder is that there’s room for an ice pack beneath the bowl. The feeder comes with two supplied, which you pop under the bowl to keep food fresh all day.
Both the tray and the lid are dishwasher safe, making it easy to keep clean.
10. WOPET Automatic Cat Feeder
Slow-Feeding: No | Capacity (meals): 10+
WOPET’s Automatic Cat Feeder provides an awful lot of value for money.
With features like distribution alarms, portion control, and a voice recorder for custom alerts, you’d expect it to be in the higher price ranges. Surprisingly, the WOPET feeder can usually be picked up for around the $50 mark, which is more on-par with basic carousel-style feeders that require much less tech.
The feeder holds plenty of food, works reliably, and is very user-friendly. Due to the rather small bowl size, it stands as a very solid option for those with single-cat households.
11. Aspen Pet LeBistro Cat Feeder
Slow-Feeding: No | Capacity (meals): 8+
The Aspen Pet LeBistro automatic feeder is available with a 5lb or 10lb hopper and has a feeding bowl large enough for two cats to eat at once.
We picked up this feeder for just shy of $50, and it impressed us more than we’d expected. Having seen some reviews that mention inconsistency with portions, we kept a keen eye on the amounts dispensed for the first few days, and so no issues at all.
It was simple to configure, worked reliably and quietly, and seemed robust. If you fancy trying it and can find it around $50, we’d recommend you try it, but at it’s RRP of $80, we’d go for a different model with more features instead.
Our Conclusion
After spending so much time researching automatic cat feeders, we’ve picked up a thing or two. Here are the main features you should look for when looking for the best automatic feeder for your cat:
- Total control over portion sizes
- Consistent portion size dispensing
- User-friendly scheduling & programming
- Dishwasher safe for easy cleaning
- Slow-feeding option is great if you think you’ll make use of it
If you find a feeder that meets those requirements and fits your budget, then we can’t stress enough how much of a positive addition they are.
They’ll help you manage portion sizes, create a feeding schedule, and allow for consistent feeding while you’re away from home.
We wish we’d invested in one years ago.
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