Timed feeder recommendations?

[KittyKatMama]

Hello all kitties and kitty parents!
Anyone have suggestions for affordable timed feeders? It would be for wet food. Also, any tips or tricks on how to use them would be appreciated. Thank you

 

[Howiesmom]

Hello all kitties and kitty parents!
Anyone have suggestions for affordable timed feeders? It would be for wet food. Also, any tips or tricks on how to use them would be appreciated. Thank you

Most people get the Petsafe5or Catmate feeders you can get on Amazon. I suggest the Catmate feeder that comes with ice packs. But the Petsafe5 feeder says you can put ice packs in it (but aren’t sold with the feeder). The Catmate feeder has deeper bowls that some cats don’t like as it touches their whiskers. But you can find little dip bowls or sushi dishes to put in it if your kittie doesn’t like it. Depending on how many meals you’re going to feed in it and when, I suggest getting a big enough one where you can have it move to an empty bowl 2 hours before shot time so they don’t eat too close to that time period.

 

[KittyKatMama]

Most people get the Petsafe5or Catmate feeders you can get on Amazon. I suggest the Catmate feeder that comes with ice packs. But the Petsafe5 feeder says you can put ice packs in it (but aren’t sold with the feeder). The Catmate feeder has deeper bowls that some cats don’t like as it touches their whiskers. But you can find little dip bowls or sushi dishes to put in it if your kittie doesn’t like it. Depending on how many meals you’re going to feed in it and when, I suggest getting a big enough one where you can have it move to an empty bowl 2 hours before shot time so they don’t eat too close to that time period.

Thank you, Howiesmom! This is great info!

 

[FarmKitty]

I love my PetSafe 5 Meal feeder! Here are some pics of my setup. I have it lifted off the ground a couple inches with a plastic bin so that it is easier for Dixie to eat.

Here are links to what I have (sorry they are all Canadian links):

• PetSafe 5 Meal Automatic Feeder
• Duralex glass bowls (Makes measuring out food easy and prevents cat from eating off of plastic if you are worried about acne)
  
• Feeding mat (Because my cat is a messy eater)
• Energizer D batteries (I wanted good ones because some reviewers mentioned issues with the compartments not turning all the way)

The feeder has a little storage area beneath the feeding compartments which I put silica gel packets in to keep that area dry. I also always make sure that the bottom of the white feeder is wiped dry before putting it back. Hopefully this will keep the machine running for a long time

I originally bought the glass bowls expecting that I would need to put mini ice packs underneath them, but my place is pretty cool and the food stays fresh when it is covered. Some people mention that you can put an ice pack in the compartment underneath, but there are a few things to consider:

• You would need to find an icepack that will fit there
• An ice pack will increase moisture which can corrode electronics (there are some pics of this buried in the Amazon reviews)
• The icepack only really sits under the food dish in the open compartment. So the other ones won't be near it.
• I'm pretty sure the documentation says it is only for dry food. I wonder if they originally designed it for wet food (why is there that icepack shaped compartment?) but then noticed the issues and then changed their minds to only use dry food. This is just my speculation though

I have been using mine with the same batteries for the last 10 months and it has worked perfectly every time.

Please let me know if you want any other pics or have other questions!