Auto feeder recommendations

[Melissa24]

Good Morning! I am hoping to go out to buy two auto feeders for Callie and her furry sister, Marley. I would like to be able to do wet food (dry if needed). Can you please recommend feeders that work well for you or any to stay away from?

Also, I know everyone's kitty is different but can you also give me an idea of how often you are feeding your diabetic kitties throughout the day and how much you are giving them at each feeding. Just so I can get some idea of where I may start. Callie weighs about 8.5 lbs. Thank you so much!

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

I've used this one for about 8 years or more. There is also a slightly cheaper 6 tray one that one of my friends uses for her two cats and likes, but I like the bigger trays (I put the food in little aluminum foil bowls so I don't have to take them apart and wash them after every meal) and ice pack compartment on this one in case I have to set 12-24 hours worth of meals (which isn't really a concern for cats on insulin, since someone has to be there to give the shot every 12 hrs and feed anyway). Both of these are very sturdy, and will hold up against mischevious cats that think they're raccoons and like to try and break into things. They do program like a 1980s VCR, and even though I've never had an issue, some people have told me they're hard to program. I had to write out my own detailed, step by step instructions for cat sitters.

The most popular feeder here is probably the Petsafe feeder. It's quieter and easier to program. This was one of two other feeders I bought back when I was looking for one, but Bandit broke it trying to get at the food (he won). However, Bandit is not an average cat when it comes to breaking into things for food (we also had to buy a locking garbage can and weight it with bricks or we'd find it tipped over, raided for food and garbage strewn all over the house in the morning), so most people have not had that problem.

There's no reason to feed dry food if you have the autofeeder. You can just freeze the wet cat food and it will unthaw by the time the feeder releases it. Dry food isn't recommended for diabetic cats unless your cat refuses canned food after all efforts to transition. It interferes with regulation, and it's chronically dehydrating.