BEST automatic feeder....????

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Chris & Tucker

Chris & Tucker

Member Since 2012
Hello friends,
I need your help with finding the best automatic feeder for Tucker and Sophie. I'll be buying two.
I think I will have friends come over once a day to refill it. I'd like to have an ice compartment if possible, to keep the food fresh.
Please give me your recommendations, and if possibly, why you like it.
Thanks in advance!
Chris, Tucker and Sophie
 
this is the one I have - well, I have 2 of them:
http://www.petmountain.com/product/elec ... eeder.html

It has an ice pack for the bottom. I put a cold portion around an ice cube on the left side, set it to open between 10-11am and a frozen portion on the right side to open between 3-4 pm. The timer is not exact, which is why I commented that way...

i love these feeders. My cats don't try to open them, they just come when they hear them open and get what they want. I might have to revise that statement to say Cedric comes....ands eats most of it, leaving almost none or very little for Dallas, but that's another story....

If you have a cat that you think might try to break into the feeder, Julia of Julia & Bandit will tell you about the one she uses - her Bandit is a tough one! ;-)
 
Probably the most popular feeder here is the Petsafe 5. It works really well for most cats, is easy to program, and is pretty quiet. I have a cat who is convinced he is a raccoon, so he destroyed two feeders (including the Petsafe) before I settled on this feeder, which is sturdy enough where he wasn't able to rip it apart. I've had two (one for each cat) for over 3 years now, and apart from some insignificant issues (the door that covers tray 4 needed to be removed on both feeders, but I never used the feeders for more than 2 meals at a time anyway so that didn't matter), they've stood up great! The only complaint I've heard from my house is that they are a little tricky to learn to program; they program like an 1980s VCR. I never had a problem (I also read the instructions), but my boyfriend does not like to use them because of the programming issue.

It's also a pain to get he Qpet feeder apart to clean it, but I got around that by making little bowls out of tin foil to put inside the trays so I don't have to wash it every time. It does have an ice pack compartment, but I find it much easier to freeze portions in little baggies to pop in the trays rather than use the ice pack compartment. I also liked that the Qpet has a voice message recorder, so I could do my dinner call to get both cats running to the kitchen at the same time so I knew that Bandit wasn't hogging all the food.
 
I've also used the 5 day pet feeder (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GEWHNS/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20) but I don't have a diabetic cat anymore, and when I go on vacation, I put low carb dry food in these feeders, since it's not that big of a deal. There isn't an area to put ice really.. and if you're using it for 5 DAYS (1 slot a day) then I wouldn't think the ice would do much anyway, since the ice would melt in that first day. It works so well for me though, that I bought a 2nd one. One of my cats is on pred for stomatitis (& has no teeth) so she inhales the pill with her food. I lock her in a room by herself, and put the pill on top of each pile of food, and she automatically gets fed, AND her pill every day! ;-)
 
Thanks for the info friends! I think I'm going to try the Petsafe 5, and if it works I'll order a second one.
Tucker is doing great. Putting the weight back on and his fur looks great too.
Sophie has dropped about 3 lbs and is light on her feet! It's funny how she can fly through the air now.
I think they really like the canned food now. I hope all is going well with all of you too! Thanks again....
 
Has anyone haggled with PetSmart to meet the Amazon price ($49.42 with free shipping)? They've price-matched my Fancy Feast - 10 cents a can- but I've never tried this much of a difference.

Thanks!
 
I've never tried to haggle with Petsmart, but every so often, the feeder is on sale there. However, is there a reason you don't want one from Amazon? Maybe you're worried you won't like it and want to return it?

Anyway, I have two PetSafe's (for one kitty), and they are a God-send. Absolutely love them. I did have one that went bonkers, though, so I was able to return that (the tray wouldn't stop turning when it went off - my poor cat sat there looking at me like, uh, this isn't right, mom, and I'm HUNGRY. I know I'm supposed to be a mouser, but this is ridiculous.

If Petsmart won't match Amazon's price, maybe you can purchase one from Petsmart, determine if you like it or not, and then purchase the second from Amazon. Then, if the one from Amazon is wonky, you can exchange it through Petsmart (I've done that myself).

It takes four D batteries. I think my batteries must be about a year old now. I'm about to change them out just in case.
 
Hey, Lu-Ann -

I've never tried to haggle with Pet Smart, either. We have 2 of the http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-5-Meal-Electronic-Pet-Feeder/dp/B000GEWHNS/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20 and LOVE them. (If we're leaving multiple meals, we freeze one or more.) And, can't you order from Amazon and FDMB get a %?

I like that I can wipe down the outside and throw the trays in the dishwasher. I read some reviews about the instructions being stuck on the underside of the lid and rolling up, interfering with the operation of the unit, but their actually printed on mine, so guess they fixed that problem.

Libby (& Hershey, too!)
 
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