Specific feeders and timed feeders

[Missy]

Well Sumo has been doing so good it's amazing to watch. He now has the same numbers as the healthy cats for the past week. Fingers crossed he stays that way.
He his now much more mobile and his weak back legs are almost normal. Today I saw him jump cleanly to where the water is without using his little stairs.(I was shocked,it has been years he needed the stairs) Good news but this presents me with a challenge. One cat refuses to eat enough wet food so we still leave some kibble out for him on top of a desk. If Sumo were to eat some I fear it would ruin his great progress.
I just can't relax, everytime I hear something I have to go check. It's driving me nutso. I know he knows it's there. Can anybody suggest an affordable specific cat feeder OR cat flap that I can make a box for. I have read some reviews and they are all over the place. There is a lady close to me selling a gatefeeder for 100$. Looks neat is it any good?

We have a pretty good feeding routine and would like to keep it that way but would like to go out once in a while. I have seen some suggestions on this board about the petsafe 5 but I don't need that many small compartments. Are the pet mates ones like the c-20 that bad. I have very simple cats, they are not destructive or very smart. I would like for two big meals to be served 2-3 hours after leaving and 2-3 hours after that. An ice pack compartment would be nice as well.

Little question to add as well. I have never fed cats soft food and I am learning many things but just how long is it good for when left out? Right now it's great because my cats own a giant veranda attached to the house that is not heated but fully enclosed with windows.(much warmer than outside because it is attached to the house) They have a cat flap to come in the house but spend most of their time in there watching the birds and sleeping in their heated cat house. Food stays fresh very long.(It's like the temp of a fridge in there) Now my problem is when the weather warms up. They don't have AC in there. I don't want to make them sick leaving food out.
Thanks again everyone for any tips.

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

The C-20 works fine....it just doesn't have a digital timer so sometimes it doesn't go off at the "exact" time

A lot of people add extra water to the food to keep it from drying out and leave it out all day without problems. You can also make cat-sicles by adding water to the food and freezing it in ice cube trays......it'll take a little while for it to defrost and offer "fresh" food several hours later (or add an ice cube to the food to help keep it cooler)

 

[Liz & IttyBit]

We've been using the Cat Mate C20 and are happy with it.
If using more than one it can be challenging to get them to open around the same time, forget opening at the same time.
We leave canned food out all day even in the summer, never had a problem. One kitty actually prefers it dried out.

ETA: Our one kitty prefers to goes out as soon as the weather warms up and stays outside until it gets cold again. The mudroom set up for her with a kitty flap and this is where she gets fed, no ac, her food is out all day as she is a grazer and she's the one that actually likes it better when it's dried.

 

[Missy]

We've been using the Cat Mate C20 and are happy with it.
If using more than one it can be challenging to get them to open around the same time, forget opening at the same time.
We leave canned food out all day even in the summer, never had a problem. One kitty actually prefers it dried out.

ETA: Our one kitty prefers to goes out as soon as the weather warms up and stays outside until it gets cold again. The mudroom set up for her with a kitty flap and this is where she gets fed, no ac, her food is out all day as she is a grazer and she's the one that actually likes it better when it's dried.

Oh so it dries out. So similar to when I put it in the heated bowl. For some reason I thought the stuff would go rancid in an hour. Thanks for the input.