What is the best automatic feeder out there ?

[Winni]

I've done so much research on line for an automatic feeded (wet food) for my two boys that way my husband and I can go away weekends just one overnight. I would like a feeder with ice packs, but I've read so many reviews that some cats open the feeders in a matter of minutes.

Can anyone recommend a good one ?

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

Our favorite - and we tried 3 models before it that our cats could break into - is the PetSafe5. It has 5 compartments, is easy to program and the bottom turns so they can't pry off the top. It has a place for an ice pack (mine didn't come with one) but I just freeze the wet food. I got it at PetSmart.

 

[Ginny & Alex]

I bought this kind and it is working fine for us.

 

[Winni]

Does the PetSafe5 open all the time ? - I heard stories that sometimes these feeders don't open and the kitty goes without food. I have two kitties, well they both nine. Would you recommend me buying two of these feeders ?

I'm going on line to look at it.

 

[Sue and Oliver (GA)]

We haven't had trouble with it getting stuck; we have had it about 6 years.

If they are willing to eat out of the same slot, you could feed them at the same time. Our slots have plenty of room for 2 cans of FF. It will be fairly expensive to buy two; they aren't small either.....PetSmart does have sales often and I have heard of good deals on line.

 

[squeem3]

Does the PetSafe5 open all the time ? - I heard stories that sometimes these feeders don't open and the kitty goes without food. I have two kitties, well they both nine. Would you recommend me buying two of these feeders ?

I've never had a problem with either of my PetSafe 5 compartment feeders. The bowl rotates under the fixed lid. It's pretty easy to program. You can even pause a scheduled time. Sometimes I do that and if I forget to unpause it but still fill the feeder, my civies don't get that meal. Which isn't the end of the world. They're just a little more hungry for dinner :smile:

It has a place for an ice pack (mine didn't come with one)

It doesn't come with an ice pack even though there is a space for one in the base of the feeder :roll: I think someone said that the small Catmate ice pack will fit. A small gel ice pack for lunch boxes may also work.

 

[Darlene & Jack]

I had trouble with my 5 compartment one getting stuck and not opening all the time. Brought it back and got another and that one was fine, but the cats didn't always eat out of it. It is kind of noisy when it turns, and one day one of the cats was eating from it and it turned and he got scared, haha. Since I was only really using 2 slots and I went back and got the 2 compartment feeder to try. They like that one a lot better, you can easily fit 2 or 3 cans in each compartment. I like that the 2 dishes come out separately to wash. There's no noise with it, just set the dial and it pops open at the time. I also liked that the lid just stays open so if they don't eat all the food, it just stays open. With the 5 compartment one, it just rotates. So if they don't eat the food from a certain slot, it rotates and they don't have access to it if they get hungry for more later.

I did still keep the 5 compartment one in case I ever get to get away for longer periods of time!! Good luck!

 

[squeem3]

I had trouble with my 5 compartment one getting stuck and not opening all the time.

Occasionally if the bowl isn't set on the rotating thing right it won't turn or it will partially turn. I always give it a test after I put the bowl in and fix the placement of the bowl if needed. There's a button to manually rotate the bowl.

There's no noise with it, just set the dial and it pops open at the time. I also liked that the lid just stays open so if they don't eat all the food, it just stays open.

The PetSafe 2 compartment feeder? It's very noisy because of the ticking noise of the manual timer dial :-Q The only way to stop the noise is to take the (hard to remove and insert) batteries out. Unless PetSafe has revamped the feeder sometime in the last 4 years to eliminate the noise. Many people have found that their cats can easily pry the lid off to get to the food. The lids don't fit securely over the bowls, just kind of hovers just above them. My cat personally flipped and pushed the feeder around to get to the food :roll:

 

[Darlene & Jack]

Even with the tray reset and pushing the manual button, the 5 compartment one kept getting stuck. I think I had a bad one at first. The 2nd one was fine, though the label inside on both were coming off and that made it stick too, so I had to retape the labels.

I don't hear any ticking noise from the 2 compartment one. I've been using it over a month now and never once have they opened it or flipped it over, but I did read in some reviews before I bought it that some people had that issue.

 

[squeem3]

Even with the tray reset and pushing the manual button, the 5 compartment one kept getting stuck. I think I had a bad one at first. The 2nd one was fine, though the label inside on both were coming off and that made it stick too, so I had to retape the labels.

Interesting. I have two feeders, one a couple years old and a newer one. The bowls are apaparently not interchangable with either feeder :roll: I did that once and neither bowl turned even though the timer was set.

I don't hear any ticking noise from the 2 compartment one. I've been using it over a month now and never once have they opened it or flipped it over, but I did read in some reviews before I bought it that some people had that issue.

PetSafe must have revamped the feeder then. The one I have as bought about 4 years or so ago and makes a really really annoying constant ticking noise :shock: It's my backup feeder since I have two of the 5 compartment ones. My cat was intially scared of the ticking noise but he soon got used to it. It took my cat months to figure out how to pry the lids open. Smarter cats can probably figure it out in a matter of days.

 

[doombuggy]

I purchased the Cat Mate C20, which is a 2 compartment feeder with an ice pack. I use it every day and give Cedric a meal between 10-11 am and 3 & 4 pm, while I am at work. Each side has a 48 hour timer, but I have never uesed it for more than 8 or so. I put a cold 1/4 of food in one sife to open at 10-11, then a frozen portion to open at 3-4. Cedric has no problem with it and has not made an attempt to open it. The trays come out singley to wash. I had originally bought the Cate MateC50, but the top rotated (when it felt like it...I tested it first) so back it went. The C20 pops up and stays up.

 

[Winni]

Thank you everyone for the info on these feeders.....I'm still not so sure I will buy one. I'm afraid it will not open and if it makes too much noise my boys will freak out. I'll buy it, tested while I'm home with the boys and return if I don't like it.