Best Automatic Pet Feeder for 2017

Automatic pet feeders have become increasingly popular over the last few months for very good reasons. Most pet owners have to worry about leaving them home alone for long periods throughout the day, or even getting anxiety when running late at work. Similar to pet cameras, the advancement in technology now provides pet parents with ease of mind by being able to feed your pets automatically, either by timer or from your smartphone. But it isn’t just for convenience; automatic pet feeders can help prevent bloat (Gastric dilatation volvulus) in dogs by enabling pet parents to schedule multiple feedings of smaller food quantities. The combination of convenience and dietary management makes automatic dog feeders incredible additions to your household. Take a look at our recommendations for the best automatic cat feeder and automatic dog feeder:

Choosing the Best Automatic Pet Feeder

Take a look below to see a quick preview of each automatic pet feeder review we completed. The reviews are separated by automatic dog feeders and automatic cat feeders. However, it’s important to note that all of the automatic dog feeders listed below can also be used for cats. The only reason we separated the sections out is because there are a few feeders that are cat specific. To put it simply, every product below can be used for cats.

Best Automatic Dog Feeder

One thing we would like to point out with our list of best automatic dog feeders is that many of these will in fact work for cats as well. Read into the details of each of our automatic pet feeder reviews to ensure whether they can be used for cats or dogs. In most cases, each auto pet feeder can be used for both cats and dogs, depending on kibble size.

Feed and Go Smart Feeder

Feed and Go smart automatic pet feeder is as innovative as it is functional. 6 easy to clean trays can dispense food for multiple days and clean up is a breeze (dishwasher safe!). The design is incredibly modern and unique compared to most other automatic pet feeders on the market. The low profile prevents dogs from knocking it over and potentially breaking it in order to access the food. Feed and Go’s air-tight compartment also keeps food fresh, including both dry or wet food. Even better, there is a built-in webcam and voice recorder so you can check in on your cat or dog to ensure they ate the food. Feed and Go is without a doubt, our favorite automatic dog feeder (also great for cats too!).

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SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder

This automatic pet feeder by SureFlap completely revolutionized feeding for households with multiple pets. Whether you have dogs or cats, the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder ensures that only the intended pet eats out of the bowl by using RFID chip technology. This automatic pet feeder actually scans the microchip already inside your pet and opens the lid of the food when they approach. This prevents other pets from stealing their food and helps control diet and nutrition. If your pet isn’t microchipped, no problem! The pet feeder comes with an RFID collar tag which works exactly the same – simply attach it to your cat or dog’s collar. Check out our full review for more details and see why we fully recommend the SureFeed pet feeder.

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Hoison Smart Feeder

This auto feeder by Hoison is an excellent choice for dog and cat owners. While the price is slightly higher than others, the incredible features and design make it worth every penny. 10 smart functions include Real time interaction, remote control, wechat feeding, smart light, fix time & quantity, accurate measurement, health management, cloud service, more people sharing, offline feeding. The most impressive part of this auto dog feeder is the back-up power. If your Internet disconnects or power goes out, the Hoison Smart Feeder starts its built-in power to automatically feed again. Everything from the built-in HD camera to scientific health analysis really makes this automatic dog feeder one of the best.

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Petnet SmartFeeder

Petnet created what is currently the most popular automatic pet feeder – and for good reasons. The Petnet SmartFeeder can manage feeding times, portion sizes, and ingredients. The iOS app is intuitively designed and easy to use. This auto dog feeder will even monitor how much food supply if left and automatically order more food and have it shipped to your house. The price is in the middle of the road compared to other auto feeders on the market. However the well executed features make it worth every penny.

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PetSafe Healthy Pets Simply Feed

PetSafe’s Healthy Pet Simply Feed automatic pet feeder uses a patented conveyor dispenser to reliably feed your pets while minimizing the chance of food getting clogged. There are no “tech savvy” features, such as app-controlled feeding or voice recordings; however, PetSafe perfected the bare bones food dispensing system. This product simply works. There’s also a few different sizes to pick from depending on the size of your cats and dogs.

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Lusmo Automatic Pet Feeder

If you’re looking to save some money, the Lusmo automatic pet feeder is definitely the way to go. Coming in at just under $100, Lusmo is more than half the cost of some other auto pet feeders on the market. Lusmo’s portion control can be customized, allowing the device to be used for cats or dogs. This feeder also comes in a variety of fun colors, and also has an optional mischief guard accessory to prevent your pets from trying to access the food storage. Reviews on Amazon are highly positive, and we gave the Lusmo automatic pet feeder a 4.5 out of 5 stars – check out our review for the full scoop!

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Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder

Coming in slightly cheaper than the Lusmo feeder shown above, Arf Pets brings a quality device without breaking the bank; however, Lusmo does have more creative color options available. If you are not interested in one of the smartphone enabled automatic pet feeders, then Arf Pets should definitely be one of your contending picks. The very nice backlit display stays lit even in the dark, enabling easy control of the device. The top storage lid securely locks in place to prevent your cats or dogs from accessing all of the food at once. As for the amount of food, Arf Pets allows up to 4 feedings per day, which is slightly lower than some other auto feeders on the market. Overall, our Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder review ended with 4.3 stars due to its solid performance and low price point. Great entry level feeder.

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ANMER A25 Automatic Pet Feeder

Our ANMER A25 review came in at 4 out of 5 stars, mainly because of the low cost. This is the cheapest automatic pet feeder we’ve ever reviewed. This “bare-bones” feeder is a bit complicated to understand, mainly due to the confusing amount of buttons. However, after reading the manual and understanding how it works, the ANMER feeder did exactly as advertised. A few unique features include infrared dispensing technology to reduce blockage and voice recorded feedings. We barely consider this feeder “automatic”, however it still dispenses food on a set schedule and is very affordable (the low price point was a major factor in giving this 4 stars).

 

Best Automatic Cat Feeder

Super Feeder CSF-3

The Super Feeder CSF-3 is a classic. While the design looks a bit dated, the performance is what makes it stand out, as proven by their online reviews. If you’re in the market for an automatic cat feeder, and are not interested in all the bells and whistles included with WiFi and app-enabled pet feeders, the Super Feeder is your best choice. This family owned business perfected the original cat feeder.

Automatic Pet Feeder Buying Guide

When shopping for an automatic pet feeder, or simply researching to see if one would be a good fit for your home, it’s important to understand how they work and to know which features are most important. The biggest decision you will have to make is if you want a smartphone enabled pet feeder (connected to the internet) or a basic manually programmed feeder.

How do automatic pet feeders work?

Many dogs need to be fed at different intervals throughout the day. For example, my dog will eat way too much (anything that is given to her) at one time. Because of this, I can’t give her an entire day’s worth of food without her devouring it all in one sitting and then getting sick. Puppies are also encouraged to eat multiple times per day instead of one or two big meals.
Automatic pet feeders work by setting the timer on the device itself or by using your smartphone, depending on the model. Food is stored in an air-tight container to prevent it from going stale, and then dispenses the food in specific measurements (decided by you) at specific times (also decided by you). There are many different kinds of automatic pet feeders out there including dog feeders and cat feeders, in addition to varying sizes, colors, features, and price ranges.

Multi Day Pet Feeders

Multi day pet feeders are available for cats and smaller dogs. Many larger dogs cannot use multi-day pet feeders because they cannot store enough food at one time. If you have a small to medium dog or a cat however, you can certainly use one of these. Being that dogs need to be let out to go to the bathroom, multi-day dog feeders are less practical since someone will have to be around anyway. For cats however, multi-day cat feeders can be incredibly useful.
The Ergo Automatic Pet Feeder is an excellent multi-day feeder which is available in three sizes of dry dog food (small – 5lb capacity, medium – 10lb capacity, large – 20lb capacity).

Health and Nourishment

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention estimates that 54% of dogs and cats in the United States are overweight or obese. Many pet owners take the easy route of just keeping the bowl filled with food and letting the dog eat when they’re hungry. This can quickly lead to obesity, leading into other problems such as liver disease, osteoporosis, heart disease, and more.
The good news is that this is easily preventable and treatable. Several small meals per day is ideal, and automatic pet feeders make this an easy task. In addition to just tossing out food at given times, automatic pet feeders also ensure optimal health and energy in your pet, food intake monitoring, prevention of bloat in dogs, and diabetes control.

Convenience

This is a no brainer! If you’re reading this, you most likely give several smaller meals per day to your pet now or are looking to start. We’ve already talked about the health benefits, but there’s another huge benefit for those of you with multiple pets. Many pet feeders out there can be programmed with your pets’ microchip (or even a microchip in their collar) so that food only comes out for that pet. This prevents one pet from eating their own food and the others.