It can be tough to ensure you’ll be home at your pet’s exact meal times each and every day. Now, thanks to incredible new technology, automatic pet feeders make it possible for your pet to eat on his or her normal schedule, without you having to rush home to make it back on time.
Automatic pet feeders are able to dispense both dry and wet dog or cat food at timed intervals. You’ll have to fill the feeder with the food and make sure it gets refilled as needed, but the rest of the process is fully automated, saving you time, effort, and worry. We rounded up some of the best automatic pet feeders on the market today.
— Best Overall: Vremi Automatic Pet Feeder
— Best Smart: WOPET 6L Automatic Feeder
— Best Design: Faroro 7L Automatic Feeder
— Best for Multiple Pets: WellToBe Pet Feeder Food Dispenser
— Best Budget: PetSafe 5 Meal Programmable Pet Food Dispenser
How We Selected These Products
When choosing the best automatic pet feeders, we took into consideration a range of factors:
Programming: If you’re on the go and need something to ensure your pet gets fed at the correct times each day, the feeder’s programming needs to be top-notch. We looked for systems that had clearly labeled LCD screens or apps that allow you to program multiple meal times so you only have to worry about it once, then feel safe and secure knowing your pet will be fed on schedule.
Accuracy: Another thing to keep in mind with automatic pet feeders is the accuracy of the meal portion. If your pet is on a strict diet, you need to be sure that each meal is the right size. The feeders chosen in this article should be accurate once you’ve set and scheduled it.
Size/Capacity: Whether you’re going to be out for a few hours (think: a busy day with back-to-back meetings) or a few days (think: weekend trip away), you need to know that your automatic pet feeder will be able to hold the correct amount of food for that time frame. Some feeders only handle up to five meals while others can hold much more. It’s vital that you take this into consideration so you know how often you’ll need to refill the machine.
The Best Automatic Dog Feeders: Reviews & Recommendations
Best Overall: Vremi Automatic Pet Feeder
Why It Made The Cut: This feeder not only holds 4-6 pounds of dry kibble for up to four daily meals, it has a recording feature so you can leave a message to soothe your pet during meal times.
Specs:
— Dimensions: 15 x 14 x 9 inches
— Power: Dual power supply; 5V DC adaptor or 3 D batteries
— Capacity: 6 liters
Pros:
— Infrared sensors stay on all the time to prevent food getting stuck
— Programmable control panel allows you to customize meal times and serving sizes
— 10-second voice recordings can help soothe anxiety-ridden animals
— Viewing window shows you when it’s time to refill
Cons:
— Doesn’t allow you to feed multiple pets at a time
The Vremi Automatic Pet Feeder is a great, affordable option for ensuring that your pet receives evenly portioned meals up to four times a day. The extra large storage compartment holds up to 6 liters of dry food, so you won’t have to worry about refilling it too often.
One special feature this feeder offers is the ability to pre-record up to 10 seconds of voice recording, so that when it’s time to eat, your pet will hear you saying, “Here, Kitty!” or “It’s dinner-time, Fido!”
Plus, if you’re dealing with stormy nights, you won’t have to worry about the power going out and affecting meal times thanks to the feeder’s dual power supply feature which has the ability to run indefinitely on a 5V DC adapter.
Best Smart: WOPET 6L Automatic Feeder
Why It Made The Cut: In this day and age, most things are easier when a free app is involved. The WOPET allows you to program everything you need remotely, with just a click.
Specs:
— Dimensions: 14.9 x 10 x 7.8 inches
— Power: Power adapter, and/or 3 D batteries
— Capacity: 6 liters
Pros:
— Dual battery system ensures no power cuts get in the way of meal time
— Auto voice broadcasts can be played at each meal time
— App control gives you peace of mind knowing you’ve correctly scheduled meals and portions
Cons:
— Does not work with wet pet food
— Pricier than other options
The WOPET 6L Automatic Feeder is an ideal option for those who are glued to their smartphones. The feeder hooks up to a free app (compatible with iOS and Android) that allows you to customize mealtimes, portion sizes, and voice notes. You can schedule up to 15 meals per day, which is perfect for helping to slow down those fast eaters!
If you want your dog to hear your voice while you’re away, you can record a voice message to be played each time a feeding is dispensed, or simply throughout the day when you want to say hello. The transparent and easily detachable container is perfect for letting you know when it’s time to refill, and makes for easy cleaning.
While the feeder rings in at a bit more than other competitive products, it’s a worthwhile investment for you and your pet.
Best Design: Faroro 7L Automatic Feeder
Why It Made The Cut: We love how this feeder offers essentially all the same features as other products on the market, but comes in a gorgeous white-and-black casing that won’t want to hide.
Specs:
— Dimensions: 9.65 x 8.27 x 15.12 inches
— Batteries: Dual power: 3 D batteries or power adapter
— Capacity: 7 liters
Pros:
— Easy-to-set built-in timer helps you create the right feeding schedule
— Works for dry and wet food
— Includes voice recording feature
Cons:
— Not ideal for multiple pet feedings
If you’re a proponent of keeping your kitchen aesthetically pleasing, the Faroro 7L Automatic Feeder is the perfect option. The feeder’s simple white lines and transparent top lid will keep your space looking clean while also ensuring that food stays fresh and secure.
Infrared detection prevents food from sticking and spilling, and an easy-to-operate timer that runs on a 24-hour schedule allows you to keep your pet on a known routine. You can schedule one to four meals per day, and even alternate between wet and dry food if you’d like.
The feeder features a dual power supply, has a voice recording feature that enables you to play a 10-second message up to three times over the course of a feeding, and is reasonably priced.
Best for Multiple Pets: WellToBe Pet Feeder Food Dispenser
Why It Made The Cut: We love that the splitter is wide enough to feed two separate bowls, and is also removable in the case you only have to feed one pet at a time.
Specs:
— Dimensions: 16.9 x 11.4 x 7.1 inches
— Power: Power adapter and/or 4 D batteries
— Capacity: 13 cups
Pros:
— Perfect for those with more than one pet
— Dual power supply ensures power outages don’t affect meal times
— Non-slip foot pad ensures the feeder doesn’t move around
— Silicone seal prevents pets from stealing food
Cons:
— Can be problematic if pets don’t respect each other’s bowls
— Voice recording is a requisite to dispensing food
If you’re a multiple pet parent and don’t want to buy more than one automatic feeder, the WellToBe Pet Feeder Food Dispenser is the perfect solution. This automatic pet feeder comes with a two-way splitter and stainless-steel food bowls. It can divide meals equally and feed your pets simultaneously.
The feeder can program up to six meals a day, has an anti-clog mechanism thanks to built-in infrared sensor alerts, and has removable food containers and bowls perfect for easy clean-up. Plus, this feeder is quite affordable as opposed to buying two separate one-pet feeders.
Best Budget: PetSafe 5 Meal Programmable Pet Food Dispenser
Why It Made The Cut: We love the versatility of this dispenser — the five segmented meal trays allow you to dispense just one meal or as many as five full meals if you’re going to be away for a few days.
Specs:
— Dimensions: 15 x 5 x 18 inches
— Power: 4 D batteries required
— Capacity: 5 cups
Pros:
— Since you pre-portion the meals yourself, it’s incredibly accurate
— Dishwasher-safe makes cleaning a breeze
— Wallet friendly
— Built-in clock allows you to easily schedule meal times
Cons:
— Not as tech-forward as other feeders on the market
— Holding up to 5 meals means you have to refill it every few days
If you’re looking for a straightforward system to feed your pet a few times while you’re away, the PetSafe 5-Meal Programmable Pet Food Dispenser is an easy choice.
Its basic yet fully functional system allows you to easily program feeding times via the LCD screen. The feeder has five segmented meal pockets within one tray, and only one is exposed at a time. The others are cleverly hidden so your pet won’t be able to sneak extra food before meal time. The tray is easy to clean, especially if you’re dealing with wet food. At less than $50, the feeder is truly a steal.
Things to Consider When Buying the Best Automatic Pet Feeders
As you try to decide which automatic pet feeder to invest in, consider your pet. Does your dog or cat like to hear your soothing voice at meal times? Voice controls are starting to be a commonality in most feeders, but not all. If you know your pet is anxious, pre-recording a 10-second message announcing meal-time and checking in can be quite soothing. Does your pet eat dry or wet food? Will your pet get along well with another pet eating at the bowl right next to theirs?
Think, too, about your own habits and routines. Are you someone who needs to schedule things in advance? Do you prefer using an app rather than a built-in LCD screen? How often do you plan on washing the feeder? These are all questions you should take into account before making your purchase.
Overall, most automatic feeders are similarly priced, generally ranging from $50 to $90. Focus on what both you and your pet or pets need, and take it from there.
FAQs
Q: Are automatic pet feeders worth it?
The answer is a resounding yes. Automatic feeders can make your life much easier and give you peace of mind. By pre-scheduling meals and portions, you’ll rest assured that your pet will be fed on time. You won’t have to rush home to make meal-time, and you can even sleep in on the weekends.
Q: Can you put wet food in an automatic feeder?
This varies based on the automatic pet feeder. While most pet feeders are typically easier to work with when dealing with dry kibble, some are also able to accommodate wet food. Make sure you check this feature out when choosing your automatic feeder, as you don’t want wet food to get stuck in a machine built for dry food only.
Q: How long do automatic feeders last?
The feeders should last as long as the batteries last, which is typically a few months. Many feeders these days have dual power supplies, so if you hook up a power adapter to your feeder you won’t have to worry about it running out.
Final Thoughts
Our pets are important to us, and their health and overall well-being is, too. If you know you tend to be forgetful about your pets’ meal times, or if you’re too busy to make it home in time, an automatic pet feeder will keep your pet healthy and happy, and put your mind at ease.
Only you can make the decision about which automatic pet feeder is best for you and your pet, but we highly recommend the Vremi Automatic Pet Feeder as the overall best feeder for most pet owners’ needs, as well as the Faroro 7L Automatic Feeder, and the WellToBe Pet Feeder Food Dispenser.
This post was created by a non-news editorial team at Recurrent Media, Futurism’s owner. Futurism may receive a portion of sales on products linked within this post.