An automatic pet feeder helps to manage the feeding of a dog or cat. It dispenses food at predetermined intervals, in predetermined amounts, setting it up in advance so that your pet never has to go hungry again! This is especially helpful for those who work long hours and can’t be home with their pets during the day. There are many different types on the market today. Keep reading to explore the question, “what is an automatic pet feeder?”
An automatic pet feeder typically has a hopper for food that refills through gravity. Some automatic pet feeders may also be programmable to dispense the desired amount of food with each fill, and/or at particular times throughout the day, week or month. Additionally, this device can help perfect the exact amount of food you give to your pet. This can be very helpful when your pet is on a diet.
Automatic pet feeders allow you to control the amount of time your pet waits in between meals, and it’s a great way for cats on low-calorie or weight loss diets to maintain their health while shedding pounds. It ensures that your furry friend is not over-eating, and some breeds of cats are prone to over-eat more than others.
A general word of warning here: pet feeders are not substitutes for time spent with you! While they may help you exactly portion out meals to a cat who is on a diet, they still need love, care, attention, and a watchful eye from their pet owner!
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For more on what your cat should not be eating, see our article on toxic plants or our article on toxic foods.
If you like automating things for your cat, check out automatic litter boxes, too.
Automatic pet feeders work by providing a dish with food, water, or treats that are systematically dispensed at set times. Some pet owners may find this helpful for pets who eat too quickly and need to slow down, while others might use it to time how long their dog should be fed each day.
The mechanics of the feeder vary, but the most common design is to have an internal reservoir with food that goes through a feeding tube or chute. The end of this chute may be designed like a bowl where it fills over time, much as gravity would feed it; other designs are more akin to dispensers which use augers and similar devices to dispense the food. Other mechanics of the device include a timer that can be programmed to dispense food at certain times.
Other internal mechanics of the device might include a weight sensor, which can be programmed to dispense food when the pet has reached a certain body weight. This is helpful in many ways, as it ensures that pets do not overeat or undereat due to programming errors on the human end and also helps control overall caloric intake for those who are overweight.
The benefits of using an automatic pet feeder are numerous. One of the top benefits is convenience, as it frees up time for the owner to do other things in their day-to-day life. This is a very big deal for some busy people or people in tough life situations.
It also helps eliminate food waste because once programmed, there’s no need to worry about forgetting or running out of kibble or overfeeding when you’re away from home. (At least until you need to refill the feeder :). But this will not have to be done that often compared to feeding your pet multiple times a day. You’ll only need to refill it every few days.
If your pet is following a strict diet, the feeder can help the process of sticking to this diet go smoother and easier for everyone.
Feeding in a timely, regular fashion can help prevent obesity and consequent metabolic syndrome for animals with relatively small bodies (e.g., some cats) who are prone to overeating by weighing too much or eating excessively whenever they are given free access to food all day long.
If you don’t want your pet roaming or stealing food from others while you’re away, this can be handy so you know that they’ll eat healthy while you’re gone–whether it be overnight or longer periods of time when you are away from the house.
Your pet may have a better appetite at mealtimes because they are not continually ‘grazing.’
Automatic pet feeders dispense small portions at fixed times which means that your pets won’t be too hungry within the span of their next scheduled feeding time–something that’s particularly good for pets who have sensitive tummies or high activity levels or experience weight loss due to disease or age-related changes in appetite, mobility, and metabolism speeds.
Additionally, not only will most feeders dispense accurate amounts of food at pre-set times throughout the day, but they’ll also provide information on how much your pet has eaten (as well as some neat additional features). Sometimes it is more difficult to feed your pet exact amounts if you are feeding them manually.
People with mobility issues may find using a pet feeder much more convenient than continually bending over multiple times a day to feed pets! This can help the elderly a lot with managing their pets!
Well, the obvious disadvantages are that your pet cannot enjoy its food when it wants to – it waits until the programmed timing schedules around when the automatic feeder releases a feeding. However, this doesn’t have to be a long time. You can program the device to suit your needs and your cat’s.
You will have to tweak the machine to make sure that your pet is getting enough or not too much. This will take some trial and error.
Further, some automatic feeders hold too many meals in one day which can lead to spoilage. You may have to test this aspect out to see how much your feeder can hold without causing the food to spoil over time.
Generally, automatic pet feeders are usually programmed to dispense food between 12 and 16 times per day, with the exception of some models that offer portions only in the morning and evening. They are not designed for owners who want to break their animal’s free-fed eating pattern, but rather for those whose pets need a consistent amount of food during the day.
Large dogs or heavier breeds can put a strain on the gearbox motor, especially if they are fed very large meals. For instance, feeding a 60 lb German Shepherd three cups of dry dog food every single meal can cause an expensive premature malfunction! However, if you have a cat, this should not be a problem. Unless it is a large Maine Coone cat- then you would need to exercise caution.
The most obvious drawback to using an automatic pet feeder is forgetting to fill it. However, you can forget to feed your pet by hand, too.
Some people enjoy the process of feeding their pet. It is a bonding experience and gives you the sense of caring for your furry friend. If this is you, then you may miss this experience! There are other ways to bond and care for your pet. But, if this is a favorite one, I wouldn’t cut it out 🙂
The feeder, of course, can be pricey. You pay for the convenience upfront.
Your pet can lose the connection to its normal feeding schedule, which can result in obesity and diabetes for animals that are prone to them. However, the chance of this is slim; if you monitor your pet’s progress, this shouldn’t be a problem.
If you’re gone at night or out of town for a few days, your pet might overeat because it’s hungry and not know when the next time is coming along- so be aware of that possibility. They may not ‘trust’ the feeder.
When not changed properly each day, the device may go dry. This can cause your cat to run away from home looking for more food. Other bad things can happen because of this. They can get into fights with other animals over food or into situations where their health is compromised by lack of food because they thought the automatic feeder was going to always take care of them 24/7.
Pets could get up during the middle of the night due to hunger and slam into people or furniture injuring themselves in the process, which is why some vets recommend against these devices for senior pets who are more likely to be injured by nighttime excursions following an inadvertent interruption of their scheduled mealtime schedule
Your pet will not know how to eat on their own, so they may develop an eating disorder that can lead to weight loss and cause digestive problems. You can monitor this and make sure that it doesn’t happen to your cat.
Choosing the right pet feeder for your home is a big decision. It needs to be affordable, but also dependable and easy to use. When looking for one, consider the following:
Type of food your cat eats.
Some cats do not like fish or seafood and will refuse to eat from that bowl. If you have a picky eater, it may be better for them to use wet food as their kibble when choosing an automated dish.
If it has compartments.
If you have more than one pet, it is best to find an automated feeder that has designated bowls or compartments in order to avoid food fighting between pets.
Other things to look for are:
The different types of automatic pet feeders available today are:
Automatic feeders with batteries that need to be replaced: these are the cheapest type of pet feeders and you can find them for around $20. However, they only work when there is electricity. If you live in a place where the power goes out often or your area suffers from frequent blackouts, this may not be the best option for you.
Manual feeders: they are quite self-explanatory as you have to manually open the lid and put food inside.
Programmable or mechanical timer pet feeder: these can be programmed for a certain time at which your cat should get out it’s daily meal. They also usually come with a feed tray, so your pet can eat the entire meal without it being scattered all over.
Automatic programmable cat feeder: these are really easy to use and require no effort from you at all once they’re programmed; the only thing that needs to be done is refilling them with food whenever needed. They usually come in different sizes, so they can serve different needs.
Electronic cat feeder: these are automated and programmed to provide your pet with its meal according to a certain time or schedule that you choose; this is the most expensive type of pet feeders on the market but it’s also one of the best ones out there.
Microchip cat feeder: these ones are great because they only open for the pet with a microchip in it, which is way more secure than using tags or any other identification and helps prevent theft.
Slow feeding cat bowl: this type of bowls has an opening that makes food come out slow so your furry friend can enjoy eating without inhaling his food.
Litter box: these come with a stand and they can be used as both feeders and litter boxes; the best part is that you don’t need to move it from one room to another.
Wireless cat feeder: these are great because you can fill your pet’s food without having to carry around heavy cans and you can just fill it right from your smartphone.
Automatic cat feeder: these are great for when you’re traveling and don’t want to come back home to an empty food bowl, all that’s needed is some programming on a schedule or motion sensor so they will start feeding by themselves once the time has passed.
Smart Feeder: Ones that send extra fancy deets about your cat to your phone!
Is it worth the money?
Automated pet feeders are worth the money if you want to save time and money. They save you time and money because you won’t have to worry about refilling the machine often or feeding your pet, and they also prevent overfeeding. If you are not overfeeding, then you are not overspending on cat and/or dog food.
Additionally, you can save time by not having to refill a bowl every day for days or weeks at a time. And if you work long hours, it’s nice that your cat doesn’t starve while waiting around for their next meal.
Automated feeders are worth the money when you want to prevent overfeeding. You can set up a timer to limit your cat’s total daily food intake so that you don’t have to worry about them eating too much.
What about your pet’s weight and dietary needs?
You can easily set up a timer to limit your pet’s total daily food intake so that you don’t have to worry about them eating themselves into obesity.
Can I use this for other types of pets too, not just cats or dogs?
Many feeders are designed to be used for cats, dogs, and small animals that weigh more than five pounds.
How do they work with my busy schedule?
If you have a busy schedule, you can still make sure your pet is fed without interrupting your workday.
Are there any safety features to help protect against spills, etc.?
There are safety features to help protect against spills and accidents. Make sure that you have a close look at your model that you are interested in for these details.
The best place to buy a pet feeder online is at Amazon. There are dozens of different brands to choose from and the prices range from low to over high depending on how many bowls you need, what size they are, and what additional features it offers (programmable times for example).
Another good place to buy one is at Petco and Petsmart. They have the most reliable brands to choose from, such as Surefeed Microchip cat feeder or Purina One SmartBlend automatic pet feeder.
If you don’t want to shop online there are also a few stores that carry them in-store: Walmart, Target, & Walgreens drug
Pet feeders can have many benefits, but should never be a substitute for the care, love, and attention of owners! There are many things to take into consideration when buying one, to make sure that your cat’s needs are met. With so many automatic pet feeders on the market today, be sure to pick one with features that fit your home best.
Did you experience any advantages or disadvantages of an automatic pet feeder? Please share with us below!
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