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Photograph: Molly Higgins
Oneisall 2-in-1 Automatic Cat Feeder and Water Dispenser for $60: Generally, I’m a fan of all the Oneisall pet products I’ve tested. While they aren’t the most technologically advanced, they are always reliable and affordable. This model is relatively simple. To set up, you’ll need to attach the bowl supports and dishwasher-safe stainless-steel bowls, fill the water and kibble compartments, and plug in. This model runs on corded power but also has an optional 4 AA batteries in case of a power outage. There is no connected app. You’ll just set the clock and adjust meal settings, and you can schedule one to six meals per day with adjustable portions, from one to 10 portion sizes. I don’t love having food and water so close, since cats prefer them separate to prevent cross-contamination in the wild. I always recommend automatic pet fountains instead for a fresh source of water, but if you don’t have a lot of space, are on a budget, and need a temporary solution for getting fresh water to your kitty while you’re out of town, the gravity-fed water system helps keep water relatively fresh (plus, the translucent tank makes it easier to check water levels). I’d recommend this basic option if you’re on a budget and need a temporary solution for when you’re out of the house (and don’t mind not having a connected app).
Photograph: Molly Higgins
Closer Pets C200 2-Meal Automatic Pet Feeder for $50: This automatic feeder is super simple, which is both its weakness and its strength. It’s essentially two shallow plastic containers with stainless-steel inserts (both dishwasher-safe) and tamper-resistant lids that lock and automatically open using an old-school egg-style timer that runs on an AA battery rather than electricity. Although the container has an ice pack to keep the wet food cool, after one night it lost virtually all of its coolness. There’s a lid-link clip attachment, a small piece of plastic that links the lids to ensure they open at the same time, which is super helpful for owners of two cats like me. I wish the timer were electric so I could program it to the exact time I want it to open, rather than guesstimating the timing on the little marks. However, this is a simple solution to help make sure both my cats are given wet food without me having to wake up at the crack of dawn.
Photograph: Molly Higgins
Oneisall Cordless WiFi Automatic Cat Feeder for $53: I had high hopes for this cordless feeder, which boasts a rechargeable battery with a 100-day life and an integrated app, but it’s just too unreliable. Through the app, you can program up to 10 daily meals (in 1-12 portions each), monitor pets’ eating habits, and customize meal calls. Unlike other apps, you can’t choose portion size; instead, you have to multiply the number of servings. The app gave me constant problems and would often disconnect from the feeder and be unable to reconnect to WiFi. Luckily, I was able to program meals via the screen and buttons, but it would’ve been much nicer if the app had worked reliably.
Do Not Recommend
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Catit Pixi Smart 6-Meal Feeder for $86: Like others on this list, the Catit Pixi wet and dry feeder uses ice packs to keep wet food fresh and rotates meals among six compartments on a set schedule. The schedule can be programmed via the app or adjusted on the feeder itself. At this price point, the app shouldn’t be this limited and glitchy. The schedule is available in military time only, and the app is extremely limited—you can only set the meal schedule for the same day. When I wanted to do only two to three meals a day spread over two days, I had to reschedule the meals for every new day. The feeder didn’t keep it cold enough to spread the meals out, and the wet food was not at a safe eating temperature. At this price point, just get the Petlibro Polar wet feeder.
Catit Pixi Smart Cat Feeder for $112: Kibble is stored in the feeder’s body, but it lacks a window to visually check food levels. The meal-planning calendar shows only a week at a time, and although it should repeat daily based on the schedule, I found that some days had no schedule despite setting one up. The Pixi also doesn’t tell you how much food was dispensed; it just refers to it as a “portion”—I manually measured and found the portion was less than a tablespoon of kibble. After using it continuously for more than a month, I found it was extremely glitchy and almost never reliably stuck to the programmed schedule, sometimes skipping meals altogether. This feeder is potentially dangerous, and I’d caution pet parents against relying on it.
Closer Pets C500 for $77: This automatic wet and dry feeder can schedule up to four pre-portioned meals (and one meal given manually) and opens them on a timer using three AA batteries (sold separately). The user sets the four times they want the bowls, which have ice packs underneath, to rotate. The bowls are quite deep and narrow, and they aren’t super easy for cats to reach, which could cause whisker fatigue. Although there are two relatively large ice packs, when I checked on the feeder after a night’s sleep, the packs weren’t very cold. This may be OK for kibble, but wet food was kept at unsafe temperatures, and my cats couldn’t reach all of the food.
Why Use an Automatic Feeder?
Automatic feeders are great for pet owners who want to help manage their pets’ weight and monitor eating patterns. Plus, they allow for a lot more control and precision, so owners can learn exactly how much their cat is eating and when. Because cats are naturally more nocturnal, many have the annoying habit of waking you up in the early hours, demanding food. These feeders allow you to set up a schedule that fits their schedule better without inconveniencing yours.
Of course, it’s never recommended to leave pets alone for long periods, but these automatic feeders give more peace of mind and are much healthier for your pet than leaving a huge amount of food out for free-feeding while you’re away for the night. Simply put, it’s an easier way to feed and monitor your cat’s health with less work for you, the human.
I have two rescue cats, ages 4 and 5, and they eat two wet-food meals a day, along with small amounts of dry kibble throughout the day. Vets (and TikTokkers) have successfully persuaded me to move toward a primarily wet-food diet, which has a higher water content. This provides more moisture in their diet, which helps with potentially life-threatening problems like UTIs, which are especially prevalent in male cats. I still like to give smaller dry-food meals throughout the day to satisfy their need for crunch.
For dry food, I use Hill’s Science Diet, and for wet food, I use Friskies Shreds. (Yes, only Shreds. Fellow cat owners will understand.)
I set up the feeders, noting ease of setup, potential problems, and app navigation. I also tested various schedules and manual feedings in the app, documenting any issues. I used each feeder for at least a week, if not longer.
How Long Can I Leave My Cat Alone?
Although cats are generally considered less high-maintenance than dogs, it’s still not advisable to leave your cat alone for extended periods. In dire circumstances, you can leave a cat alone for 24 to 48 hours with scheduled feedings and a clean water source, but it’s not ideal—especially for cats with health issues, kittens younger than a year, or very elderly cats. Although these feeders are automatic and meals can be scheduled in advance for multiple days, our pets still need their human pals around for enrichment, care, and, well, love.