The Simply Feed is a clear pack leader in terms of features and flexibility. Some flaws are clearer. All the options are crammed into an unclear user interface that makes setup a hassle.
Finally, cats might be scared by the loud sound of kibble falling on the tin bowl. Pros Up to 12 meals a day Slow feed option Easy to clean Conveyer belt leads to precise portioning Cons Expensive Power sources not included Control panel is hard to use Loud, overly large detached bowl 8.
Frisco Gravity Refill Pet Feeder. Just fill the tank with your desired amount of food, then top it up as it gets low. The wide slot helps you access every part of the reservoir for easy cleaning. Pros Made of recycled, watertight materials Easy to set up, move, and clean Holds food or water Cons No way to schedule meals Too expensive for what it does Food gets stuck in slot 9. It also consists of a container of food that falls through a trapdoor, at a frequency programmed through a digital control panel.
It likewise has a dishwasher-safe removable bowl, though none of the other parts are easily washed. So why have we put the LeBistro at number eight, and the C at number one? We praised the C for its ability to finely control portion sizes down to the grain. We tried it out by setting two LeBistros next to each other, and found that when set to dispense the same amount of kibble, they differed by as much as half a cup.
Another issue is that the LeBistro can be manipulated by determined cats. Whereas the C rebuffed kitties who stuck their paws up the delivery chute, the LeBistro spills extra kibble right away. Save your money. It has two large bowls that can hold wet or dry food, each which have their own programmable lids, meaning you can stagger mealtimes for one cat or feed two at once.
Beware, though, that in tests, the ice pack only stayed cold for around 8 hours. If you need a short-term solution — for example, if your cat whines to be fed at dawn every morning — the C20 will work fine. However, having only two bowls severely limits what it can do. That restricted functionality is compounded by the often-faulty mechanism. Much of the time, the timer ticks down, but then fails to open the door.
Sometimes only one of the doors opens, and sometimes neither. You might have to open the doors yourself, which defeats the purpose of having an auto-feeder at all. Pros Can hold wet food Might feed two cats Long battery life Cons Doors frequently fail to open Ice pack lasts just eight hours Only serves up to two meals Good, neither have we. It comes with a night-vision camera that you can use to keep an eye on your cat through the app, and a voice recorder so you can speak to them from a distance while they eat.
Instead of using the app, you can also program mealtimes, as in a more traditional feeder. Sounds awesome, right? It is, until you realize the feeder is useless without a connection to both your phone and your home WiFi network.
And customer service is unreachable. To determine the best automatic cat feeder you need, always ask the following questions. The former is good for if you plan to be away for a long time, while the latter is good for either days or nights — say, if your cat wakes you up too early by meowing at the bedroom door.
Conversely, if your cat is diabetic, get a feeder that lets them eat at frequent, vet-recommended intervals. Most automatic feeders can only hold dry food. If your cats turn up their noses at kibble, look for a feeder like the SureFeed Microchip that can serve wet food. Feed and Go pioneered the automatic pet feeders when they introduced Wifi, webcam functionality, and an app for your phone. BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. Read more. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Bottom Line. Best of the Best. Check Price. Large Food Tank Bottom Line. Best Bang for the Buck. Simple Yet Solid Bottom Line.
Easy to Clean Bottom Line. Arf Pets. Convenient Design Bottom Line. Click here for testing insights. Models Considered. Consumers Consulted. Hours Researched.
Updated May Written by Melissa Nott. Buying guide for Best automatic cat feeders For the 36 million households with a cat in the U. It is available in two combinations: either white and blue colors or white and grey colors. The automatic fountain has three working modes: flower bubble, flower waterfall, and a gentle fountain mode, so you can choose the one that best fits your cats.
It also features a silicone mat that goes under the fountain to prevent sliding. It is suitable for indoor use only. The fountain has a three-level filter for purifying water that will keep the water fresh and clean for your cats.
You will get two additional filters because they should be changed every two to four weeks. To keep the fountain running for years, it is advised you clean the pump every two weeks. This water fountain works ideally in multiple-cat households because it keeps the water fresh and hygienic even if many cats drink out of it.
Cats need to stay hydrated so their organism can function properly. The filter on this automatic fountain for multiple cats will provide them with healthy water and encourage them to drink more. By using this 2. The fountain should be cleaned at least once a week. The stored food dispenses automatically thanks to gravity. The second model works with the help of gravity as well.
The bundle includes both a cat feeder and a cat waterer that can store enough food and water for your multiple cats.
If you wish to learn more about automatic cat feeders in general, check out this post with the best automatic feeders available on the market. In case you want to know more available models of feeders with timers, read this post I wrote about the best timed cat feeders and food dispensers. Give this review post about the best cat feeding stations a read so you can see all the different designs that could be good for your feline friends. Have you been trying to find an automatic feeder that will feed all of your cats at once?
Gravity Feeders Vs. Electronic Automatic Feeders When it comes to automatic feeders for pets, there are usually two sorts available on the market. We place two servings of dry food in each well, and program it to rotate at her regular meal times.
For longer trips, our cat-sitter also refills it, so she can drop by our apartment fewer times. With most of the bells and whistles that other automatic pet feeders have and at a good price, the Faroro also offers the majority of food storage space of any of the feeders on this list.
Pet owners report being impressed with the high quality of this device. It allows you to program up to four meals a day and as little as two teaspoons of food at a time. Larger units are available from other companies but at double the price, so this product is our pick if you want a feeder with a big tank. Some pet owners may worry about a power outage, WiFi going down, or even their pets unplugging the automatic feeder.
A battery-operated automatic feeder is a good solution for those scenarios. This one requires four D-cell batteries. It can be programmed to schedule 12 meals, ranging up to 0. Pet parents with cats that get into everything will appreciate that the jam-free dispenser is set up to keep food securely locked away. Both the food dispenser and stainless steel serving bowl could be washed in the dishwasher. The model with the twist lock lid is especially favorable for owners with cats that seem to be able to break into other feeders and the model with the desiccant compartment is nice for those that live in humid climates.
If you have limited room, select a smaller feeder, but size up if you have multiple cats. Automatic cat feeders range from basic models that simply feed your cat to those with some seriously fancy features. For example, some will let you schedule multiple feedings ahead of time, while others will play your pet a personal message from you. Some cat feeders are easier to use than others. Your comfort level with technology as well as your lifestyle should drive your choices when selecting a feeder.
Plus, with a battery life of up to 9 months, there's very little risk of losing power while you're away, especially if you insert new batteries before a trip. The PetSafe automatic feeder isn't the most fully featured feeder on this roundup, but its combination of easy programming, useful features, and tactile buttons makes it a sturdy, reliable option.
Feedings can be programmed to any time of day in minute intervals on the LCD screen. It's easy to set up to six different feeding times a day. Or, set one feeding time, and the PetSafe carousel will dispense one of its six meals into the bowl every day at that same time. There's also a separate button for dispensing a meal right away. Since you fill the six compartments individually, you determine the portions—up to one cup per meal. While these basic options make programming easy, it also means the PetSafe feeder may not work for very specific meal plans.
For example, if you need to feed cats at different times day-to-day, there's no way to do that since the PetSafe dispenses at the same time or times every day. While primarily used for dry food, the PetSafe also works with semi-moist kibble, though testers did find that some kibble stayed behind after feedings were dispensed, and sometimes food stuck in such a way that it got in the way of easily closing the lid.
Still, these were minor issues that didn't impair any of our tests of its scheduled operation. Overall, we found the PetSafe Six Meal Feeder simple and easy-to-use, with features that make it a solid pick for anyone looking for a basic feeder. Plus, the BPA-free bowl and the food carousel are dishwasher safe, making it one of the easiest automatic feeders to clean.
Maximum Capacity : 6 cups Dimensions: Instead of regulating your cat's food schedule and ensuring they are fed whenever you are not at home, the SureFeed is more like a cat food gatekeeper.
Rather than relying on a timer, the SureFeed is designed to restrict access to specific cats, identified either by their microchip or by an included RFID tag that you can hang from your cat's collar.
This makes it ideal for pet owners with multiple cats on different diets. For example, if one cat has a special diet and eats separate food, the SureFeed can ensure that no other cats in the household will eat it.
It's also a great way to make sure only your cat eats the cat food, and not your dog. While it's hard to imagine scenarios where you'd need this many, the SureFeed can be programmed to identify up to 32 cats. The SureFeed is impressive to watch work, with a smooth, futuristic sliding door that peels back like the cockpit of a spaceship when your cat approaches.
Plus, it's easy to use: our testers had it set up and working with the RFID tag in about five minutes. Because you add food to the SureFeed using its separate plastic bowl, it can work with wet or dry food. A split bowl that allows you to serve two separate portions at the same time is also included.
The feeder's covered design has the additional benefit of protecting food from flies, tamping down smells, and generally keeping wet food fresher. For one, the bowl is a little small. It's not really a device that you can pile several days worth of food into and forget about. Instead, it's more specifically for actively managing a cat's diet. Also, it operates on 4 C cell batteries, and doesn't have a plug. Since it has a six-month battery life and a flashing battery indicator , this isn't much of an obstacle, but it would have been nice to have the option of using an outlet.
Maybe the biggest downside is the open back. While the SureFeed effectively prevents more than one cat from using it—quickly closing after the identified cat leaves the bowl—a really determined dog could probably figure out a way around its defenses. Our testers felt that all of the issues they identified were minor. While this cat feeder only works for very specific scenarios, it handles that scenario with aplomb.
Maximum Capacity : Our favorite automatic cat feeder is the Whisker Feeder-Robot , which holds lots of food, allows for precise programming, and has our favorite app of any tested feeder, allowing you to easily set meals and monitor your cat's eating habits while you're away. After timing unboxing and setup, we programmed each feeder to deliver multiple meals throughout the day, overnight, and into a second day of testing.
We monitored to see if feeders were dispensing food on time. Our volunteer testers made both objective and subjective judgments throughout testing, not only measuring for accurate portions and feeder capacities, but also providing ratings out of 5 for multiple aspects, using a scoring methodology written in advance. We looked in particular for our tester's design impressions, plus their thoughts on useful features, programming interfaces, software, and how easy each device was to clean.
After testing, we asked testers for more insights into each feeder, including whether they'd recommend it to a family member and what they would want to change most about the product. Once testing in our lab was complete, feeders were mailed out to additional testers for at-home testing with their cats. There are two main size considerations when it comes to automatic cat feeders: capacity and footprint. Overall capacity varies widely from feeder to feeder, which is a key consideration if you want to use an automatic cat feeder to keep your cats fed while you're traveling.
While the amount of dry food cats eat can depend on their specific diet, a half-cup per day is fairly standard. Many of our recommended picks can hold 5 liters or more of dry food, which could feed a single cat for more than a month before you would need to refill.
Other feeders have separate compartments that you load in advance—those models typically have a much lower overall capacity.
Another consideration is how much space you want to cede to an automatic feeder. Our top overall pick is quite large, and would be hard to miss in a kitchen.
Other recommended feeders will take up less floor space. Our recommended feeders range from barebones models that offer basic options for scheduling meals in advance to fully-featured devices with phone apps and Wi-Fi connectivity. Our favorite features to look for include: battery back-ups in case your house loses power while you're away , stainless steel bowls which are dishwasher safe and usable for cats with plastic sensitivities , and clear reservoirs that allow you to see at a glance how much kibble is left.
Other features were less important to our testers, or even felt like a gimmick, such as the ability to record a voice message. In our experience, cats quickly learn when they're going to be fed and hardly need prompting. Since the interface for programming a feeding schedule is completely different from feeder to feeder, we've tried to give the best sense possible of how easy or hard each feeder was to program. Ease of use comes from a combination of intuitive interface and helpful information displays.
For most feeders, this means programming buttons and a small LCD screen, but several of our picks can also be programmed through a phone app. We preferred feeders that offered both options. Automatic cat feeders are either battery or plug-in powered devices that hold and distribute cat food at certain times of the day.
Similar to an automatic coffee maker, automatic cat feeders have programmable settings for cat owners to customize meal time.
Feeders with a tank have a timer inside the feeder that causes a door to open and dispense a set amount of food from a container into a bowl below. This little door shuts once the pre-programmed amount of food has been allowed to fall into the bowl and secures the remaining food in the container.
Other feeders have a round tray design, with several small compartments and lid that's open to just one compartment at a time. At the set time, the tray rotates to the next compartment. Both designs prevent your cat from getting to the food and helps keep the food fresh until meal time.
While multiple cats may have no problem sharing a dish that is kept full at all times, sharing a bowl on an automatic feeder can be problematic. Since only a certain amount of food is provided at each meal, one cat may end up eating all the food while the other cats end up not getting any. Not all cats will be as motivated to eat as soon as the food drops out of the feeder, so slower cats may miss meals if a quicker cat gets to the bowl first.
If your cats have feeding habits that aren't conducive to sharing a bowl, consider a separate feeder for each cat. There are also feeders that dispense food into two separate bowls, including one recommended in this roundup.
Some automatic cat feeders hold several pounds of food, while others only hold a few cups. Less expensive models typically only hold a few meals worth of food, and more costly options may hold over 3 pounds of food. To help you compare models, we've provided the maximum capacity in cups or liters for each of our recommended feeders. While it may seem as though it would be better for a feeder to hold larger amounts of food, smaller containers may help food stay fresh since they'll be refilled more frequently.
This roundup was written by Andrew Whalen , an editor for The Spruce Pets with hours of experience testing pet products in our labs. Andrew lives with two rescue cats, Church and Wally, who have wildly different feeding schedules and eating habits.
Their input and emotional support was crucial to the automatic cat feeder testing process. A previous version of this roundup was written by Adrienne Kruzer , a Registered and Licensed Veterinary Technician in three states who has been writing on pet and vet topics for over a decade. She has a special interest in animal nutrition, providing a wealth of experience and specialized knowledge that proved invaluable in making the best possible product recommendations.
When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. By Andrew Whalen. Andrew Whalen. Andrew is a commerce editor for Treehugger and The Spruce Pet.
Fact checked by Emma Phelps. Emma is an Updates Writer for The Spruce, covering every commerce beat under the brand. Before joining the team, she wrote under home, culture, and lifestyle beats at Southern Living. She received her Bachelor of Arts in leadership studies and journalism from University of Richmond in Our Top Picks.
Best Overall:. Best Budget:. Best with Wi-Fi:. Best for Wet Food:. Best for Maximum Food Storage:. Best for Multiple Cats:. Best Portable:. Best Battery:. Best for Keeping Dogs Out:. In This Article Expand. Our Picks. What to Look for. Why Trust The Spruce. Best Overall: Whisker Feeder-Robot 4. What We Like Useful app and notifications hour back-up battery Chew-resistant power cable Robust settings Easy to use interface.
What We Like Battery back-up Slot for a food desiccant bag Affordable and fully featured Multiple models for specific uses. The 8 Best Cat Water Bowls of What We Don't Like Batteries only, no outlet plug. The 6 Best Canned Cat Foods of The 7 Best Cat Water Fountains of What We Don't Like Hard to accurately adjust meal splitter. What Editors Say "Our cat usually nibbles at her food little at a time throughout the day, so this automatic feeder is perfect for her when we're away for a few nights.
Final Verdict Our favorite automatic cat feeder is the Whisker Feeder-Robot , which holds lots of food, allows for precise programming, and has our favorite app of any tested feeder, allowing you to easily set meals and monitor your cat's eating habits while you're away. How do automatic cat feeders work? Can multiple cats share the same feeder? Silicone Microfiber 1. Brand By Chewy Ani Mate 3. Aquapaw 2. Arf Pets 4. Aspen Pet 2. Cat Mate 6.
Catit 2. Disney 2. Dog Mate 2. Ethical Pet 3. Eyenimal 1. Fluff Trough Frisco 9. Gamma2 1. Hagen 1. Hiddin Hyper Pet 7. Iconic Pet 2. LenSoul 1. Lick Lick Pad 2. Miaustore 4. Neater Pets 6. ORSDA 1. Pawbo 1. Pawple 1. Petcube 1. Petdiary 1. Petlibro 7. Petmate PetSafe PetSpy 1. Petstages 1.
PortionPro Rx 1. SereneLife 1. Sure Petcare 1. Trixie 2. Van Ness 3. Whisker 2. Style Modern Whimsical Industrial 5. Color Pops 3. Farmhouse 3. Traditional 3. Eclectic 1. Color Family White Blue Black Grey Clear Beige 8. Green 8. Brown 5. Pink 4. Orange 3. Yellow 3. Purple 2.
Make mealtimes easier and more fun for you and your cat with one of automatic 3 day cat feeder free great cat feeders on Chewy. We offer a wide selection of all kinds of cat food dispensers, including automatic cat feeders and cat gravity feeders that take the work out of feeding your cat and cat slow feeders that help you put the brakes on how much a chubby kitty can eat.
Chewy has feeder best cat feeders for every cat and any need! The simplest cat feeders are automatic 3 day cat feeder free dispensers that automatically refill the bowl as your cat eats. Automatic feeders let you program specific times for the cat food to dispense throughout the day, and some models even feature Wi-Fi connectivity that let you feed your cat remotely from your phone.
Cats who eat too quickly or those on a diet may benefit from one of the slow cat feeder styles we offer, fee food puzzles that make your cat work for her food and timed feeders that pop auomatic at certain intervals and serve up a perfect portion for a snack or meal. You can also choose from a variety of cat food bowls to handle a wide range of feeding needs, including elevated bowls for older or ailing cats and heated bowls that keep water and wet food from freezing in winter conditions.
Shop our great selection of feeding and water-dispensing supplies and find everything you need to give your cat the best experience at mealtimes. It will also depend on how many cats you have. If you free feed your cat and want to keep things simple, a gravity feeder should work for you pretty well.
For multi-cat homes where different cats eat different foods, high-tech microchip or collar-activated feeders might be exactly what you need. Or, try a slow rfee to help your hungry kitty eat more slowly if she eats too fast.
Consider factors like automatic 3 day cat feeder free much food you need it to hold, whether you need an automatic feeder, and how many cats you need to feed. Look for durable materials and easily washable parts and design, and consider whether you need something high-tech with smart features or something simple like a gravity-fed feeder. Chewy has many cat feeders to choose from, so check out all the options automatic 3 day cat feeder free see which one you like best.
Customer Review Most Reviews Sort by. More Choices Available. Rated 3. Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Deeder star. By Chewy. Rated automatic 3 day cat feeder free. Rated 4. Catit Senses 2. PetSafe Smart Feed 2. What is the best cat feeder? How do I choose a cat feeder? When should I refill my cat's feeder? Gravity Feeders Slow Feeders Non-Skid Dishwasher-Safe Portion Control Double Automatic Food Storage 2.
Tip-Resistant BPA-Free Removable Bowls Lead-Free Microwavable 9. Lifestage Puppy Kitten Adult Senior Material Metal Plastic Ceramic 8. Rubber 1. Synthetic Fabric 1. Glass 2. Stainless Steel Nylon 1. Silicone Microfiber 1. Brand By Chewy Ani Mate 3. Aquapaw 2. Arf Pets 4. Aspen Pet 2. Cat Mate 6. Catit 2. Disney 2. Dog Mate ca. Ethical Pet 3.
Eyenimal 1. Fluff Trough Frisco 9. Gamma2 1. Automatic 3 day cat feeder free 1. Hiddin Hyper Pet 7. Iconic Pet 2.
LenSoul 1. Lick Lick Pad 2. Miaustore 4. Neater Pets 6. ORSDA 1. Pawbo 1. Pawple 1. Petcube 1. Petdiary 1. Petlibro 7. Petmate PetSafe PetSpy 1. Petstages 1. PortionPro Rx 1. SereneLife 1.
Sure Petcare 1. Trixie 2. Van Ness 3. Whisker 2. Style Modern Whimsical Industrial 5. Color Pops 3. Farmhouse 3. Traditional 3. Eclectic 1.