The tricky part about having pets is that they don’t mesh well with particularly active work and social calendars. If you’re on the go constantly, it’s easy to miss things now and then. Especially busy people have trouble remembering to feed themselves, let alone another creature. But having a full life need not mean that you can’t have a pet.
There are a number of reasons someone might use an automatic pet feeder. In the case of the above, work or play make it so you can’t be home at a consistent time to feed your dog or cat. Regular, reliable feedings aid digestion and help your cat or dog stay on a schedule. You may have plenty of time to spend with them in general, but if it comes at odd times, an automatic pet feeder could perform the boring job of feeding so you can maximize the time spent with them.
Additionally, these feeders almost all come with portion control of some sort. If you’re busy and feeling guilty about it, you might find yourself rewarding your dog or cat with a little extra food to make up for your absence. The extra food — as well as the random schedule — will quickly lead to obesity, which leads to other health problems. Most automatic pet feeders allow you to dial in the exact amount of food for each feeding.
Finally, they just make your life easier. A few of our options have some form of smartphone interaction to fully integrate them with modern living. These gadgets can help neurotic pets (and their humans) maintain a dependable daily schedule and stay happy.
Most of these will work for cats and small dogs. There don’t seem to be a great many automatic feeders out there for medium to large dogs. The bowl sizes just aren’t quite large enough, and none of them have a height adjustment for dogs that need their food to be raised up off the floor to any degree. You could still try it, but the items on this list are geared toward animals about 20 pounds or less. To complement all of these options, we recommend the Petmate Replendish Gravity Waterer to keep your pet’s water fresh, too.
For both weight control and schedule maintenance, here are the top ten best automatic pet feeders.
1. PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder
(PetSafe)
This is a simple automatic feeding unit that recalls some automatic coffee makers with built-in grinders. The hopper on this feeder holds 24 cups of food, which will last around a month, depending on the feeding cycle you select. Your options range between 1/8 of cup to 4 cups at a frequency of up to 12 times per day. The stainless bowl is removable and dishwasher safe. To power it, you’ll either need four D cell batteries or one of PetSafe’s power adapters. Additionally, it’s quite expensive, especially given that it isn’t particularly modern and offers no integration with smartphones like the next one on our list. That being said, with the relatively large bowl and optional large feeding portion, this could work even for medium or large dogs where others may not.
Need more options? Browse more PetSafe products here.
Price: $129.95 (13 percent off MSRP)
Buy the PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder here.
Pros:
- Digital timer programmable with up to 12 meals a day
- 1/8 cup to 4 cup portions
- Slow feed mode disperses portions over the course of 15 minutes
- Pause and Immediate Feed options
Cons:
- No smartphone integration
- Requires D batteries or separate power adapter
- Confusing user interface
- Clock seems to lag, which impacts feeding schedule
Find more PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder information and reviews here.
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2. Petnet SmartFeeder Automatic Pet Feeding
(Petnet)
For only $20 more than the first item on this list, you can get a fully-modern, IoT approach to automatic pet feeding. The dedicated app allows you to set schedules and portion size, receive updates, and profiles your pet to offer nutritional guidelines. By inputting your animal’s age, weight, breed, and activity level, you can leverage Petnet’s database to tailor their diet for maximal health. The unit itself is wifi connected and rechargeable, with battery status indicated in the app. The unit holds five to seven pounds of food, which should be round in shape to work optimally. We first featured this in our best dog bowl post for its usefulness for small and toy breeds and puppies.
Need more options? Browse more automatic pet feeders here.
Price: $149
Buy the Petnet SmartFeeder Automatic Pet Feeding here.
Pros:
- WiFi enabled with dedicated iOS and Android app
- Dishwasher safe hopper and bowl
- 1/16 to 1.5 cup portions
- Five to seven pound hopper capacity
Cons:
- Expensive
- Not for use with dogs over 50 pounds
- Must use round kibble — other shapes have a tendency to jam (this appears to have been addressed in a recent design update)
- Older versions had internal rubber parts that occasionally broke up into the food (this appears to have been addressed in a recent design update)
Find more Petnet SmartFeeder Automatic Pet Feeding information and reviews here.
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3. Wireless Whiskers AutoDiet Pet Feeder
(Wireless Whiskers)
While this option doesn’t have any smartphone compatibility, it uses a novel approach to solve some issues with other feeders. Where others use a mechanism of some kind to deliver the food, this one is based around a simple plastic hopper. The tech comes in with automatic doors that open and close based on the presence of wireless tags your pet wears. Each tag has its own profile set to deliver a measured amount of food before the doors close again. You can have up to eight tags programmed into each unit so every pet gets a specific meal plan. Two tags are included, and more can be purchased from the manufacturer’s website. The company recommends this for pets up to 18 inches tall, in part because the tags won’t trigger if the animal is too tall. Some reviewers note that putting the feeder on something helped to improve the response from the feeder.
Need more options? Browse more automatic pet feeders here.
Price: $159.99
Buy the Wireless Whiskers AutoDiet Pet Feeder here.
Pros:
- Wireless pet tags automatically feed the right amount for up to eight pets
- Alerts for when a pet eats less than 65 percent of allowance
- Up to 24 meals per day
- Can use batteries or included adapter (batteries will act as backup for power outages)
Cons:
- Expensive
- A dedicated cat or dog will be able to break in
- Sensors sometimes don’t recognize tags
- Tricky menu interface
Find more Wireless Whiskers AutoDiet Pet Feeder information and reviews here.
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4. Feed and Go Automatic Pet Feeder with Built In Webcam and Wi-Fi
(Feed and Go)
The most expensive option on our list, this feeder combines all the technology you could possibly need in a pet feeder. Combining the wifi and app interactivity of the Petnet, this adds a webcam so you can keep an eye on your animal no matter where you are. (For more on pet cameras, see our post here.) The dish inside rotates through six eight ounce dishes, which is more than enough for a couple of days worth of feedings. Portion control is up to you and how much you put into each compartment, so this is definitely more for weekend trips or long work hours than for diet maintenance. Unlike most automatic pet feeders, this dish system means you can use it to feed wet food in addition to kibble of just about any size or shape.
Need more options? Browse more automatic pet feeders here.
Price: $249
Buy the Feed and Go Automatic Pet Feeder with Built In Webcam and Wi-Fi here.
Pros:
- Works for wet and dry food
- Built-in webcam lets you check on your pet while away
- WiFi enabled with dedicated iOS, Android, and Windows apps
- Interior dish is dishwasher safe
Cons:
- Expensive
- Only holds enough for six meals
- No automated portion control
- Camera can’t see whether food in a given compartment has been eaten
Find more Feed and Go Automatic Pet Feeder with Built In Webcam and Wi-Fi information and reviews here.
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5. Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder
(Arf Pets)
This newly-updated feeder combines a few simple features for a relatively inexpensive option. It uses a set portion size (24 mL) with the meal size determined by how many portions you program it to feed, from one to ten. This can be done for up to four meals per day. You can record yourself calling your pet to come eat, which will play at each meal time. The hopper holds about 18 cups of food and is sealed shut with a magnetic strip. An alarm will sound when the hopper needs to be refilled. The dish is large enough to work for a good size dog, too.
Need more options? Browse more automatic pet feeders here.
Price: $79.99
Buy the Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder here.
Pros:
- Record a ten second meal alert to call your pet to come eat
- Choose one to ten portions up to four times per day
- Good value
- Can use batteries or included adapter (batteries will act as backup for power outages)
Cons:
- No smartphone integration
- Portion size is fixed at 24mL
- Some quality control issues
- Some food types may jam
Find more Arf Pets Automatic Pet Feeder information and reviews here.
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6. Pet Feedster USA PF-10 DOG Automated Pet Feeder
(Pet Feedster)
Designed with at least medium to somewhat large dogs in mind, this pet feeder holds 10 pounds of food with portion sizes ranging from one teaspoon to six cups. The mechanism inside is called the Flex Feeder and works as an agitator complete with transmission to adapt to food sizes and dispense properly. A small water moat keeps ants out of the food hopper, while the front screen is clear and easy to program, especially in comparison to some other options. It still may not work for very large dogs, but still a strong option if the smaller units won’t work for you.
Need more options? Browse more automatic pet feeders here.
Price: $159.99
Buy the Pet Feedster USA PF-10 DOG Automated Pet Feeder here.
Pros:
- Large enough to work for dogs
- One teaspoon to six cup portions
- Water moat keeps ants out of food hopper
- Unique jam-proof release mechanism
Cons:
- No smartphone integration
- Portion sizes may not be entirely accurate
- Very large unit takes up floor space
- Older versions appeared to have some programming issues
Find more Pet Feedster USA PF-10 DOG Automated Pet Feeder information and reviews here.
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7. Anself Programmable Automatic Feeder with Remote Control
(Anself)
This attractive-looking option in some ways improves upon the Arf Pets product above, albeit only for cats and small dogs. This compact unit holds 19 cups of food, which is dispensable between one and three times per day. Like the Arf Pets, the portion size is fixed at 15 grams of dry food, though you select one to ten portions per meal. The hopper, lid, and dish are all removable for easy cleaning. The real key to this one is the remote, which displays the current settings with dedicated buttons for easy updates. This includes making the voice call recording, manual feeding options, and battery indicator.
Need more options? Browse more automatic pet feeders here.
Price: $77.89
Buy the Anself Programmable Automatic Feeder with Remote Control here.
Pros:
- Remote control makes programming easy
- Sleek, modern look
- Choose one to ten portions up to three times per day
- Reasonable price
Cons:
- No smartphone integration
- Not suitable for most dogs
Find more Anself Programmable Automatic Feeder with Remote Control information and reviews here.
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8. HoneyGuaridan A25 Automatic Pet Feeder
(HoneyGuardian)
Combining a few features from the options above at a lower price, this HoneyGuardian unit also throws in a few extras. The first is an infrared light meant to detect food in the dish to prevent spills and jamming should a pet miss a meal. The screen shows six locks that correspond to each of the six programmable meals. Like the others, you can record a voice greeting to invite your pet to come eat. The storage capacity is a bit more limited at 3.3 pounds, and they specify that the kibble size should not be larger than one centimeter square in order to avoid jamming. Other than that, though, you can use just about any shape. One thing to note that eluded some Amazon reviewers: the clock uses 24 hour time and can’t be changed, so keep this in mind when programming.
Need more options? Browse more automatic pet feeders here.
Price: $64.99
Buy the HoneyGuaridan A25 Automatic Pet Feeder here.
Pros:
- 1/32 cup to four cup portions
- Up to six meals per day
- Infrared light monitors dish to prevent spills and blockages
- Voice recorder for meal time call
Cons:
- Only runs on D cell batteries
- Batteries run out after about a month and a half
- Some cats can reach up the chute and pull out food
- Battery covers fall off easily
Find more HoneyGuaridan A25 Automatic Pet Feeder information and reviews here.
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9. Lusmo Automatic Pet Feeder
(Lusmo)
This adorable unit focuses on charm above all else. With its cat ear handle and orange, red, and yellow color options, it’s definitely cute as far as pet feeing implements go. This is aimed at cats and small dogs, with portion sizes from 1/16 of a cup to one cup three times per day. Like the one above, they specify the kibble size to avoid jamming as 0.6 inches or smaller. Once again, this is a battery-operated unit, so don’t forget the D cell batteries.
Need more options? Browse more automatic pet feeders here.
Price: $79.99 (38 percent off MSRP)
Buy the Lusmo Automatic Pet Feeder here.
Pros:
- 1/16 to 1 cup portions
- Up to three meals per day
- Hopper and dish are removable and washable
- Three fun colors to choose from
Cons:
- Only runs on D cell batteries
- Batteries run out after about a month
- Tedious to program
- May require modification to keep persistent cats from fishing out extra food
Find more Lusmo Automatic Pet Feeder information and reviews here.
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10. Cat Mate C500 Automatic Pet Feeder
(Cat Mate)
Sometimes the simplest answer is best. Like the Feed and Go, but minus all the expensive technology, this cheap and cheerful option still provides a couple of upgrades over it’s PetSafe competition. Ice packs fitted under the five-compartment bowl help to keep food fresh for longer, which means those weekend trips won’t mean your cat misses out on wet food. The lid and bowl are both dishwasher safe, and wash of the compartments holds three quarters of a pound of food. The LCD screen clearly displays the current time and the programmed meal times and is much simpler than some of the other options to program.
Need more options? Browse more Cat Mate products here.
Price: $47.99
Buy the Cat Mate C500 Automatic Pet Feeder here.
Pros:
- Five meals of up to 3/4 of a pound of food
- Interior ice packs keep food fresh
- Works for wet or dry food
- Clear, easy to understand LCD screen
Cons:
- Battery operated only (though lasts up to a year)
- No automatic portion control
- Only holds five meals worth
- No smartphone integration
Find more Cat Mate C500 Automatic Pet Feeder information and reviews here.
Now that you’ve seen your options for automatic feeding, it might be time to revisit what you’re feeing your animals. We have posts on the best dry cat food and best dry dog food to help you out.
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