Automatic feeder for multiple cats?

[Black_Kat]

Hey all. Wondering if anyone has success with automatic feeders with 3 (or more) cats. For many years I have used an automatic feeder with my two girls and they did great with regulating themselves and taking turns eating until the bowl was empty. Then I went ahead and ruined their perfect harmony by foster-failing a young male kitten. I turned the automatic feeder off in case I wasn't home when it dispensed food, so right now the kitten gets locked in the bathroom with his kitten food and the girls get their share of food (still out of the auto feeder but I just manually dispense it). My kitten will need to be transitioned to the adult food that my girls are on in the next few months, but I'm worried that if I turn the auto feeder back on, then he'll hog the food and won't let the girls take turns like they're used to. Now, I know I can just suck it up and feed everyone separate like I've been doing, but I just love the convenience of the auto feeder for late work nights, traveling, etc. Just looking for thoughts, suggestions, so on! Thanks!

 

[ladytimedramon]

I've seen them with 2 bowls, but I haven't seen 3. The one (1 bowl) I have has a camera and works on wifi. When I was away for a week, I would check in. If I saw one of my girls lurking around the feeder I would remotely drop some kibble.

 

[RTR]

I have three cats, and they have always free fed! I only use the feeder when I go away for a few days, but they all eat from the same feeder bowl! I also have a water fountain, and if I leave for a few days I leave a dog bowl full of water also, which one likes to dip his paws in, and lick the water from his paws. I have a camera that works from my cel phone that I can keep an eye on them, and make sure the feeder is working. I use a battery oprated feeder only in case the wifi goes out! My cats are two males 12 yrs, and 1 female 14! None are fat! They do have a pecking order at feeding , but all get their fill! I know kittens need to have food availble all the time. I also have some one that can make sure they have food in case the feeder doesn't work! That only happened once in the last 4 years!

 

[betsygee]

Our three always worked it out, too. We fed them all together like this for years.


None of them hogged the food and they all seemed to get their share. There were a few times when one of them needed meds in their food so we'd put that cat in a different room with their medicated food and pick it up when they were done so the other two cats wouldn't get into whatever med was in the food.

 

[daones]

I was just about to post this same topic, I have two cats and I want to get it mostly to regulate the amount of food that I am giving them and the times of the days they eat, its not about conveinence really for me.

Problem is where I live its hard to find those with the two bowls where it split feeds. I want to calculate how much food to give so they dont get overweight so will be a lot of math with two cats and they both will have to eat the same equally. I was thinking have a delay of 5 minutes with the one bowl to give another serving for another cat... My cats in the past did used to have a queue system to eat... because my cat Sticker (RIP) she couldnt get close to the other cats so they kind of a queue system where they would wait for the other to finish eating, so waiting might not be an issue.

Just wondering if anyone had thoughts on making a delay on an automatic feeder to feed two cats... or will just have to buy two machines?

 

[ladytimedramon]

I was just about to post this same topic, I have two cats and I want to get it mostly to regulate the amount of food that I am giving them and the times of the days they eat, its not about conveinence really for me.

Problem is where I live its hard to find those with the two bowls where it split feeds. I want to calculate how much food to give so they dont get overweight so will be a lot of math with two cats and they both will have to eat the same equally. I was thinking have a delay of 5 minutes with the one bowl to give another serving for another cat... My cats in the past did used to have a queue system to eat... because my cat Sticker (RIP) she couldnt get close to the other cats so they kind of a queue system where they would wait for the other to finish eating, so waiting might not be an issue.

Just wondering if anyone had thoughts on making a delay on an automatic feeder to feed two cats... or will just have to buy two machines?

Have you considered using a microchip feeder? I bought mine initially after I adopted my second cat Fancy, because my first cat Delilah was devouring everything. The microchip reader will only open the door when the cat with the designated microchip is there. So Delilah can't get into Fancy's bowl, and Fancy can't get into Delilah's bowl. Since the girls now have to be on totally different diets, I use a split plate inside with one side dry, one side wet. I have the connected version so I can track who eats how much when, and the feeder sends me a message when one of them has eaten.

 

[daones]

Have you considered using a microchip feeder? I bought mine initially after I adopted my second cat Fancy, because my first cat Delilah was devouring everything. The microchip reader will only open the door when the cat with the designated microchip is there. So Delilah can't get into Fancy's bowl, and Fancy can't get into Delilah's bowl. Since the girls now have to be on totally different diets, I use a split plate inside with one side dry, one side wet. I have the connected version so I can track who eats how much when, and the feeder sends me a message when one of them has eaten.

Its an idea, and didnt even know a thing exists... but just looked they seem very expensive here basically could buy 3 of the regular ones for the price of one of those... Here in my country microchips arent really used that much except for importing pets. In the end im thinking might just do it manually because I am going to start giving more wet food after doing research.. might just give kibble once a day before I go to sleep.

 

[RTR]

I have three cats! I have a drinkwell water fountain, that they use all the time! They drink more water since I had the fountain! It also has a charcoal and media filter! The water will last 8-11 days depending on the air temperature. I also have a Pet Safe feeder! I didn't want the feeder connected to wifi, because occasionaly we loose internet, and it didn't reset itself, so I went with the manual one that runs on batteries! The batteries will last for 9-12 months, but each time I go on vacation I change the batteries! hope this helps! Oh, and I can set the amount of food up to two cups a day!! Hope this helps!!

 

[ColorPointOtome]

Our three always worked it out, too. We fed them all together like this for years.
View attachment 443832

None of them hogged the food and they all seemed to get their share. There were a few times when one of them needed meds in their food so we'd put that cat in a different room with their medicated food and pick it up when they were done so the other two cats wouldn't get into whatever med was in the food.

Wow; that's amazing. My three cats do musical chairs with their bowls because I lay out three bowls containing different foods each meal (twice a day). One of my cats is a picky eater and I can't be bothered to figure out what the picky eater is feeling like eating each meal so I just rotate 3 of 5 different brands of food that they all eat.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

I found this automatic feeder
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0798HLTWP/?tag=thecatsite

Then this 3-way divider is for this specific feeder
Amazon.com

 

[RTR]

Thats the feeder I use! The two males share then the female takes her time ! They feed a little at a time after their initial fill! I don't use the feeder that you can use your wifi because sometimes we loose wifi, and then the program was lost! My feeder is three years old now , so maybe the company changed that flaw!

 

[IndyJones]

I don't think my cats could use anything like that. Indy gets quite possesive of her food. Maybe part of her feral streak. She has even pushed Kabuto off his own food and bopped him on the head.