Who Uses Automatic Feeders?

[madzoya]

Our brand new automatic feeder arrives today! Please keep your fingers crossed that this new gadget will allow me some sleep at last!

For anyone who uses it with their furbabies, any advice? How did they get used to it?

 

[Mystikal kitten]

If I may, may I ask you which one are you getting? There's lots of different types but yes, I have one which was gotten at Walmart, I think. The cats ate out of it as soon as it was filled and put down for them.

 

[madzoya]

I bought this one from Trixie

5 slots and we can use it for wet food.

 

[Mystikal kitten]

I only have a dry food automatic feeder but it comes in handy.

 

[ileen]

I'm going to be gone for about 30 hours in a row this weekend for a family wedding. I feed Luciano twice a day, usually 8:30am/pm during the week, closer to 10:30am/pm on weekends. I'll be able to do his regular feeding Saturday morning, but won't be home til Sunday afternoon. I was just going to put out extra food and hope he doesn't eat it all in the first 12 hours. Should I get an automatic feeder instead?

 

[Kieka]

I'm going to be gone for about 30 hours in a row this weekend for a family wedding. I feed Luciano twice a day, usually 8:30am/pm during the week, closer to 10:30am/pm on weekends. I'll be able to do his regular feeding Saturday morning, but won't be home til Sunday afternoon. I was just going to put out extra food and hope he doesn't eat it all in the first 12 hours. Should I get an automatic feeder instead?

I would. Even if it just one of those little one slot inexpensive timer ones. You could leave half his food out and put half in the feeder. Just so he doesn't 1) over eat everything at once and 2) doesn't go more than 24 hours with food.

 

[duncanmac]

I bought this one from Trixie
View attachment 181667
5 slots and we can use it for wet food.

Do you have a model name for this one?

 

[madzoya]

Trixie TX4 Plus Automatic Food Dispenser with LCD Display, 4 Ã - 500 ml/ 32 Ã - 13 cm, Granite/ Black

We set it up yesterday and Bruce already had two feedings with it. Setting it up, specially assembling the thing was not as easy as I wished but after it was done, it works perfectly.

Today at 6 am Bruce heard it open, went to investigate and discovered food! Now let's see if it keeps him from waking us up!

 

[ileen]

That one looks great. Does anyone know if there's something similar from a US manufacturer? The shipping costs from UK are prohibitive.

 

[LTS3]

Petsafe and Catmate are two popular US brands of programmable timed feeders. There are some reviews on both brands here on TCS if you can figure out how to find it in the new review section. The new section doesn't list catergories to narrow a search with, just lists all reviews in multiple pages.

 

[ileen]

Thanks, I will check them out. I left enough food out for three meals when I left Saturday morning & when I came home Sunday afternoon, there was still some left, so I consider that a success. I kind of cheated in that I gave him two servings of the wet food he likes & one serving of the wet food he no longer likes. There was about 70% of the non-favorite left, but I know he would have eaten it if he was really hungry. The dry food was mostly gone as well.

 

[mizzely]

I have a Qpets one similar to yours that we liked for the year it worked. Reminds me I need a new one before this weekend!