What You Need To Consider When Choosing An Automatic Cat Feeder

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Sometimes pets wake up early in the morning eager for food. Other times, pet owners may not make it home early enough to feed their furry friends. Today, people lead busy lives, and their schedules may sometimes prevent them from keeping a set feeding routine for their pets. They cannot always guarantee that their pets are going to get their meals at the same time every day.

Automatic pet feeders can give pet owners peace of mind knowing their pets will get food whether they are away or not. For cat owners, getting the best automatic cat feeder can be a challenge. To go through numerous automatic cat feeder reviews can also be overwhelming. There are many makes and models on the market; therefore, it is important to know what to look for when choosing an automatic cat food feeder.

Benefits of a Cat Automatic Feeder

-No more guilt about leaving the cat without adequate food.

-No more early morning wake–up calls from a hungry cat.

-It helps dissociate the pet owner from the food, thereby sparing the owner from constant nagging.

-Controls which pet eats the food, which is ideal for pet owners keeping different pets.

-Easy weight management because automatic feeders give pets the portioned feedings they need.

-Automatic cat feeders are convenient because apart from ensuring the cat is fed every day, they are also dishwasher safe, which is good for busy people looking to cut corners.

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Things to Consider when Choosing an Automatic Cat Feeder

When it comes to choosing an automatic cat feeder wet food or dry food, one should consider whether the feeder allows one to make customized feeding schedules for the cat, in the amount of food and frequency at a time. The ability to choose feeding times without default scheduled meals is an important feature of a good automatic feeder.

Some feeders, such as an automatic cat feeder with timer, allow pet owners to program the feeder for the cat to eat at any time the owner wants. For example, breakfast at 5 am, 6 am, and so on. One can also choose in how many hours the next meal will be dispensed. Not according to default intervals, but according to the cat’s needs. For example, one can set lunch to be dispensed 4 hours after breakfast and dinner 5 hours after lunch.

Another important feature to consider is the capacity of the cat feeder to dispense appropriate portions of food. This is important because some pet owners prefer to feed their pets several times each day in small amounts. They can choose an automatic pet feeder with the ability to do that, particularly in the following situations:

-When the kitty has a medical condition that requires him/her to eat only once or twice a day

-When the cat is on a diet

Pet owners who want to feed multiple cats with one unit should consider buying an automatic cat feeder for two cats. It is a good idea to choose a unit that works best for the number of cats one has and the type of food one feeds the cats. For pet owners with two furry friends, buying an automatic cat feeder for two cats will ensure that both cats are eating the required amount of food.

It will also help reduce fights and conflicts between the two cats. It is also important to consider the strength and size of the cat. For example, some big, clever kitties can pull back the flexible top of some plastic top dial-style units or pull the spinning cover off completely. Pet owners with a clever, piggish cat should go for a strong, all–metal unit that can withstand constant abuse from the cat.

Cat owners should also choose an automatic feeder that works best with the type of food they feed their cats. i.e., dry food or wet food. The performance of the unit with the type of food one feeds the cat will influence the accuracy of the quantity of food that the feeder will dispense. Thus, one will be able to control how much the cat really eats.

Another important point to consider is the power point for the automatic feeder. If one chooses a battery-operated unit, one needs to ensure the batteries last a long time, since even though such units work even during a power outage, they may consume battery power fast, thereby affecting efficiency. It is important to have spare batteries available in order to keep the unit working efficiently at all times.

Essentially, a unit with bead batteries will make the cat starve, but a plugged automatic feeder that goes through a power outage will retain its programming and as soon as power is restored, it will dispense food normally. The best automatic cat feeder can use both sources of power, electrical power, and batteries, simultaneously.

Finally, one needs to ensure the unit has a guarantee. In addition, one should check whether the product guarantee is by refund or replacement and how long it runs. Also, cat owners buying an automatic feeder need to find out whether the warranty lasts for at least one year to give them the peace of mind they need to invest in a new unit.

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Top Features of the Best Automatic Cat Feeders

Cats are unpredictable and smart animals and their initial reaction to any object or device is usually unpredictable. Therefore, it is important to choose an automatic feeder with features that fit one’s specific situation. It is important to understand that some units are specifically designed for wet cat food while others are tailored for dry cat food. The best feeder should be able to handle any type, shape, and size of food.

The unit should also be cat-proof to prevent smart cats from breaking into the feeder. In addition, modern automatic cat feeders are powered with batteries and AC adapters simultaneously. Some can even be used with a web-based system and/or home automation system. Such feeders are ideal for cat owners who spend long periods away from home because they can connect the device to a WiFi network and control it remotely using their Tablet or Smartphone.

The best automatic feeders have features that are able to handle food–driven kitties, smart cats that are able to open and manipulate everything, cats that need to eat small portions of food several times a day, and cats that need to lose weight. Some come with an analog or digital timer, which allows them to be programmed to dispense appropriate portions of food at a time throughout the day.

An automatic cat feeder can work tremendously as one’s support when one has a busy schedule. Automatic pet feeders are also a much-needed solution for the physically challenged and elderly pet owners.