Best automatic dog feeders according to redditors
We found 106 Reddit comments discussing the best automatic dog feeders. We ranked the 27 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 106 Reddit comments discussing the best automatic dog feeders. We ranked the 27 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Link please! Last time I looked for a product like this they all looked terrible. Edit: nvm looks like I just didn't want to spend $300 for two feeders. This looks pretty great though: SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O0UIPTY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dDz8BbBFAGS50
You might want to invest in an auto-feeder. I used to feed the cat her breakfast at 7 am. She assumed, "When mom wakes up, I get food! Therefore I must wake her as early as possible, for I hunger greatly." I ordered this auto feeder from Amazon & set it to go off at the regular time. It took her a while to realize that I don't HAVE to be awake for food to happen. She still sometimes wakes me up early on weekends just because she's an asshole. But it has helped a lot!
(Also, she figured out how to pry the lid off and gorge on 6 meals. She is not very smart sometimes, but where food is involved she's goddamn Einstein, given enough free time. I had to add velcro straps, which were still not quite sufficient. Eventually I upgraded to a bigger, more secure, more complicated auto-feeder. But if your cat's not a relentless food monster, it should work!)
This is the one that I use for my fluffy monster! He used to wake me up at 6 am begging for food, so I quickly bought an automatic feeder and put a stop to that.
I really like this one because you can program it to whatever times you want. I have mine set to go off three times a day so he gets plenty of small portions without throwing a fit about it. it also is pretty durable and Nero hasn't been able to break into it for the food.
This is why I bought a bowl that rotates.
http://www.amazon.com/6-Meal-automatic-Message-Recorder-Display/dp/B005POODL8/
So he can be mad that he ate all his food, but in 6 hours while i'm at work, there's the next portion.
Of course, he learned how to rip part of the lid out, so he could get to the food early. And he learned how to steal food from the next bowl over.
So it's only a 4 portion feeder for me, but it works to stop the 2am wakeup call for food.
You could get a bowl that has a food timer on it. Once it hits the right time, it slides open and feeds the cat when you're not around.
Ugh, ours did that so we purchased a timed feeder. It popped open around 4:30am, problem solved. It also had the added benefit for when we went to 100% wet food, we could stretch out the feedings before our sitter needed to come by when we were out of town.
asta il avem noi. poti inregistra voice-ul sa o chemi si poti seta cate mese vrei sa ii dai etc. :)
I had the same problem with my cat and (overweight) dog. My cat abnormally has a bit of a fear of heights, and won't eat if his food is off the ground. The only way I solved it was by purchasing an RFID pet feeder. It was expensive but has worked extremely well. You place a small chip/tag on the pets collar that the bowl is for, and the lid on the bowl only opens when the animal wearing the collar is near enough to eat. Once they move away, the lid closes and the other pets can't get at the food. I have this one, but there are other more economical options.
http://www.amazon.com/Petnet-SmartFeeder-Automatic-Feeding-iPhone/dp/B010QYTN2K/ref=zg_bs_2975260011_2
Not with that kinda attitude you can't!
Out of curiosity, do you not have a gravity feeder for dry food?
If they do dry food but overeat and you have the scratch:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MU2F8C6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474122720&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=automatic+dog+feeder&dpPl=1&dpID=414DlDcGcdL&ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.ca/SureFlap-MPF001-SureFeed-Microchip-Feeder/dp/B00O0UIPTY/ref=asc_df_B00O0UIPTY/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292945623020&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7717862962368233158&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-530423106392&psc=1. That is the one I've got.
I have 3 of these and I highly recommend them.
What's it worth to you? Microchip pet feeder
I think he means something like this https://www.amazon.com/WOpet-Automatic-Dispenser-Features-Distribution-Programmable/dp/B075CXMJB5/ref=zg_bs_2975260011_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CRHST05P11GVRZ0RAR8T it basically portions out the food and dispenses it at certain times usually its to prevent cats from getting overweight or helping them lose weight.
The cat food feeder that reads chips - 3 cats all on separate diets! u/tistonyofist
Amazon: Surefeed Selective Feeder
Edit: Vet recommended this when my cat was eating the kittens’ food & she chonked up fast. Would highly recommend!
It’s life changing. I got the model with the iPhone app and I get a push alert every time my boy goes potty. It even gives you charts on how many times they use the box, and when you need to change the liner underneath. So much easier than scooping. The feeders I use are really generic looking but do the job.
Edit: this is what the litter box app charts look like
Try microchip food bowls. They unlock when the cat with the programmed microchip approaches. You can have more than one pet on a bowl, so you could have one bowl for the heftier cat and one for the other two to share.
There are a couple things you can try, depending on their level of stubbornness. You can try to stick it out and keep ignoring them, but 6 is pretty early in the morning, and it drove me crazy when my cat did that lol.
As previously suggested, you can put tape or some other deterrent on the door. Aluminum foil is a good choice, or you could get a citrus scent to spray on the door, as most cats don't like that smell. A pheromone spray may also be effective. You can switch up their feeding times so they don't know when to expect food, but that can be difficult especially if you are forgetful or have scheduling conflicts.
The last thing that I tried, and what worked for me, was to buy an automatic feeder. I got this one from amazon for about $40, but you may want a different one since you have multiple cats. It took about a week for my cat to realize that food no longer comes from me, so he doesn't wake me up early in the morning to ask for it anymore. He now sits patiently by the feeder for about an hour prior to it opening and doesn't bother me at all.
I hope this helps!
You're going to see that with every feeder, because sometimes cats are just fucking determined. I got one that has six individual slots that rotate and the lid has an opening just big enough for one compartment. It minimizes the amount that the cat can get into-- you're never going to be able to keep it out of the food entirely, but this minimizes the collateral damage to one compartment instead of just all the food in the machine.
Here's the feeder that I got
If you do get it, make sure you read all the reviews about how to program it, because it's kind of confusing. And of course, most of the reviews say that their cat can get into the initial compartment. But it's better than most of the gravity based ones.
I was worried about something like that happening with my kitties so I settled on this feeder instead
https://www.amazon.com/Qpets-6-Meal-Automatic-Pet-Feeder/dp/B005POODL8/ref=sr_1_1?s=fiona-hardware&ie=UTF8&qid=1473574810&sr=8-1&keywords=Q+pets+feeder
I got my cat an automatic feeder like this one with a bowl on top. Eventually he learned that if he jammed his paw up through the feeder door, he could rattle a few kibbles loose. He was doing it all day long and gaining weight, so now I can only keep one serving in it at a time. I have to admire his determination.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0723GD6NC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
That's the one I got. It's cheap Chinese electronics and I've only had it for 4 months so I can't speak to its longevity. The cat behaviour definitely changed, but I can't speak to the quality of the product! I like that it is powered by USB, has a battery backup, is mechanically simple. It has a feature where it records your voice and can play it back -- it's OK for training, but if you find a cheaper one from a more reputable manufacturer that doesn't include this feature, it's not a big loss.
Feed them their meals separately - someone eats in a closed bedroom/bathroom/kennel/etc - twice a day.
There is another option (more expensive) - this feeder only allows the cat that it is programmed to to eat from it. You would program it to the underweight cat, so they can access the food freely but the overweight one cannot.
Have the vet calculate the underweight cat's daily caloric needs, which will help you with getting him back to his normal weight.
We use this one for our two moggies.
I travel quite frequently for several days at a time for my job. Biggest lifesaver for me (besides getting another cat to keep kitty#1 company) were these two things: Le Bistro & Cat It
Le Bistro comes in a few sizes. My friends have two small ones for their two cats, but I just got the one medium size that holds 10 lbs of food. My cat's eat 1/4 cup a day each so it lasts forever (I refill it once a month or so). The Cat it fountain comes in three sizes too... 2L, 3L and 10L. I only have the 3L and it lasts about 5-6 days without refilling.
It saves me in a pinch so that if I have to leave on short notice and no one can watch my kitties, I leave them with a clean litter box, a full feeder with new batteries and a full fountain of water. That way, if no one can drop by for 2-3 days or so, I know they'll be okay.
First, thank you for putting all the info about the cats!
Watch Jackson Galaxy's My Cat From Hell videos if you haven't watched them already.
In the video both have their tails up so they seem confident. Have they had a chance to sniff each others butt? Sometimes it creates an awkward relationship if they can't get a good sniff of them.
We have 2 that will lay within a foot of each other and eat next to one another one minute and then stalk each other 5 minutes later.
This is what we use to keep cats on their own food.
SureFlap -Sure Petcare - SureFeed - Microchip Pet Feeder - Automatic Pet Feeder Makes Meal Times Stress-Free, Suitable for Both Wet and Dry Food https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O0UIPTY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SdlQDbTD3AFK0
Unsere kriegen nachts/tagsüber Trockenfutter, daher ist es relativ einfach. Wir haben solche, hatten aber Glück mit nem Angebot und (glaub ich) 40€ bezahlt. Sie funktionieren halt, und das Reservoir ist groß genug dass man sich bestimmt ein paar Wochen nicht drum kümmern muss.
Hatten auch mal [den hier] (https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01MXDFB28) (gibt's mit 3 und 5 Fächern) zum Test da, bei dem ist ein Kühlakku integriert gewesen. Da könnte ich mir auch vorstellen dass Nassfutter sich gut hält, die Fächer wirkten auch relativ luftdicht.
Treat yourself to an automatic cat feeder. We've had this model for 2 years and it's great.
Just buy one of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O0UIPTY/ref
That what we had to do, microchip sensor, skinny kitty eats at own pace when it wants without fear of chonk eating all the food. Chonk has to eat food when it's put in only his bowl.
This also has a webcam on it :D. Pricey but worth the freedom of only having to fill it once a day (or more if you're at home and can). My diabetic cat requires a low carb wet food diet and this works perfectly for it. You can even record your voice so they have something to remember you by if you die before them (I use it to call him for food like I would normally because he was trained to come on command with the raspberry sound.) https://smile.amazon.com/Feed-Go-Automatic-Feeder-Webcam/dp/B00UNQZ2QI/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1496649469&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=cat+feeder&psc=1
> I don’t know if any reason a water dish should have a computer in it,
Alexa, feed the dog
I recently used a great cat sitter named Susan after I posted on this sub looking for a female sitter. (She was actually my friend's cat sitter; I didn't get any leads from my post.). I don't know her policy or schedule but she seems really accommodating so you could send her a message and see what she says!
Here's the link to her profile on Rover: www.rover.com/sit/astoriasusan
If you haven't signed up for Rover before (I hadn't either), you can use this link
and get $20 off your first booking (full disclosure: I would also get a $20 credit!)
EDIT TO ADD: Also, [I bought these automatic feeders for wet or dry food] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M9J4SNR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jKA6CbPX0BEPA)
a couple years ago and they changed my life. I highly recommend them to anyone! You can set up to 48 hrs in advance, and if leaving out wet food for more than 12 hours I refrigerate or freeze it ahead of time so it won't get gross.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074VH1TRN
We have a very similar situation. After lots of experimenting, we finally settled on:.
Use a cat calorie calculator online to look up the recommended calories for a cat 1-2 pounds less than him. Then figure out how much canned food, kibble and treats he gets each day to add up to that. Once he's almost at that target weight, look up the calorie level for a pound less and adjust the food accordingly. Repeat until you reach his ideal weight.
Don't just calculate calories for his ideal weight starting now - too rapid of weight loss is harmful to them.
Also, add in some vigorous play time, preferably before each meal since that mimics the natural cat life of hunt-eat--groom-sleep. The exercise will help him get in shape and burn off calories. He may be able to go less than a minute initially, but you should be able to build up. I highly recommend [Da Bird] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BOVEU4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KKmnDb31BNCKA). It's far better than other wand toys; I've never met a cat who wasn't excited by it.
Trixie TX2 Automatic Food Dispenser, 300 ml/ 27 × 7 × 24 cm, Granite/ Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00106AP12/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_LOUsDbN31Y4PN
Might not be the same in the US???
My tabby is insanely pushy and vocal about getting food, and was really cutting into my slumber/sanity. I know it's possible to train cats to not do that, but good luck with that. The only real solution I know of is auto-feeders. Most of them suck and can easily be broken into by a smart/hungry cat, but there are a few good ones.
If you use dry food, get the Bistro. My girl is diabetic and can only do wet food, so I use the Qpets. Nearly every other feeder is defective in one way or another, but these two are great. Either way, just make sure the feeder itself is secured (I velcro to a wall).
After a while they'll learn that they get fed at precisely X o'clock by the robot, no matter how much they meow at the human, and mostly stop meowing.
YES definitely this.
my cat was a big old chubber when i got her.... that and i was a pretty busy grad student at the time, i wouldn't always be home to feed her. got a $40 one off amazon that has been working for about 3 years now. the only thing i do is leave her dinner time one empty so that she can get some wet food in her diet but that is it!
this is my exact model
My vet recommended this website for food questions. It's pretty ghetto design but it should give you all the info to figure out how much food he should be eating and what kind. It's nutrition so you'll have to take your time reading it because dem calories aren't the only consideration. That will solve the question about volume of food he should have. Obviously check with you vet about whatever plan you develop first. To give some perspective my female bengal is a month younger and ~2.7kgs, your male has another ~2kg to go till he's at the average ~5.5kgs and males are typically bigger then females. You do not want to starve a kitten either, you can address the weight when he's fully grown and you will notice if he begins to become a total chonker. Keep in mind he could just be a much larger cat then his parents.
You can give the second cat an RFID enabled bowl so only the female can eat from it. No sense in the second cat developing food anxiety as well. Here's an example, but honestly feed free to find one that suits your budget/needs
The lack of activity for a bengal is weird but not unheard of. I'd bring that up with the vet. For now enjoy the quiet, my female is full of turbo charged jelly beans at all hours. I have to run her up and down the hallway daily, and if I'm home take several play breaks to help her wear down.
If you can afford it, get these.
If you can't afford it, just feed them a controlled amount twice a day when you're home.
NTA- I had the same issue with my cat, except he started doing it earlier and earlier on weekdays too! My cat was a food hound, and I felt like more auto feeders would overfeed him, so I got one where I could control the amount of food he got. It worked wonders! I still feed him his dinner every night, so he knows that I still love him.
Try this feeder style https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005POODL8?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Well you need to figure it out soon then. Sorry to be harsh, but this is still a living thing and the more she gets attached to you, the harder and crueler it will be if you need to find her a new home. Cats will adjust but it would be far better to give her away to a true forever home now while she's little than wait until she think of you as her mommy or daddy.
Cats get a lot easier as they get older-- in just a few short months, she'll be out of the kitten phase and so much more independent. If you really think you would enjoy having a cat, I'd encourage you to keep her. That easy phase is coming very very soon. While the cat's personality does partially depend on its genetics, you can help raise it into a low-maintenance cat by doing the following:
Alors ça ira très bien.
Aspen Pet Lebistro Waterer, 4 Gallon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070RA4PC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_m-TRAbE7KRCX4
I have one like this it’s nice because it has plenty of water, but also isn’t stale and dirty just sitting out. We have a dog door so our dogs bring in a lot of dirt and go straight to the water bowl, this keeps the majority of the water clean. As for in the car I went with the seat cover that converts to a hammock for now. If I have to brake quickly the dogs don’t fall of the seat and keeps my car cleaner as they love dirt and mud.
We had the same problem with our two kitties. One is almost 3 kg heavier than his brother and was eating way too much, so we got two of these.
They're a bit pricey, but are perfect for this situation as they only open when the registered microchip is within distance of the feeder. If the fat one tries to bully his way in, the flap will slide shut and force him out. They each get their portion in the morning and can "free feed" from their own dish all day. :)
I have one of these\
http://smile.amazon.com/6-Meal-automatic-Message-Recorder-Display/dp/B005POODL8/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1398022278&sr=1-1&keywords=automatic+pet+feeder
It works pretty well - a little annoying to program, but if you read the reviews for hints and tips you'll figure it out pretty quickly. I never used the message recording feature, though. I actually forgot that was even an option until just now.
I just started using this one with my new kitten, and I love it so much! Worth every penny. My previous cat (RIP Samwise) was pretty annoying about food, and hated his life-long diet until the week he passed. I was determined not to be associated with food this time around. It’s lovely!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075CXMJB5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rlh1DbT84KH7T
I have two cats and they stopped ripping up the carpet once we got them a cat tower. They probably weren't as destructive as your cats though.
I had the same problem with one of our cats wanting food really early so I bought this and it seriously changed my life. Now the cat hears the feeder (I programmed it to call his name) and he gets to eat and comes back and sleeps quietly. He usually is a terror when he's hungry: knocking things over, sitting on faces, walking on me when I'm sleeping. I don't rely on the feeder to actually feed them, I still give them a meal of dry food after I get up and some wet food before bed.
If you have the resources, there are automated feeders that only need to be loaded every month or so HERE . Also automated litter boxes or lighter wood based litter that is easier to manage than the extremely heavy clay litter. And water dishes that self dispense HERE
I think a single adult cat would be easy and very therapeutic!
Animal Water Through
https://www.amazon.com/Automatic-Dispenser-Waterer-Stainless-Farm/dp/B077GL8YZ2/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_86_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FEBDQX1J7PZKZXZ66N4E
Used to have that same model and one of our cats always found a way to get food out of it with her paw or by just knocking the whole thing over.
Ending up getting a different model and has been working great:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075CXMJB5/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Looks like it went up slightly in price, I pad $79 for it.
Honestly, I have the scratch:. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MU2F8C6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474122720&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=automatic+dog+feeder&dpPl=1&dpID=414DlDcGcdL&ref=plSrch.
yeah, but theyre not exactly cheap lol here u go!
here is a review, it really looks like such a good solution for cats with special diet needs, it kinda sucks that its so expensive lol
A bit of pre-planning can help. When I'm out for a few days, I prepare small pots of phoenix worms that my housemate just needs to empty into the bowl once a day. They don't need dusting, so they're super simple. If you can't get anyone to help, maybe get something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Qpets-6-Meal-Automatic-Pet-Feeder/dp/B005POODL8
For longer holidays, you'll need to bathe your beardie and clean out its tank, so maybe get a friend or sitter who knows what they're doing to help for a day or two during your holiday.
I think I have an unbranded version of this one. We bought it direct from the manufacturer on eBay years ago and it doesn't have a logo but I think this one is it.
I hope it helps :)
You could look at feeding them in different rooms. Alternatively, you can get a cat slow feeder for Felix and it would make him work for the food and focus on his own meal a little longer.
And if it stays a big problem and you have budget, checkout the innovative SureFlap Surefeed feeder. It is designed specifically for the purpose:
https://www.amazon.com/SureFlap-MPF001-SureFeed-Microchip-Feeder/dp/B00O0UIPTY
Cat Mate C300 Automatic 3 Meal Pet Feeder with Digital Timer for Cats and Small Dogs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXDFB28/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_TqhWAbCMFT1EW
Something like this cat feeder
I dunno the design seems pretty solid but it doesn’t hurt to try and build a better mouse trap.
SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O0UIPTY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NBZ1BbAPW2JS9
You could look at feeding them in different rooms. Alternatively, you can get a cat slow feeder for the bolder one and it would make him work for the food and focus on his own meal a little longer.
And if it stays a big problem and you have budget, checkout the innovative SureFlap Surefeed feeder. It is designed specifically for the purpose:
https://www.amazon.com/SureFlap-MPF001-SureFeed-Microchip-Feeder/dp/B00O0UIPTY
"Rfid pet feeder"
>Designed for multi-pet homes to stop pets stealing each others’ food
My wife does a great job of screening reviews and ascertaining their credibility before determining whether to go with an item. She decided to go with a Petnet SmartFeeder.
https://www.amazon.com/Feed-Go-Automatic-Medication-Compatible/product-reviews/B00UNQZ2QI
>The feeder works as advertised, and it's awesome getting text notifications to inform you that your pet has been fed. It will feed your pet(s) on demand, or on a predefined schedule. You can record your voice calling over your pet(s) to the bowl. And you can watch them eat it leveraging the built in webcam.
I have used this feeder for over two years for two cats.
http://amzn.com/B00MU2F8C6
It isn't a smart feeder and the panel to set the schedule isn't intuitive at all, but once it is set, very worth it.
My cats don't get along very well so I made a thin divider in the center of the dish.
Having them beg before the sunrise was the main goal. Spreading out a balanced diet of four meals is much better for them.
I've had 2 auto feeders for my cat.
The first one was similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Petmate-Portion-Automatic-Feeder-brushed/dp/B005O324ACand my cat broke into it on the 2nd day. The bowl detaches from the feeder part for easy cleaning which is nice, but the part where the food comes out is not covered by anything, which is how my cat managed to break in. He stuck his paw up the chute where the food came from and was able to wiggle his paw around to get all the food out.
The second and current one is similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Crown-Majestic-Diamond-Automatic-Feeder/dp/B00JIWW3VUand it's been fantastic for the 2 or so years we've used it. The one I have doesn't have the water attachment, so I think they've upgraded models or something. For this one, the bowl doesn't detach, so it's not as easy and convenient to clean but still doable. This one does have a little plastic guard where the food goes into the bowl which prevents my cat from breaking in. The lid that covers the food reservoir latches nicely and can't be broken into unless your cats have opposable thumbs ;) unfortunately I don't remember how the lid on the first one attaches
One concern I have for you and your cats is that they might not be happy to share food from the same bowl, but if your cats are ok with that then you should be fine. Hope this is helpful, let me know if you need more!
Cat tax (including auto feeders): https://imgur.com/a/bGpI4NQ
Image: Pixie is confused about why she can't get into her sister Trixie's bowl any more!
 
For years, I've used the PetSafe automatic feeder to dispense kibble, because my last cat was a food-obsessed only cat and this was the only way to keep him from begging incessantly. When he passed away and I adopted new kitties last year, I continued using the same automatic feeder as they had no complaints about sharing a bowl. Unfortunately, it turns out that one of them will often not eat her share of kibble, and her sister will happily eat the extra, so a weight problem was developing. Enter the SureFeed Microchip feeder. I had been looking for options and ran across a mention of this here on Reddit, and as it will actually read an implanted microchip instead of requiring a collar, it seemed perfect for my needs, although pricey.
 
I ordered two feeders in early February, expecting to be able to start training the kitties right away. Unfortunately, I missed the teeny, tiny "batteries not included" note on the order page, and so due to weather issues and multiple Amazon delivery failures, it took nearly two weeks to get enough batteries for both feeders (I had enough for one but not both.) In the meantime, however, I decided to set the feeders up with the lid open, and at least start getting the kitties used to the new contraption. Fortunately, since they have a self-cleaning litter box and were eating from an automatic feeder, they're already used to small mechanical noises and just needed to get used to the new bowls.
 
The first thing I did was take the automatic feeder and large shared bowl out, then put the feeder contraptions in the same place inside the cabinet where the kitties eat. I opened the lids on both feeders, and set the bowls in front of them so the kitties could have a new bowl without having to stick their head into the smaller confined space at first. Once they got used to the bowls, I put the bowls in the feeders and left them with the lid open for another week. During this week, I would occasionally call the kitties over, and push the open/close button on the feeder with batteries to show the mechanism without having it be in the way of eating. Lots of "check this out, isn't it cool!" positive encouragement while doing so. Luckily my kitties are young, curious, and fascinated by movement so they got used to it pretty quickly.
 
After three weeks of eating in open feeders, yesterday I finally programmed each feeder to read the microchip from one cat. Luring the cats through the hoop was no problem, a couple of favorite crunchy treats dropped in their bowl did the trick for that. Then once the feeder was programmed and the lid closed, another round with crunchy treats to lure them through and show them that it would open for them when they moved their head through.
 
The first couple of hours with programmed feeders was a little bit dicey, mostly because extra-eating kitty was quite confused about why she could no longer eat from her sister's bowl, and also slightly worried about the bright green light reflecting behind the open lid of her feeder. A couple of times sitting with her an re-assuring her while she approached the feeder and ate took care of that, along with setting the lid to the maximum slow-close duration so she had enough time to approach, open, contemplate, and get comfortable to eat.
 
The biggest problem mentioned in the reviews is the ability for a second kitty to come over the open back of a feeder and steal food while the "authorized" kitty eats. Luckily mine aren't at the food-stealing stage yet, but now that I don't need a cabinet large enough to handle the automatic feeder, I'll be moving the microchip feeders into a small Kallax cube shelf so each kitty is in a walled-off section that her sister can't invade. Bonus for being able to store the kibble and supplies in the upper sections of the shelf. There is also a back cover available for sale for the feeder, although apparently they can't manage to keep that in stock as it keeps going "unavailable" on Amazon. The only other change I need is to order a second set of the stainless steel bowls for the feeder, the included bowls are plastic and based on past experience, plastic bowls often cause chin acne in cats. I'd prefer ceramic over stainless, but so far I can't find the right size/shape of ceramic bowl to use with it.
 
Overall, a pricey option for multiple kitties, but worth it to be able to control feeding portions without having to separate kitties or add more daily feedings or other sort of crazy additions to daily life. Open feeders twice per day, add appropriate amount of kibble, and done. (Supplemented with wet food, which is a whoooooooole other thing. Note, though, that the lid on this feeder closes well enough it could support feeding wet food instead of kibble if needed. )
I recommend getting something like the SureFeed with the rear cover:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JM4XK9W
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KXYB8PN
Put her food in there and she'll be able to eat it at her own pace whenever she wants while the bengal won't be able to get to it.
I actually use one for my bengal, Crixus. My other cat, Spartacus, eats like a dog; if there's food available, he's going to eat it. This allows Crixus to free-range throughout the day and Sparta can't touch it.
They have cat bowls that respond to collars on the cats and only open for those cats. Let me see if I can find a link.
https://www.amazon.com/SureFlap-5060180391324-SureFeed-Microchip-Feeder/dp/B00O0UIPTY/ref=pd_sim_199_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00O0UIPTY&pd_rd_r=V4TQTBM8JNVMGJC7KE7A&pd_rd_w=rx1WV&pd_rd_wg=Secq1&psc=1&refRID=V4TQTBM8JNVMGJC7KE7A
I think this is the one I saw online. Hella expensive but if you don't mind dropping the cash I bet this would be a helpful solution. I've always wanted to get these because our dog eats the cats food, so we have to feed them on the kitchen table, but this is too much money for my taste.
My friends have one of those: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07M9J4SNR/ref=sspa_mw_detail_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AL4EH6VO4H62S
You put food in it, turn the timer and ta-da!
You can hear the timer ticking so you know it still has batteries. And you can put only one meal per section.
After resisting for ages due to the price i finally gave in and got one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00O0UIPTY/
Totally worth it. The healthy cat eats fast and finishes his food so luckily i only need one (to stop him stealing the prescription food), but having used it i now think if needed i would happily bite the bullet and put a second one on my credit card. Not only does it keep other pets out, it keeps wet food fresh for longer which means the little parient is eating more of it and doing noticeably better.
The Petnet feeder is apparently going to have alexa integration at some point but it isn't working yet. I have one at the moment for my dog. I like it, although I wish it could do more. You can schedule it to feed your pet so maybe that will work in the interim while we wait for them to complete their Alexa app.
This one looks promising: https://smile.amazon.com/WOpet-Automatic-Multiple-Arbitrary-Combination/dp/B01LYC6GD4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1510433962&sr=8-4&keywords=wet+food+cat+automatic+feeder
NTA
As for your wife's first 2 concerns, I use these less advanced feeders
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M9J4SNR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ZRIODbM91BSPK
You put one serving in, and it opens up and they can get that one serving, no way they can get extra food, and no way it won't give the right amount.
The other 2 concerns are kinda ridiculous, I'm sure your cat doesn't care or love you any less if literally 2/14 meals a week are from a feeder
Why is she okay risking him not getting the right amount of food when you're on vacation, but won't risk it twice a week lol
Edit: I guess people have already suggested these kind, whoops
You can get a bowl that opens on a timer and set it to open a bit before you plan to wake up. Cat won't come wake you up.
These are pretty good. I set it up when I feed 'em dinner. Lots of fancier stuff out there too.
You might want to modify this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O0UIPTY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_xCk3DbS7MK15Q
We also have a Le Bistro cat feeder (like ninguem), but a model with programmable feeding times: http://www.amazon.com/Petmate-LeBistro-Portion-Control-Automatic-Feeder/dp/B000BVWVUA. My cat does overfeed, so the timer is very important.
He was frightened by the noise the machine made for the first couple days (thought not frightened enough to stop eating), then started worshiping it. He now knows exactly when feeding time will be and moves to sit in front of the machine 5 minutes early, staring fixedly at it as though willing it to perform.
This one has never failed on me yet, for 3 years
https://www.amazon.com/Crown-Majestic-Diamond-Series-V3/dp/B00JIWW3VU/ref=sr_1_26?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1467731877&sr=1-26&keywords=pet+feeder
I have been using this feeder for awhile and my cats have never gotten into it, it's great. Try it out.
WESTLINK 6L Automatic Pet Feeder Food Dispenser for Cat Dog with Voice Recorder and Timer Programmable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0723GD6NC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yl30Bb87TZ537
The auto feeder we have is for wet food. They range from cheap (16€ to 100€ all bells and whistles)
https://www.amazon.de/Trixie-24372-Futterautomat-TX2/dp/B00106AP12/ref=pd_sbs_199_2/262-4926246-9500713?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00106AP12&pd_rd_r=1b876fa2-747f-11e9-bd09-6b265a2d278b&pd_rd_w=FjJQC&pd_rd_wg=MKQ1s&pf_rd_p=74d946ea-18de-4443-bed6-d8837f922070&pf_rd_r=S79NRYMNZM83J8QK4SA2&psc=1&refRID=S79NRYMNZM83J8QK4SA2
We have Royal Canin baby dry food down all the time. The feeder is for our new 9 month old rescue (fat Persian baby ) who does the high pitched screaming from 5am.
Oh no! Have you considered getting the dog a bowl that uses an RFID chip reader? The one I’ve heard of is called “SureFeed” but I’m sure there are others! It would keep the kitties out of his food :)
https://www.amazon.com/SureFlap-5060180391324-SureFeed-Microchip-Feeder/dp/B00O0UIPTY
It's definitely something to consider. Microchip feeders are amazing to have for situations like yours. You can buy one that only your slower-eating cat can get into, so she can graze whenever she wants and your bigger guy can't get into it.
/u/bakingbink we have the same problem in our house. It’s even more important as each cat gets different drugs each feeding. You might want to consider sure flap feeders (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O0UIPTY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_K.d3BbWP01MBJ) to give each cat the appropriate “security clearance” for their food.
They make a food bowl for this exact reason. This basically only lets one pet into the designated bowl. SureFlap Bowl Amazon Link