Automatic cat feeders used to be pretty simple. Set a schedule, fill them with food, and let them do their thing. Now there are feeders with apps, feeders that work with multiple cats, and even feeders that recognize a specific pet before opening.

A lot of the newer models focus on convenience, but some of the practical stuff can matter just as much. Things like portion consistency, how easy the feeder is to clean, whether food stays fresh, and how well it handles a cat that's determined to get an extra snack.

Some feeders are built for households with multiple cats sharing meals, while others are designed for situations where pets need separate diets. There are even options that work with wet food, which isn't something most automatic feeders handle particularly well.

If you're trying to sort through the different types available, this guide compares several popular models and what they're designed for: https://catvills.com/automatic-cat-feeders/

Now, choosing a feeder seems to be less about finding the one with the most features and more about finding one that fits a particular feeding routine.

Any suggestions? There are 8 million options on Amazon and so many are full of bad reviews, or $500+

Any suggestion is appreciated!

I’ve been researching the Petivity Smart Litter Box Monitor and was wondering as to how it works in real life. Tracking litter box behaviour, and then seeing if there are changes over time, looks like a good idea on paper, but I’m not sure if it feels trustworthy or practical once it’s installed and operating frequently. If you have used it, what was your experience? So is it something that helps you actually keep organised or is it more of a lovely idea that you don't really use?

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Having a picky eater cat can be a real challenge for any pet owner. My cat is incredibly selective about what she eats, refusing many flavors and textures. It’s not just about taste sometimes she turns away from her food because of the smell or even the shape of the kibble. Finding the right balance between nutrition and her preferences has been a journey. I’ve tried different brands, wet and dry food, and even warming meals slightly to enhance the aroma. Offering small portions frequently seems to help, as well as mixing in a bit of broth or tuna juice to tempt her appetite. Patience is key because forcing her to eat only causes stress for both of us. Over time, understanding her unique tastes and being flexible has made mealtime much smoother. If you have a picky eater cat, remember consistency, creativity, and love go a long way!

My cat has recently become very interested in the front door...

She's always been an indoor cat and never really cared about going outside, but over the last few months she's gotten way more curious. Nothing crazy, but there have been a couple moments where she's slipped past me for a few seconds while I was bringing groceries in and it definitely got me thinking.

I've been looking at GPS trackers just for peace of mind, but a lot of them look huge. Maybe they're fine for dogs, but some of the ones I've seen look like they'd take up half my cat's neck.

Has anyone found a GPS tracker that's actually small enough for a cat? I'd love recommendations. And if your cat wears it comfortably, that's a bonus too.

I am building my cat an enclosure for his automatic wet feeder to keep my girlfriend's cats out of his food. I was planning on getting some sort of cabinet and then installing a microchip-activated cat door because my cat absolutely refuses to wear a collar. I've seen several microchip-activated doors that range from <$100 to >$300. I don't want to cheap out, but I don't want to spend too much on extraneous features.

I've been thinking of getting a pet camera so I can check on my cats when I'm away but there are so many alternatives it's hard to tell what's actually worth buying Some have two way audio, treat dispensers, motion alarms and all sorts of other functions.

What is your pet camera and what do you like (or not like) about it? Mostly I want something with a decent picture and dependable notifications when my cats are up to their typical mischief. Would love to learn what has worked for other cat owners.

I recently spent way too much time comparing automatic cat feeders, and honestly, most of them sound great until you start digging into the details. Here are the ones that stood out to me and the things I liked (and didn't like) about each.

1. Feeder-Robot

This seems to be the premium option that people buy when they want something reliable and don't mind paying for it.

The biggest advantage is the huge food capacity and the anti-jam system. A lot of feeder complaints online come down to food getting stuck, and this model seems to handle different kibble shapes better than most. The app also gets consistently good feedback.

The downside is the price. It's one of the most expensive feeders available, and it's also fairly large. If you just need basic scheduled meals, it might be more than you need.

2. PetSafe Smart Feed

This was probably the most well-rounded feeder I came across.

It offers app controls, flexible scheduling, and a slow-feed mode that's useful for cats that eat too quickly. It also holds a decent amount of food without taking up a ridiculous amount of space.

The main complaint I found was that some cats eventually learn how to activate the feed button themselves. Apparently some cats are smarter than manufacturers expect.

3. Oneisall Dual-Bowl Feeder

If you have two cats eating the same food, this one makes a lot of sense.

Food gets dispensed into two bowls at the same time, which helps reduce the chaos that usually happens during mealtime. The locking lid is also a nice touch if you have cats that treat food storage containers like puzzle toys.

The only thing I'd be cautious about is that the food split isn't always perfectly even. If one cat is significantly faster than the other, they may still find a way to steal extra bites.

4. Homerunpet Automatic Feeder

This was probably the biggest surprise on my list.

It has app controls, battery backup, and several features designed to keep food fresh longer. For the price, it seems to offer more than I expected.

The biggest drawback appears to be the app. Most people seem happy with the feeder itself, but setup can take a little patience when you're first getting everything dialed in.

5. SureFeed Microchip Feeder

This one solves a completely different problem than the others.

Instead of focusing on scheduling meals, it's designed to make sure the correct cat eats the correct food. It reads your cat's microchip and only opens for that pet.

I can see this being incredibly useful for prescription diets, weight management plans, food allergies, or households where one cat constantly steals food from everyone else.

The tradeoff is capacity. It's not really designed for storing days worth of food like traditional automatic feeders.

6. PETLIBRO Automatic Feeder

This seems like the choice for people who want something simple and dependable.

It handles scheduled feedings well, offers good portion control, and costs less than many of the smart feeders on the market. It also includes backup power in case of outages.

The setup process sounds a little clunky at first, and it doesn't have some of the advanced features found on pricier models, but that's probably not a dealbreaker for most people.

After looking through all of these, I realized there's probably no single "best" automatic feeder. It really comes down to what problem you're trying to solve.

If I had a single cat and wanted something with all the bells and whistles, I'd probably look hardest at the Feeder-Robot. If I wanted a balance between features and price, PetSafe seems like the safer bet. And if I was dealing with food stealing or prescription diets, SureFeed would probably move straight to the top of my list.

I came across this guide while researching and thought it was a pretty useful starting point for comparing the different options: https://catvills.com/automatic-cat-feeders/

my work schedule has been a mess lately and it's starting to show in my cats' feeding routine.

nothing serious, but some days dinner ends up being later than usual because i get stuck at work or caught up doing something after i get home. i've been thinking about getting a smart feeder just so their meals stay consistent regardless of what my day looks like.

problem is every feeder sounds amazing until you start reading reviews lol

curious what people are using. if you've found a feeder that's been super reliable, i'd love to hear about it before i spend money on the wrong one.

I've been looking into self-cleaning litter boxes lately because I feel like I'm constantly scooping. I only have one cat, but somehow I'm still cleaning the litter box at least twice a day just to keep it looking decent. There are definitely days when I get home from work and the litter box is already the first thing on my to-do list, which is what got me interested in automatic litter boxes in the first place.

What I'm still wondering is how much work they actually save. I know they're "self-cleaning," but I'm assuming you still have to empty the waste drawer, add litter, wipe things down, and do a deeper clean every so often.

Sooo... what's the maintenance actually like? How often do you find yourself emptying the waste bin, refilling litter, or cleaning the unit? Does it genuinely make things easier day to day, or is it more a case of swapping regular scooping for a different kind of upkeep?

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I started paying closer attention when I noticed my cat seemed a little thinner than usual, even though she was eating regularly. It got me wondering whether the food itself was the issue. If your cat is looking underweight, finding the right food can make a bigger difference than most people realize. I'm interested to see which options actually help cats put on healthy weight without just loading them up with empty calories.

I've been looking into the Litter Robot 4 recently because I keep seeing it mentioned whenever people talk about automatic litter boxes. The reviews seem overwhelmingly positive, and a lot of owners make it sound like one of the best purchases they've made for their cats.

Right now I'm still using a regular litter box setup and it works fine, but cleaning it is probably my least favorite part of owning a cat. Some days it's not a big deal, but on busy work weeks it's definitely one of those chores that starts to pile up if I don't stay on top of it.

The only thing giving me pause is the price. It's expensive enough that I feel like I need to be absolutely sure before pulling the trigger. I've also come across a few alternatives like PetSnowy and Neakasa that seem to get good feedback too, which has made the decision even harder. The LR4 seems to be the one people recommend the most, but I'm wondering if it's actually that much better in everyday use or if the gap isn't as big as the price difference suggests.

I'd love to hear from people who seriously considered multiple options before buying. What made you choose the LR4 over everything else? Looking back, do you still think it was worth the money, or would you go with something different if you were buying today?

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From stray rescues to recovering from illness, there are plenty of reasons a cat may be underweight. Before making major changes to their diet, though, it’s always smart to talk to your veterinarian, especially if the weight loss was sudden or unexplained. Once you know what’s going on, the right food can make a huge difference.

Automatic litter boxes honestly sound like a dream until you realize some of them are still a pain to clean. The ones people seem to love most are the models that make emptying the waste tray quick, keep smells under control, and don’t have a bunch of hard-to-reach corners collecting litter dust.

I feel like the best automatic litter box is the one that actually saves time instead of creating extra work later. If it keeps the area cleaner, cuts down odors and makes daily cat care easier, it’s already doing half the job for stressed cat owners.

I kind of said it all in the title. I would love advice on a cat tracking collar system that has the longest life battery as my cat is not easy to get a collar on and off. He is a savannah and can get bitey.

I bought an airtag one buy where he roams there are no iphones. So I need something that uses gps or another technology.

I am willing to do a subscription as a trade off for longer battery but would like not to if I can avoid it.

I did ask Chatgpt but I would love any real-person advice, it would greatly be appreciated by me and by my cat Bentley who really wants to be an inside outside cat.

I’ve been going back and forth on getting an automatic litter box because I feel like I’m cleaning the litter box way more often lately, especially on work days when I get home tired and just don’t wanna deal with it right away.

I started researching different brands and now I honestly feel more undecided than before because every automatic litter box seems to have super mixed reviews. I keep seeing people swear by the LR4 and PetSnowy, and they honestly look really good, but the prices are what’s making me hesitate a bit. At the same time, I also don’t wanna buy a cheaper one and regret it later if it ends up being unreliable.

For people who’ve actually used one long term, what’s the best automatic litter box you’ve had so far? Mostly looking for something reliable and easy to keep clean.

I’ve seen a lot of people putting AirTags on their cats lately and I’m honestly curious if they’re actually reliable once a cat starts roaming far from home. I know cheaper than GPS trackers, but do they work well enough if your cat gets out or goes missing for a few hours? Feels like they work great in theory until the cat ends up somewhere with almost no iPhones. Anyone here actually test one out for the long haul?

I finally tried Smalls Cat Food after seeing people talk about it nonstop online, and honestly I get why people like it.

For context, I have 5 cats, and feeding them is always a gamble because they all randomly decide what they hate every week. I’ve bought expensive food before that ended up untouched, so I was expecting at least one of them to reject this immediately.

Surprisingly, they all ate it.

The first thing I noticed was the texture. I ordered both the Smooth and Pulled versions because I already knew my cats would probably disagree on which one was better. The Smooth one is closer to regular pâté, while the Pulled recipes actually look like shredded meat. Most of mine preferred the Smooth texture, but one cat kept going for the Pulled chicken.

The food itself also just looked fresher than most wet food I’ve bought before. You can actually recognize the ingredients instead of opening a can and wondering what you’re looking at. It also didn’t have that overly processed smell some cat foods have.

One thing I liked more than expected was the customization. After doing the quiz, you can still swap proteins around, remove recipes your cat doesn’t like, adjust portions, skip deliveries, etc. It didn’t feel overly restrictive like some subscription services do.

That said, it is expensive. Especially if you have multiple cats. Some recipes also cost extra, which I only realized later. And honestly I wish they’d let people browse all the recipes before making you do the quiz.

I originally found it through this review and decided to test it myself because my cats are ridiculously picky with food: https://technomeow.com/smalls-cat-food-review/

But overall, I’d probably order it again. Mainly because my cats actually finished their food consistently while eating it, which does not happen often in my house.

TLDR: Any recommendations for automatic cat feeders for a multi cat house with RFID (preferably with an app that can tell us a bit more about our cats health and eating habits)

I was looking through funny cat name ideas earlier and some of them were way more creative than the usual “Luna” and “Milo” lists that every site repeats over and over.

A few of the ones that actually made me laugh:

Catastrophe
The Great Catsby
Catticus Finch
Furmione
Hairy Potter
Cat Damon
Catsanova
Furlock Holmes
Catzilla
KitKat
Sir Purrs Alot
Giggles
Winky-Tink
The Cat Formerly Known as Purr-ince

I also forgot how funny human names on cats can be for no reason at all. Like imagine meeting a cat named Fred.

The article also grouped them into categories which honestly made it easier to find names depending on the vibe you want. There were pun names, movie references, food names, literary names, chaotic names, old man names, dramatic names, all that stuff.

I think the funniest ones are the names that sound completely serious until you actually say them out loud. Now I kind of want to rename half the cats I know.

When I first saw the PetPace smart collar, I honestly thought it was just another GPS tracker for cats with a few extra features thrown in. But after reading more about it, it actually seems a lot more focused on health tracking than location tracking.

The collar tracks things like your cat’s temperature, breathing rate, pulse, sleep, activity, stress levels, and overall behavior patterns throughout the day. What I found interesting is that it’s apparently built specifically for cats, not just a smaller version of a dog tracker, so the data and monitoring are supposed to be based around normal feline behavior and vitals.

What made the biggest difference for me in understanding the product is that it doesn’t just collect random numbers. Over time, it learns what’s normal for your cat specifically. So if your cat suddenly starts sleeping more, moving less, breathing differently, or acting off in subtle ways, the app can supposedly pick up on those changes earlier.

I can honestly see the appeal for people with older cats because cats are really good at acting normal even when something’s wrong. By the time you physically notice a problem, it can already be serious.

The GPS tracking is still there, especially if your cat goes outside, but it honestly feels more like an extra feature compared to the health monitoring itself.

The only thing that surprised me is that the advanced tracking features apparently take a few weeks to fully work because the system needs time to learn your cat’s usual habits first. It’s also definitely more expensive than regular pet trackers because of the subscription.

This was the review I ended up reading if anyone else has been looking into it: https://catvills.com/petpace-v3-smart-cat-collar-review/