We’ll explore if you should get an automatic feeder

Automatic feeders divide the cat community. Some people swear by them, others believe it is better to avoid them as they can lead to negative behavioral patterns.

Read the following article to find out how an automatic feeder for cats work; and of course, as promised, we will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such a device.

How the automatic feeder works

A cat should be fed at least three times a day. From personal experience, this can be done by feeding the animal when you get up, feeding them when you get home from work, and feeding them before bedtime. This has worked well for us for years. But you may not get home in time because of an afternoon engagement. Another problem for many people is that the cat wakes them up very early, hungry for breakfast. But it is also possible that instead of the minimum 3 times, you’d rather feed your cat 4 or 5 times. When you don’t work from home, you might need a helping hand achieving this. Well, in such cases, a small device like this can be of great use.

There are several versions of automatic feeders. There are some that dispense dry food, but you can also buy machines that dispense both wet and dry food. If you ask us, automatic feeders can be used safely in only one case. That’s if you choose a version that you can pre-program to serve your cat as much food as you set it, and when you set it to.

If you want to enjoy the full convenience of these devices, you’ll want to go for Wi-Fi, app-powered machines. Although they are more expensive, you can change the settings at any time through the app. Most of these models also have an internal memory, so your cat won’t starve if the internet goes down. One of the more interesting developments in the pet food world is microchip technology. This allows food to be available only to the designated pet. So, even if you have more than one cat or dog in the household, you don’t have to worry about one of them going hungry.

Advantages and disadvantages of automatic feeders for cats

The most important thing is that you should only use an automatic feeder if you can check regularly and in person (or ask someone to do so) that everything is OK. So, if you think it’s a good idea to go on holiday for a week and leave your cat on the feeder, please forget it! A cat cannot be left alone for more than 12 hours! Even if food is supposed to be available at the usual intervals.

Trouble happens very quickly! An automatic feeder can only be used responsibly if you personally make sure your cat is fed. This is very important in strengthening the bond between you two and also in keeping them safe. So, feeders are additional options and tools, they are not the only way to ensure that your pet is fed.

Before you try it out in the real world, it’s important to test it at home. You need to be sure that the machine is working properly and that the cat will accept the food it is feeding. You can see if they are scared, eat the food you give them, how much they leave, try to tip it over, mess with the container, and so on. If after a few weeks, they still have a negative relationship with the machine – which in our experience is very rare – you should look for another solution.