If you are thinking of getting an automatic feeder for your cat but are not sure of the benefits, here are the main reasons why setting up a programmable device can make life easier for both you and your feline friend.
1. No More Early Wake-Ups – Detach Yourself from Food
Cats associate their owners with food, which often leads to them waking you up at 5 or 6 AM with loud meows demanding breakfast. An Automatic pet feeder eliminates this issue by feeding your cat without your direct involvement. Over time, your cat will stop expecting food from you and will instead wait by the feeder for meals. If you still want to maintain a feeding bond, you can offer wet food in the morning or evening while letting the feeder handle the rest.
Cat Waking up Owner For Food
2. Peace of Mind While You’re at Work or Traveling
If you leave your cat alone at home while at work, you may be used to filling a bowl with food. When traveling, you might even resort to leaving out an excessive amount. An automatic feeder is a much better solution, ensuring your cat is fed at the right times even when you’re away. If you’re uneasy about leaving your cat alone and want to monitor the feeder, app-powered devices allow you to check feeding logs and confirm food was dispensed.
To minimize power outage risks, choose a feeder that works with both an AC adapter and a battery backup. This setup ensures the feeder continues operating even if the power goes out. Among the app-powered automatic feeders with a dual power source are the Feeder Robot and the Wopet 7L Camera. The Wopet model even includes a camera, allowing you to watch your cat eat and talk to him.
3. Healthier Eating Habits – Control Portions & Food Intake
3.1 Control Portions Automatically
With an automatic cat feeder, you don’t have to manually measure your cat’s food intake every day. The device dispenses precise portions at scheduled times, which completes the total food intake your cats needs to eat within 24 hours, saving you time and ensuring consistency. Make sure to select an automatic cat feeder that offers precise portion control. If your feline wants to eat many times per day, the best choice it’s a unit with the capability of dispensing from 8g-10g of kibble at a time, if needed. If you want to feed your cat wet food, or a mixed diet of dry and wet food, consider models like:
3.2 Prevent Overeating & Unhealthy Eating Habits
Controlling food intake is crucial, especially if your cat is overweight or prone to eating too much. Free-feeding can lead to weight gain and bad eating habits. Some cats even develop behavioral eating triggers, like eating whenever they see you in the kitchen. An automatic feeder helps by setting strict mealtimes, preventing constant snacking and promoting healthier habits.
One of the major benefits of automatic cat feeders is that they allow you to feed your cat a healthy amount of food and control the portions.
4. Custom Feeding Schedules for a Balanced Routine
Programmable digital automatic feeders allow you to set a personalized feeding schedule—such as a big breakfast and a small dinner—tailoring it to your cat’s needs. It’s like having a personal pet sitter, ensuring your cat is fed on time and in the right amount.
Digital automatic cat feeders allow you to set precise meal times down to the minute, making it possible to split a meal into two or three smaller portions within short intervals to help slow down your cat’s eating.
Most automatic feeders follow a single programmed schedule that repeats daily. If you need more flexibility, WiFi-enabled feeders let you adjust meal times and trigger feedings in real time using an app.
5. Ensure Fair Access to Food for All Your Pets’ Health and Well-being
If you have multiple pets, certain feeders prevent food stealing. Models like the SureFeed Microchip, PortionPRO RX, and Petlibro One Smart Feeder only allow access to specific pets. There are many situations in which you need to block the food for one cat while allowing one access the food. For example, a cat with a prescription diet gets the right food, a dog that eats the cat’s food is prevented from doing so and a dominant cat doesn’t steal food from the weaker one.
5.1 Health Risks for Dominant Cats Overeating:
Food competition among cats can lead to serious health issues. When a weaker cat is consistently denied access to food, it may suffer from weight loss, stress, and even malnutrition. According to the College of Veterinary Medicine of Illinois, prolonged food deprivation in cats can cause hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease), a life-threatening condition that occurs when a cat’s body starts breaking down fat too quickly due to starvation. Unlike dogs, cats should never go without food for more than 24-48 hours, as their bodies aren’t designed to handle fasting. On the other hand, the dominant cat may overeat, leading to obesity, diabetes, or joint problems.
6. Keeps Food Fresh & Reduces Waste
Leaving food out all day can cause it to dry out, spoil, or attract pests. Automatic feeders dispense food only when needed, keeping meals fresh. Some models even include airtight compartments or refrigerated sections to keep wet food safe longer.
7. Reduces Stress in Multi-Cat Households
Food-related aggression is common in multi-cat homes. Automatic feeders reduce competition by feeding each cat individually, preventing fights and ensuring every cat gets their fair share.
Food competition is a major source of tension between cats. According to the Feline Veterinary Medical Association constant competition can lead to behavioral issues, causing the bullied cat to become anxious or hesitant to eat. If your cats have issues with food competition, investing in a selective feeder can keep your chubby cat away from the other’s food and ensure fair feeding.
8. Great for Senior Cats & Special Diets
If your cat has medical conditions like diabetes, kidney disease, or digestive issues, small, frequent meals are often recommended. Some automatic feeders allow for specialized feeding schedules to accommodate these needs, ensuring your cat gets the right nutrition at the right time.
Final Thoughts
An automatic cat feeder provides multiple benefits, from better portion control to peace of mind while you’re away. Just make sure to research automatic cat feeder reviews to find a model that best suits your needs. Once you choose the right one, you can enjoy extra free time while ensuring your cat stays well-fed and healthy!
They keep making these cat dispensers more sophisticated. Won’t be long before us humans aren’t needed anymore. :-)
I hope that does not happen lol!
My daughter uses one of these and it works really well for her although the cats prefer their food directly from her.
Does she feed them during the day too?
Really useful for anyone who is away from home during the day travelling and working. I think a extra treats when home again would let your cat know who feeds and loves her, don’t you think?
I agree. Automatic feeders help in the sense as they feed the cat in healthy amounts daily and according to desired schedules when people is not home. It is excellent as well to disassociate the owners with food in the morning when cats usually want to be fed at very early time when people is usually still sleeping.
It’s good to know that an automatic feeder can control the feeding schedule of your animal without any hassle on your part. My brother-in-law always forgets to feed his pets but doesn’t want to put out extra food because he wants to keep his pets healthy. I’ll pass this information along to him so he can look further into his options for automatic feeders.