Automatic Pet Feeders: Ultimate Guide
One of the most important aspects of being a pet parent is to ensure your pet’s nutritional needs are met. However, this can become challenging in today’s world with all of our away from home obligations and busy schedules. Our hectic lives have us leaving home earlier and returning home much later than in the past.
Technology aids and assists us with tasks that we may find hard to complete because of our busy lives. One of these tasks is ensuring our pets are fed while we are away or busy completing or attending to other obligations. Automatic pet feeders relieve us of having to keep up with feeding time at home.
Choosing an automatic pet feeder is largely about preference and your pet’s convenience. While we humans crave freedom, our pets thrive on consistency and fixed routines. Undoubtedly an automatic pet feeder is the perfect solution for maintaining consistent feeding times!
These tools are great options if your pet consumes dry food and you’re familiar with their eating habits. In any case an automatic pet feeder can be your go-to option everyday – not just your busy days.
We have come up with a comprehensive guide that includes everything you need to consider when choosing an automatic pet feeder. Let’s get started:
What Is an Automated Pet Feeder?
Automatic pet feeders are smart dispensers that will feed your pet a predetermined quantity of food at fixed times. They allow you to set the amount of food, the number of times daily to feed, and the time your pet is fed.
Automatic pet feeders also allow you to control your pet’s caloric and nutritional intake. Free-feeding, or leaving food available to pets at all times, is usually not recommended by vets. Furthermore, it makes it difficult to track your pet’s intake and can lead to obesity and food waste.
Inconsistent meal times often mean inconsistent potty times.This can be a real issue for dog owners that spend many hours away from home each day.
You can boost your pet’s health and mood by establishing a feeding routine from the very beginning. You can also add convenience and peace of mind to your own life as a pet owner.
Whether you have a little kitty or a large pet with a big appetite, automatic pet feeders make it easy for you to feed your pet the right amount at the right time.
Automatic Pet Feeder Features?
The thoughtfully designed automatic pet feeder gives you greater control over your pet’s feeding schedule. You can schedule and manage feeding times and portion sizes for your pet with an automatic pet feeder. The feeders have a variety of smart feeding options and typically work with a very useful app.
No matter what your situation is, an automatic pet feeder is something that can take a little bit of pressure off you when it comes to feeding. Additionally, it gives you more time to take care of other responsibilities without your pet waiting around for meals.
Here are some of the amazing features of automatic pet feeders:
- Intelligent programming: You can remotely set times to feed your pet automatically. It helps control your pet's body weight and establish good eating habits.
- Recording and voice interaction: You can record your voice calling your pet for their mealtime. For the most part, your pet feels like you're by their side. Even though you are away or not available.
- Stay connected to your pet: Most automatic pet feeders are equipped with a Smart HD camera. This will allow you see and talk to your pet from wherever you are. The option is used directly from your smartphone, tablet or laptop.
- Works great with most kibble sizes: The pet feeder works well with most kibble shapes and sizes. It is a must-have for anyone looking to keep their pet fed while they're away.
Additional Features:
- Power-outage recovery: Most pet feeders feature a battery backup, which will keep it powered for feeding even if the electricity goes out. Unexpected power outages won’t interfere with meal time.
- Feeder app: The feeder app allows for detailed control of your pet's feeding. You can even provide a snack portion for your pet that is not part of the main feeding schedule. It is controllable from your smartphone, tablet, and laptop.
- Maximum stability to avoid knockovers: Most automatic pet feeders are designed to make it very hard for your pet to knock over. They ensure maximum stability between the feeder's base and rubberized footing.
What To Look For In an Automatic Pet Feeder
When making your decision on choice of feeder, you should take into account your pet’s breed. As you know, some breeds are more aggressive when searching for their food. You should also consider their eating habits, age, size and your own daily routine.
You should be honest about what you and your pet need. These needs can change over time, so choose a feeder that has flexible options that can account for your busy lifestyle.
Highlights of what to consider when choosing an automatic pet feeder:
- How many pets are in your household: Remember that feeding two pets from the same feeder works only if both pets are good buddies and can eat together.
- The size and strength of your pet: When buying an automatic pet feeder one of the main things to consider is the size of your pet. Basically this will determine the size of the feeder and the amount of food that can be dispersed per feeding.
- Check if the pet feeder has a Wi-Fi feeder app: Programming an automatic pet feeder with a feeder app is so much easier and more convenient. Undeniably smart feeder apps allow you to customize your pet’s feeding schedule according to their needs. You can program it or make changes literally from anywhere using your tablet, smartphone or laptop.
- Power-outage recovery options: Check if the automatic pet feeder works using an AC adapter and batteries. No one wants an unexpected power outage disrupting your automatic feeder’s programming and depriving your pet of their meals. Therefore check if the automatic pet feeder has some sort of battery backup option.
- Durability: Check it the pet feeders have a sturdy design that can’t be easily tipped over. Consider getting a pet feeder made of sturdy and durable materials if you have an aggressive or a strong pet. Also check if it can be strapped or tied down for an extra layer of security.
- Price: Price is another crucial factor to consider when choosing an automatic pet feeder. Never compromise on quality while looking for cheaper pet feeder options.
- Easy to clean: The automatic pet feeder should be easy to clean. All parts that come in contact with pet food should allow for easy removal. These parts should be easy to wash using detergent and a sponge
Pros and Cons of Automatic Pet Feeders
Automatic pet feeders have a lot of advantages for both pets and pet parents. However, there are also some downsides and risks when using them. Listed below are some of the most common pros and cons related to these types of feeders:
Here are some key benefits and drawbacks of using pet automatic feeders:
Automatic Pet Feeders: Pros
- No More Waking Up Early to Feed Your Pet: Often pets wake their human parents early in the morning for food. Using an automatic pet feeder will disassociate you with your pet's feeding time.
- Help You to Schedule Multiple Meals in Advance Even When You Are Away: Being fed at the same time daily is important, especially to remove stress and build the character of pets. You can schedule multiple meals in advance with an automatic pet feeder.
- Add Flexibility to Your Schedule: These feeders give you the flexibility to go to work without worrying about your pet’s mealtime. Any change in your schedule or plans won't affect your pet's meal. You can enjoy evenings or days out without feeling guilty or rushed, knowing your beloved pet will be fed on time.
- Control of Food Intake and Portions: Optimizing your pet's feeding can improve digestion, prevent stomach bloating and minimize obesity. These feeders are programmable. Therefore meals, portions, and frequency can be scheduled and adjusted to your pets' feeding requirements.
- Your Pet Always Gets Fresh Food: Automatic pet feeders are controlled by you via the programming. If you accurately control the portions given to your pet, all the food can easily be consumed each feeding. This helps to avoid leftovers that could become messy. Your pets are ensured to receive fresh food each feeding.
- Ideal for Overweight Pets: If your pet is overweight or obese, an automatic pet feeder may help them get back in shape. You can program the automatic feeder to dispense perfectly measured portions. This feature helps pet owners from giving extra helpings and over feeding. The intelligent programming regarding portions not only helps the pet but owners as well when it comes to feeding discipline.
Automatic Pet Feeders: Cons
- Multiple Pet Households: If you have multiple pets in your home, automatic pet feeders may not be the best option for you. While not all pups and cats will get into each other's food, an automatic pet feeder could make it tempting for one of your furry children to start nibbling on food that isn't theirs.
- Overflow or Messiness: Automatic pet feeders may continue to dispense food even if it is not being eaten, which can lead to overflow or messiness. Some feeders have options to avoid this issue, but many do not. Some of these feeders may easily tip over if bumped, which can result in spilling or food waste.
- Works well for dry food only: Automatic pet feeders only work for kibble or dry food diets. If your pet is eating other types of food, then automatic pet feeders will not work for you.
Final Thoughts
The ultimate goal is to match your lifestyle with the most practical option for your pet. If you are a pet parent who always wants the best for their pet, consider getting an automatic pet feeder. It makes mealtimes convenient for you and enjoyable for your pet.
Automatic pet feeders can help your pet live a healthy and filling life. A consistent feeding schedule and the right kind of nutrients help keep your pet happy and in great shape!