As we embrace time away from home and head off on more day trips than ever, the best automatic pet feeders could be your saviour, even if you're running late and haven't got a pet sitter booked in. An automatic pet feeder is perfect if your furry friend has to be fed at regular intervals and you're out somewhere that isn't pet-friendly. You simply set meal timers to feed your pet promptly with their favourite cat food or dog food. This can be done even when your pet wants to be fed early in the morning before you've even gotten out of bed.

Automated pet feeders fit into two different styles – those that have individual feeding bowls that open up when scheduled, and those that serve a pre-determined amount of food into a single feeding bowl at the programmed time. It is possible to buy feeders with between 1 and 6 individual feeding bowls, with portion sizes between 175 and 500ml. Automatic pet food dispensers either have a food bowl that is always open, or have lids which seal the food compartment until they are programmed to open. The sealed feeders will prevent your pets from eating the food too early, and will also protect it from drying out, and also from flies and insects. Type of Feeder What really make this feeder stand out is the curved rectangular opening positioned in front of the bowl. This is the important bit, as it has four scanners embedded within. When it detects a registered pet’s microchip, the doors will slide open. If your name’s not down, you’re not coming in. These feeders are both designed to be used with dry foods, with a maximum size of 16mm. The C3000 automatic cat feeder is designed to dispense the smaller size of dry food that cats eat, while the D3000 timed dog feeder is designed for larger dog-size kibble. It is recommended that the Dog Mate D3000 is NOT used with small, free-flowing food (smaller than pea size).

Tips on Choosing an Automatic Pet Feeder

The TX2 Automatic Pet Food Dispenser from Trixie is basically two TX1 feeders joined together. It features twin 300ml plastic feeding bowls for either wet or dry food, and each bowl has its own battery-powered 48 hour timer. Felaqua Connect is the latest product to join the Sure Petcare suite of connected products. It is a water bowl that is designed to not only be cat-friendly, it also monitors your cat’s water intake, giving you peace of mind. The bowl also refills with clean, fresh water automatically as your cat drinks. The food tray is easy to remove and dishwasher-safe too, which makes cleaning easy.The timer requires 4 x D type batteries, and these should last for between 6-12 months.

Access is controlled by the microchip so the lid only opens for the cat with the registered microchip. This can be particularly helpful when giving specialist food to one pet or when trying to help a pet lose weight. Data on the feeding behaviour of your cat can be found on the app on your smartphone. That way, you can always keep an eye on your pet’s food consumption and can spot changes early on. To set the timer, simply turn the dial to the number of hours delay you require, and then start the timer with the small switch on the bottom of the unit. This amazing device gives you peace of mind when you are away and keeps your pet full while preventing overeating. This is all the more important for those who have two and more pets. Just imagine that you get a new cat who has the habit of eating almost everything in front of it, leaving the other cat or dog without sufficient food. If you choose to simply place more food in the bowl, you will be watching your pet gaining weight and will be powerless to do anything about it. Not to mention, of course, those pets that have a prescription diet.This 4 Meal Automatic Pet Feeder from Andrew James is almost identical to the Trixie TX4 Plus, but is branded differently and comes in different colours. It is slightly cheaper too, so unless you really want the colours that the Trixie comes in, then you can save yourself some money and buy this version. This electronic cat feeder with a microchip is run by either 3 D batteries or an AC adapter, both of which you will need to buy separately. It consists of a base with a stainless steel bowl inside and a cover lid over the bowl. The stainless steel bowl is a great choice for hygienic feeding and is dishwasher safe on the top shelf. The cover lid keeps the food fresh and away from other cats, dogs, kids or dirt and insects that could contaminate the food inside the bowl. Once the cat has been registered to that feeder via the microchip or the tag it will only open for that cat. Much to the annoyance of the others. In short, the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect does exactly what it promises. It’s an easy way to keep an eye on your pets’ diets, ensure they don’t steal each others’ food, and provides a means by which you can control portion sizes.

Some automatic pet feeders have been designed for use with dry dog or dry cat food only. If your pet’s diet consists of wet food or a mixture of both dry and wet, you’ll be looking out for an automatic pet feeder that'll allow this without risking the feeder's performance. Ease of use The hopper has a capacity of 5 pounds of dry food and greets your cat when it approaches the feeder and the lid over the feeding tray opens, allowing your cat to eat the food. The cat is welcomed by their name and the feeder ensures each one of your cats eats only the amount of food you program for them. That means that when a cat reaches the limit of food for that meal or that day, the cover will close over the feeding tray. It is a great way of limiting food intake and keeping feeding times and portions regular. One man five cats: "When you've got five cats it can get a little bit complicated when it comes to their food, especially, if they have different dietary needs. Actually having two cats can be quite complicated if one of them needs to be on a special diet. The battery-powered timer allows you to program up to 3 meals per day, and you can specify the amount of food in units of approx. 10g. You can even specify different amounts for each of the 3 feeds during the day – for example 8 units in the morning, 4 at midday and 6 in the evening.This microchip cat feeding station is designed for cats and features a clear hopper and a base with a feeding tray and a cover that goes over the tray. There is also a screen and buttons for programming that is situated between the hopper and the feeding tray. It can work with up to 8 pets and features an AC adapter and 2 wireless collar tags. The battery-powered timer is easy to use, and allows you to set the feeder to open at any point in the next 48 hours. The Le Bistro Food Dispenser from Petmate is also known as the Petmate Portion Right Programmable Pet Feeder, the Infinity Programmable Feeder and also the Trixie Le Bistro. Despite the many identities, the feeders are exactly the same other than the name on the front.