We have reviewed the best cat feeders for vacation. If you are in a hurry, the table below gives a quick snapshot of the top 6.
Table of Contents
As high as 67 percent of American households have a pet (approximately equal to 85 million families)[1]. Owning a pet is a challenging job; it keeps the owners on their toes 24×7. The responsibility increases if the pet is small.
Often due to these responsibilities, pet owners cannot go out for their vacations as they cannot leave the pets on their own for long. If you plan for a vacation and worry about your pet cat’s well-being, then an automatic cat feeder is a nice solution for you to consider.
Let’s have a look at some of the best cat feeders for vacation so that you can go on that well deserved holiday without worrying about your kitty!
Our top Choice Petsafe Cat Food Dispenser
The PetSafe 5 Meal Programmable Pet Food Dispenser, Automatic Dog and Cat Feeder - Dry or Semi-Moist Pet Food, Timed Cat Feeder or Dog Feeder, Slow Feed Portion Control (5 Cup/40 Ounce Total Capacity) is our top choice for “Best Cat Feeders For Vacation”
This is a fairly advanced device that automatically feeds your cat/dog. Some features of this device are:
- The pet food feeder can store five cups of food, including dry and semi-moist food both
- The feeder has a scheduled timing feature, enabling the owners to set timers for feeding the pet at regular intervals. You can program upto five feeding times a day
- It has a very easy setup. In fact, the first meal is ready to be served the moment you fill the food tray, and the others are scheduled for regular feeding immediately.
- Pet owners can also customize the size of the meal for their pets. Cats who are on a diet can be given smaller portions at regular intervals.
- The food carrying tray is detachable and can be easily cleaned in your dishwasher. The tray is BPA free and completely hygienic for your pet.
- PetSafe is a globally renowned brand with excellent antecedents and a wide product range. They have been serving pet owners for the last 30 years.
Best Cat Feeders for a Vacation
Without further ado let us look at the individual reviews of the best cat feeders that you can use when on a vacation.
#1 Petsafe Cat Food Dispenser
This cat food dispenser automatically feeds the pets on pre-scheduled timings. It is an ideal feeder for pet owners who have busy schedules and may miss their pets meal times.
The food dispenser’s design is tamper resistant and sturdy so that the cat can get their food easily, without damaging the device.
This feeder maintains the pet’s healthy feeding cycle as it provides the pets with their meals at the correct time. It also has a feature of meal portioning, which allows the owner to set meal sizes for each meal according to the cat’s diet. This prevents pets from overeating or getting malnourished.
PROS:
- The food dispenser has five slots out of which one slot is ready to eat, and the other four slots are for later meals.
- It also has a scheduled timing feature, which gives the pet the meals on time set by the owner.
- It comes with a feed now button if you want to serve an extra meal to your cat.
- The meal slot sizes are big enough to provide the cats with proper proportionate meals.
- It is made of BPA plastic hence safe for your cat also, easy to clean, and dishwasher friendly material.
- This feeder is easy to use and setup.
CONS:
- The tray might not rotate properly if roughly used.
- The pets can smell the food and try to rotate the feeder trays on their own.
#2 Petkit Automatic Smart Cat Feeder
The Petkit automatic cat feeder is our no.2 choice for a vacation friendly product. It keeps the food dry and fresh, and the big storage bucket keeps up to 3.3 pounds of dry food that serves food to the cat for a long duration.
Feeding can be scheduled for upto ten times a day, and food can be dispensed in 5g to 50g servings.
The device is WiFi-enabled and can be controlled through your smart device or even Amazon Echo. Owners can feed their cats with a simple touch of their smartphones by using the app for the cat feeder.
The lid and the food dispenser door of the feeder are wrapped in silicone sealing, which keeps the food items fresh and prevents air from entering the dispenser.
The food bucket has a Duo-fresh locking system that keeps food fresh even for long periods. It also has a very useful alarm feature that alerts the owner when the food bucket goes empty.
The device has an internal battery backup, which means even if there is a power failure, and there is no WiFi, your pet will still receive their nourishment on time.
PROS:
- The feeder can store up to 10 scheduled meals as it has a smart dispensing design which can dispense 5g-50g of cat food.
- The cat feeder also has a duo fresh lock system which maintains the freshness of the food and can store 3.3 pounds of dry food at a time.
- Once the meal timings are set, the feeder can work both offline as well as online.
- It also contains weight sensors that notify the owner if the food bucket is empty or in bad condition.
- The feeder has WiFi support and remote control support, which makes the feeder more accessible.
CONS:
- The feeder can only store dry food for the cats.
- The feeder works on four AA batteries, which is not available with the product.
#3 Fairytale Automatic Pet Feeder
The automatic pet feeder acts as a caretaker for the pets when you are not around. It provides pets with both food and water in separate trays. It does not run on electricity, so you don’t have to worry about what happens in case of a power outage, or whether your pet is safe around and electric device. Instead, it uses a gravity-based system.
The food dispenser is an eco-friendly device and has a very simple and ergonomic design. It is also easy to clean this device.
The feeder’s capacity is very high as it can serve food for seven days for small pets and up to 3 days for larger pets allowing the owners to go on vacations, parties, work, and so on without being worried about their pets. The feeder is very compact, which makes it easy to carry.
PROS:
- The pet feeder’s design is very ergonomic as it has side cut handles for easy lifting and a non-skid rubber base for prevention from slippage.
- The pet feeder is made out of high-quality food-grade plastic, which is highly durable.
- The plastic material is odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, and it keeps the food fresh and healthy.
- The process of refilling and using the feeder is very simple.
- The pet feeder is very easy to clean, which reduces the owner’s hassle and maintains the meal’s hygiene.
CONS:
- It is difficult to proportionate the meals with this cat feeder as it automatically fills the trays.
- The device is not ideal for serving water.
#4 PetSafe Cat And Dog Food Dispenser
The Petsafe cat and dog food dispenser is a pet feeder with a very functional and pet-safe design. It prevents pets from overeating by allowing the owner to serve their pets with a pre set serving size.
It is designed to thwart naughty pets who can turn the tray and steal food. The BPA-free plastic food trays are top-shelf dishwasher safe and sturdy.
Most importantly, it can hold up to 6 cups of food at a time, and each cup can hold 1 cup kibble, making the food served for two to three days. It also ensures that the pets get the correct proportion of healthy meals for their normal growth.
PROS:
- The feeder has a clear lockable lid, which prevents air from getting inside and keeps the food fresh.
- It also has a digital clock and an LCD.
- It also has a removable bowl and tray, which are dishwasher safe.
- The pet owner can easily adjust the proportion size of the meal.
- The BPA free plastic is easy to clean and non-toxic.
CONS:
- Runs on 4 AA batteries, which is not included with the product.
- The manual of teh product is not very helpful.
#5 Healthy Pet Automatic Food Dispenser
Not all cats are satisfied with dry kibble. If yours craves wet food or needs it for medical reasons, you’ll need a feeder that can accommodate this diet.
This feeder works with dry and semi-moist pet kibble that is up to 3/4 inch in diameter. It also has a slow feed option for pets who tend to eat too quickly. It also prevents the cats from sneaking in and stealing the food.
The pet food dispenser has a customizable meal feature that can serve up to 1/8 cup up to 4 cups of serving per meal. It dispenses accurate portions of food as set by the owner and also has an anti-jamming design.
PROS:
- The food dispenser has multiple food feeding modes such as a pause mode, an immediate mode, and a slow food feeding mode.
- It can hold 24 cups of dry or semi-moist food with a lockable design that keeps the food fresh.
- The pets develop a habit of eating food on time with this food dispenser.
- The design of the food dispenser is pet safe.
- It also has a unique two meal splitter, which is ideal for people who have multiple pets.
CONS:
- The meal timings cannot be reset once they are set.
- The instructions manual is not very clear.
#6 FUNLULA Pet Food Feeder
The FUNLULA Pet Food Feeder is an automatic food dispenser which does not work on electricity, but instead works on gravity. This food feeder also has a water feeder that takes care of all the basic needs of a pet meal.
It frees up pet owners to go on with their work without constantly worrying about their pets’ feeding. The design of the feeder is very compact; it does not require a lot of space. It is also made out of high-quality, environment-friendly PP, which makes the feeder durable and pet safe.
PROS:
- The water feeder has a capacity of about 1 gallon, and the food feeder has a capacity of 4.63 pounds.
- The pet owners can now relax and enjoy their free time instead of constantly feeding their pets’ food or water. Now they can spend more fun time with their pets.
- The food feeder is made out of environment-friendly PP, a safe material to store food as non-toxic.
- It has an anti-jamming food dispensing slot, which keeps the food fresh and healthy.
- The feeder also has a detachable food and water tray, which are very easy to clean and simple to use.
CONS:
- It can be a bit small for bigger pets.
- The food tends to get stuck as per one user.
#7 Automatic Cat Feeder
The automatic cat feeder is a high-tech feeding device. It can work with the internet and smartphones and even via home managing devices such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home. It automatically feeds the pets on time set by the owner.
The feeder allows the pet owner to decide the size and portion of the meal, which makes it very easy to maintain the pet’s diet. Also, the owners can easily go out on vacations and control the feeder through their smartphone application. It is easy to clean, which maintains the hygiene of the feeder and the pet as well.
PROS:
- The feeder has a good battery backup, which allows it to work both offline and online.
- It also has a very special voice-recording feature, making the pet feel like the owner is feeding them the food.
- The feeder also maintains feeding logs, which the owner can check whether the feeder is working fine.
- It is ideal for feeding smaller pets as the feeder can serve meals for 2-3 days.
CONS:
- It works on three AA batteries, which are not available with the product.
- The instructions are not clear for the feeder.
What should you look for before buying a cat feeder?
Scheduled Timing
The feeder must have an easy to use scheduled timer. The timer makes it easy for the pet owners to feed their pets in a routine. The owners can now go out for their work, parties, traveling, vacations, and so on without having to worry that their pets are not getting food on time.
Easy To Set Up
The pet food dispenser should be easy to use and easy to set up. The main purpose of the feeder is to reduce the hassle of the owner in feeding the pet. The best pet food feeders are easy to refill and set up to get the appropriate portion of food on time.
Safe For Pets
The food dispenser should be made out of safe materials for the pets and their owners. The material should be non-toxic as it can cause problems for the pets if the feeder is toxic. The food dispenser should also be odorless and tasteless as these things can alter the change of the food for the pets.
Easy To Clean
The food dispenser should also be easy to clean and maintain. Many pets suffer health problems due to hygiene issues. A clean and safe eating environment can prevent such health-related problems. Food grade plastic is ideal for the pet feeders as they are dishwasher usable, making the cleaning process hassle-free.
Offline And Online Connectivity
The ideal feeders are available online and offline as online features allow the pet owners to check on their pets from anywhere. The offline features ensure that the pets receive their food even when the dispenser is out of battery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are automatic cat feeders good for small pets?
Automatic cat feeders are good for their cats as they give the cats their meals on time and in proper portions. They are designed to dispense a specified amount of food at a specific time. These automatic feeders also allow the owners to leave their pets alone as the feeders feed the pets automatically.
Q: How to feed two cats with a food dispenser?
Two cats can be easily fed with a single food dispenser as the food dispensers have food splitting trays, which divides the dispensing food into two parts. This feature is helpful for people who have more than one pet.
Q: How does an automatic cat feeder work?
There are mainly two types of automatic cat feeders, one with scheduled timing, which dispenses the food at a particular time set by the owner. The other type is the automatic gravity food dispenser, which automatically refills the food trays when they get empty and does not need electricity.
Conclusion
An automatic cat feeder is the best solution if you need to leave your cat at home alone for long hours. It comes with great features that are easy to use and solves the purpose.
In this article, we have selected the Best Cat Feeders For Vacation based on the features mentioned in our buyer’s guide and the ratings and comments mentioned by actual users on Amazon.
In our opinion, the PetSafe 5 Meal Programmable Pet Food Dispenser, Automatic Dog and Cat Feeder - Dry or Semi-Moist Pet Food, Timed Cat Feeder or Dog Feeder, Slow Feed Portion Control (5 Cup/40 Ounce Total Capacity) is the best choice among the various options that we have considered because it is one of the few feeders that can dispense semi-solid food as well, along with a high-performance scheduler and pet-friendly plastic tray.
If you are looking for a value for money option, you can also consider the Automatic Pet Feeder Small&Medium Pets Automatic Food Feeder and Waterer Set 3.8L, Travel Supply Feeder and Water Dispenser for Dogs Cats Pets Animals, which offers great value and features at a very reasonable price point.
References:
[1] https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-pet-statistics
