Are you looking for a feeder with a timer for your four-legged pet?
If you are, then read this article to find out about the best timed pet feeders and food dispensers for your cats and dogs. In this post, you can also learn about the different benefits of time feeders and food dispensers that could help you decide if this kind of feeder is for you or not. Likewise, you can also learn what features to have in mind so that you buy the best possible option that can last you for a long time and that will keep your pet happy and healthy.
What You Should Know About Timed Feeders?
What Is A Timed Pet Feeder?
A timed pet feeder or a timed pet food dispenser business is recently booming thanks to the technology that is being used in all different areas of everyday life. The same goes for the pet supply market that started using technology to help busy pet parents in keeping their four-legged besties fed and happy. If you are not home to always provide your pet with their meal on time, then this timed feeder can help you achieve that. Whether you are working away from home, traveling, or running some errands when it is mealtime for your pet, the pet food will be fed thanks to the programmable timers on these types of feeders. Timed pet food dispensers usually feature a feeding bowl and a hopper for food storage. By programming the timer, you can choose how much food will be dispensed to your pet at desired times. This will happen thanks to the automatic dispensing feature that will dispense the food from the hopper into the feeding bowl.
Benefits Of Time Feeders & Food Dispensers
Timer food bowls are great at helping you keep a regular schedule of feeding your cats and dogs. They help keep your pets fed when you can’t be home to pour the food into the bowl yourself. By not missing out on the usual dinner times, you can help your dog or cat to stay healthy. When pets eat at the same time every day, it becomes a routine that helps them stay satisfied, healthy and regulates their weight, as well as food intake. By providing your pet with limited portions of food at times, you can help your overweight cat or dog to get slimmer and healthier and also keep your pet healthy. Whenever possible, it is advised to feed your pet yourself and bond with them that way. The storage containers can hold bigger amounts of pet food so that you don’t have to refill it every day.
What Features To Have In Mind?
To find the best timed pet feeder available for purchase, you should keep a few things in mind. Depending on the size of your cat or dog, you should find a feeder with a suitable storage area that can hold enough food to last your pet a few days. Likewise, look for a pet timer bowl that can hold enough food for one meal and for a dispenser that can dispense enough food for one meal. To be able to keep the feeding station clean, always try to look for hygienic materials and that can easily be cleaned. Usually, those materials include dishwasher safe stainless steel bowls and even some non-harmful plastic feeding bowls and trays that can be dishwasher safe. There are many different models available online, on different retailer websites, such as Amazon, where you can read different customer reviews.
Best 5 Timed Pet Feeders & Food Dispensers Reviews
Best Timed Cat Feeder
Cat Mate Timer Feeder
Features A Feeding Tray With Five Food Slots
The Cat Mate model comes in the combination of white and grey colors. It consists of a white base and a white lid and a grey feeding tray in between. The feeding tray features five slots that are suitable for wet and dry food. This cat food dispenser timer also features a digital timer for programming when the food from four slots will be ready for eating. The lid has an opening big enough to fit one slot from the feeding tray and the other four slots are timed for feeding your cat later.
LCD Screen Displays Feeding Times
The cat food timer feeder is made out of plastic and is easy to keep cleans thanks to the fact that both the feeding tray and the plastic lid are dishwasher safe, which can save you a lot of time. Each of the dive slots has a capacity of 11.5 ounces of food, which should be enough for feeding two cats at the same time. Once you set up the feeding times with the buttons, the LCD screen will display the feeding times on it.
Two Ice Packs Included
The timed cat feeder also comes with two ice packs that help keep the wet food fresh. To ensure that the food doesn’t get spoiled before mealtime, you can put these ice packs into the base underneath the feeding tray. To operate the feeder with a timer, you will need 3 AA batteries. This timed cat feeder for wet food is ideal for when you can’t be home because it will still provide your cat with food at programmed times.
- suitable for dry and wet food
- two ice packs included
- the feeding tray has five food slots
- each slot holds 11.5 ounces of food
Best Slow Feed Pet Feeder With Timer
PetSafe Healthy Automatic Cat and Dog Feeder
Stores 24 Cups Of Dog Food
This timed pet food dispenser comes in black color and features a food hopper and a stainless steel bowl, as well as an LCD screen and buttons for programming the timer. It is designed for storing the food and then dispensing it into the bowl at the bottom of the feeder at scheduled times. The storage area has a capacity of 24 cups of food and is suitable for dispensing semi-moist and dry dog foods.
Schedules 12 Meals In Advance
With the help of this pet food timer feeder, you can schedule 12 meals in advance. It is best suitable for cats and small and medium-sized dogs that need between 1/8 cups and 4 cups of food per meal. The food hopper will keep the food fresh while it is stored, and also keep it away from pests or any other substances that could contaminate the food. There is a clear lid on top of the food container so you can see food levels at a glance so you can know when the container needs to be refilled.
Slow Feeding Option Included
This timed dog and cat feeding bowl will prevent your pet from getting obese because it will only be eating the portions you set for him/her. By scheduling the meals at the same time every day, you will teach your dog to eat at regular times and keep it healthy. This timed dog food dispenser features three feeding settings: slow setting, immediate and pause feeding. The slow feeding option is great for promoting digestive health in dogs because it will dispense food slowly so your dog can’t eat a lot at once.
- 24-cup storage capacity
- meal portions are between 1/8 cups and 4 cups
- it can schedule 12 meals in advance
- dishwasher safe
- three feeding options
Best Automatic Cat Feeder With Timer
Iseebiz Automatic Cat Feeder Food Dispenser
The Hopper Keeps The Food Fresh
This auto cat feeder with timer by Iseebiz consists of a food container, a screen with buttons and a feeding tray at the bottom, situated under a hole for food dispensing. The hopper can keep the food fresh so you can always provide your cat with the best eating experience. The food storage container can hold 3 pounds of food. You can program the time when the food will be dispensed and the amount of food your cat should eat at specific times.
Uses Infrared Technology
After programming the amount of food that needs to be dispensed, the infrared technology will ensure that the food dispensing stops at the right time so the food doesn’t overflow. This automatic cat feeder with a timer can schedule 4 meals per day and every meal can be made up of 1 to 39 food portions. After programming the feeding times and food portions, you can record a voice message 10 seconds long to be played when the food is dispensed. This voice message can call your cat to come and eat its meal.
Keeps Cats Fed When You Are Away From Home
This timed cat feeder can be operated by an adapter or batteries to always make sure your cat can enjoy its meal. The timed self-feeder for cats is great for feeding your feline bestie when you are away from home. If you are traveling or working, you can still keep your cat on its regular meal schedule so that your cat doesn’t stay hungry. It is a healthy habit to feed your cat at the same time every day.
- the hopper holds 3 pounds of food
- the infrared sensor prevents jamming and overflowing
- features a voice message recorder
Best Automatic Dog Feeder With Timer
Wopet Automatic Pet Feeder Food Dispenser
Features 20-Cup Storage Capacity
This automatic dog food dispenser with a timer consists of a food hopper with a covering lid, a screen with buttons and a feeding tray. This auto dog feeder with a timer comes in the combination of white and black colors so it can fit into any kind of house decor. The hopper works with dry food and can hold 20 cups of dog food. The food tray is easily removable and dishwasher safe and the storage container is also removable for easy maintenance and refilling.
Schedules Four Meals Per Day
This automatic dog feeder with a timer allows you to schedule 4 meals per day so that your dog never misses meal time. Each of these meals can be sized anywhere between 2 teaspoons and 4.5 cups, which is perfect for many different dog breeds. The correct food portion will be dispensed at the programmed times from the storage container that has a locking lid to prevent food spoiling. The food is kept fresh and healthy inside this large hopper so you can always provide your dog with the best eating experience.
Dog-Proof LCD Screen
The locking lid also prevents your dog from stealing any extra food from the container, which is especially important if your dog needs to be on a strict diet and is overweight. The LCD screen with buttons is also dog-proof and has a locking setting so that your dog can’t mess up the programmed feeding schedule. This automatic dog food dispenser with a timer can be operated by both an adapter and batteries.
- 20-cup food storage
- programs 4 meals per day
- meals can be sized between 2 teaspoons and 4.5 cups
Best Smart Pet Feeder With Timer
PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Dog and Cat Feeder
Suitable For Cats & Dogs
This smart feeder by PetSafe is suitable for cats and dogs and features a food storage container, a feeding bowl, and a bowl holder. It can be controlled by a smartphone application so you can easily schedule meals for your pet, no matter where you are. The only thing you will need to ensure beforehand is that the storage hopper isn’t empty. You can schedule 12 meals in advance through the app. This automatic pet feeder with a timer is made out of non-harmful plastic material and the food container, the stainless steel bowl, and the bowl holder are all dishwasher safe. This timed pet feeder comes in the combination of black and grey colors and can suit different home designs.
Compatible With iPhone & Android Users
After connecting this timed feeder and food dispenser to Wifi, you can also connect it to your iPhone or Android smartphone. The hopper can hold 24 cups of semi-moist and dry cat or dog food so you don’t have to worry about your pets going hungry when you are working or traveling. You can personalize each meal size to be portioned between 1/8 cups and 4 cups of food.
Battery Back-Up
This automatic pet food dispenser with a timer can be backed up by batteries, so your pet never misses a mealtime, even if there is a power shortage. Another great feature of this automatic timed feeder is the slow feed setting, which is great for pets that eat too fast and too much food at once. The slow option dispenses food over 15 minutes so that your pet can eat the food slowly. When pets are slowly fed, it improves their digestion and reduces bloating.
- dishwasher safe bowl holder, bowl & hopper
- connects to the smartphone app via Wifi
- stores 24 cups of food
- compatible with Android & iPhone
Conclusion: Which Two Timed Feeders & Food Dispensers To Get?
In my opinion, the best two models when it comes to timed pet feeder and timed pet food dispensers are the Petsafe timed feeder and the Cat Mate timer feeder. The Petsafe food timer stores 24 cups of food and can schedule 12 meals in advance with the help of an LCD screen with buttons situated between the feeding stainless steel bowl and a food hopper. Each meal can be sized between 1/8 cups of food and 4 cups of dog dry and semi-moist food. It also features three feeding modes, including a slow feeding option. The Cat Mate model features a digital timer and a feeding tray with five food slots that are suitable for dry and wet cat food. Each slot inside the feeding tray can hold up to 11.5 ounces. This product includes two ice packs that go into the base under the tray to keep the food fresh for longer. Once you set up the feeding times, they will appear on the LCD screen.
To find out more about automatic pet feeders and food dispensers, you can check out my post where I have reviewed many different auto pet bowls. If you wish to learn more about different bowls for food and water, you can read my post about the best pet bowl feeders and waterers available on the market. If you are interested in buying a smart feeder, you can check out my selection of the best smart pet feeders.