No one wants their pets to go hungry, but unfortunately humans can’t always be home to feed their cats on time. Want to find out how you can make sure your cat doesn’t go hungry without giving up your day job and becoming a hermit? Read on!
Automatic Food Dispenser
Automatic food dispensers (or pet feeders) are devices which help you feed your pets when you can’t be physically with them.
You pop the food into the dispenser, set a schedule for when the meals will be available for your cat (some dispensers do this at regular intervals, others let you set your own schedule), and then leave for the day.
The food dispensers often come with a sealed front which will open when it’s time for your pet to eat.
There are a few things you’ll want to look out for when buying a cat food dispenser.
LCD Display
You don’t to waste time faffing around with some confusing, archaic machine when you’re late for work. Many food dispensers come with easy to use LCD display which allows you to program meal times in advance.
Water
It’s important that your cat stays hydrated, so you may want to look for a food dispenser which also dispenser water.
You may want t find one with an adjustable design that allows you to rotate and move the water bottle so it can be reached by pets of different sizes.
Capacity
Your pet food dispenser should specify how many meals it can serve. If you’re going to be out for a long period of time, you’ll need a food dispenser that can hold enough meals so your pet doesn’t go hungry. This is especially important if you’re feeding more than one pet.
Microchip Capacity
If you have more than one cat and one is greedier/more dominant than the other you’ll probably be worried that one of your cats will steal the others dinner.
Luckily, some food dispenser manufacturers have considered this and have included microchip or RFID collar tag identification which you can program to only open for a specific animal and close when that animal moves away.
This will ensure that no one goes hungry. It also makes sure the food stays fresh as the container will close when the animal moves away.
Ice Packs
You want your pet to eat fresh, healthy food, so you won’t want to leave their dinner stewing at room temperature all day. Some food dispensers come with ice packs that help keep the food fresh and tasty.
Dishwasher Friendly
After a long day the last thing you’ll want to do is spend your spare time scrubbing cat food bowls, so luckily a lot of food dispensers come with wipe-clean and/or dishwasher friendly bowls for a quick, hassle free clean up.
Heavy Duty & Anti-Skid
Food dispensers are no good if they fall everywhere. It’s a good idea to find a model that is heavy duty, can’t be easily pushed about and will stand its ground if your pets decide to attack it.
Voice recorder
Some food dispensers come with a voice recorder so you can record a personal message to let your pets know it’s feeding time (and stop them feeling lonely).
Warranty
Food dispensers are not particularly expensive, but you don’t want to be stuck with a dud model if it breaks quickly.
Products that come with a warranty are always reassuring because it shows that the manufacturer has faith in the product and is so sure it won’t break down that they are willing to pay up if it does!
