The control panel is easy to use, and allows you to programme the feeder to open at 4 different times. You can also pre-record a voice message of up to8 seconds which plays when the feeder opens, to let your pet know it is dinner time. The feeder will remain open until the next feeding time, which lets your pet eat at their own pace, but still receive meals on a regular schedule. MiBowl ® comes with removable portion-protecting clips as standard - providing an extra shield for small cats, kittens and smaller dogs.

Some determined cats canlift the cover quite easily, or get their paw into the gap and “steal” food from the next serving Each feeding compartment can hold up to 450g of wet food, which is larger than many other cat feeders. Eachtray is controlled by its own battery-powered timer which can be set to open the lid at any time up to 48 hours ahead. The feeder requires a single AA battery, which should last for around 1 year. However this feeder does not have any sort of low-battery indicator so you will need to make a note of when you should replace it.

Microchip Сat Feeders Compared

Pet Mate is a well-known brand, and this particular model has been around for a while and is very popular. 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.

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.

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. Ultimately, though, you get what you pay for, and the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect is superbly designed. While it isn’t exactly a must-have, you may well end up wondering how you got by without it.