'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
The best automatic pet feeders for when you're away
Whether your dog's extra pounds have turned into a health hazard or you just keep forgetting to fill the cat food bowl, it's time to invest in an automatic pet feeder to keep your fur babies happy and healthy. Smart feeders help pet owners and pets keep track of when feeding time occurs as well as how much food gets added to their dishes.
Automatic feeders can make sure that your pet gets precisely the allotted amount of food they're supposed to eat daily. Many of the best automatic pet feeders come with smart features, like Wi-Fi connectivity, and some can even handle feeding Fido for over a week before a refill is needed (and if you forget, don't worry -- they will let you know).
We combed through all the best automatic pet feeders on the market, taking into account smart features like Wi-Fi connectivity, number of feeding times, and portion sizes, to find the best ones for all kinds of pet parents.
Also: The best pet cameras
- 2-inch deep stainless steel food tray
- Physical buttons to program feeding times
- Not Wi-Fi friendly
- Tray may be too small for multiple pets
Features: 2-inch deep stainless steel food dish | Backup battery option for power outages (batteries not included) | Two food tank options depending on household size
This Petlibro is the best automatic cat feeder, but it's designed for both cats and small-to-medium-sized dogs. It comes with a 2-inch deep stainless steel food tray for when you need to wash out the bowl, but more importantly, it helps keep kibble in the bowl and not in the surrounding area.
You'll be able to read the time in clear numbers on the screen and program the pet feeder with the physical buttons front and center. The pet feeder can dish out up to nine different portions of food from one to four times per day.
In the event of a power outage, the feeder can use three D-cell alkaline batteries to keep the food going until power is restored. If you have more than one furry friend, it comes in two sizes: 4L and 6L.
- Comprehensive smart app
- Truly customizable feeding plan
- Built-in Desiccant Box
- Doesn't work on 5GHz network
- App can take time to register feedings
- Cannot work without Wi-Fi connection
Features: Up to 15 meals per day for your pet | Up to 20 portion sizes | Comprehensive smart app
The Wopet Automatic Cat Feeder is perfectly suited for cat kibble. It boasts a 4L capacity, can dispense up to 15 meals for your fluffy friends, and can handle up to 20 different mealtimes. Under the lid, you can expect an updated anti-clogging design to keep the food flowing. The machine fits kibble as large as 15mm, making it perfect for most dry food sizes.
Because this is a smart automatic pet feeder with 2.4Gz Wi-Fi-enabled features, you can control everything from the accompanying app. This includes feeding times, portion sizes, and even a 10-second voice recording to alert your furry friends that it's suppertime.
- Easy setup and cleaning
- Built-in camera
- 5GHz and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi compatibility
- Not suitable for larger kibble
- No color night vision
Features: 8 L food tank | 1080p camera with night vision and two-way audio | Wi-Fi app control
Want to up your game with a built-in camera for your pet feeder? Whether you want to be able to call them over when it's dinner time or watch to make sure your fur baby eats their meals, the DoHonest automatic pet feeder will let you check in on the camera from anywhere using your Android or iOS device.
The desiccant on the inside of this smart feeder's lid helps keep food fresh to make pet parents' lives easier, knowing their fur baby remains a happy and healthy pet.
If your pets are used to hearing your voice at mealtimes, you can record your own voice messages and set custom feeding calls to summon them while the feeder dispenses the kibble. With a large, 8 L capacity food tank, this feeder can keep your cats or dogs happy for a few days.
- Touchscreen for programming feedings
- Black plastic design to hide dirt marks
- Adjustable food splitter
- Larger kibbles may not fit
- No Wi-Fi-enabled features
Features: Two stainless steel food bowls | Up to 50 portions per meal | 10-second audio call for pets
With a 5 L capacity and two stainless steel food bowls, this Petlibro automatic pet feeder can feed two cats at the same time (provided they want to share, of course). The black design is great at hiding dirt from messy mouths.
Set one to six meals per day, including up to 50 portions per meal with 20 ml for each portion. If you want to manually reward your cat, you can press a manual feeding button on the touchscreen to dole out an extra portion. Like the Wopet, it features a 10-second audio call to alert your cats that it's time to eat.
As a personal user of this cat feeder, one of the features I really enjoy is the adjustable feeding splitter to allow for different amounts of kibble to flow into each of the two bowls. The splitter will allow the portions to flow into the food bowl depending on your cats' needs. You can also opt for the single bowl model, too.
- Microchip-compatible feeding
- Easy to program and operate
- Easy to clean
- Not designed for larger breeds
- Geared toward cats
- Expensive
Features: Microchip-based signals | Airtight neoprene lid | Battery-operated (batteries not included)
So you've got two different pets with two different diets; the good news is that with the SureFlap SureFeed automatic pet feeder, you can use their microchips to allow certain furry friends to feast when they're hungry. All 9 (Avid Secure), 10 (FDXA), and 15 (FDXB) chips are compatible with the automatic pet feeder.
It uses a plastic covering to ensure that only the pet(s) that you want eating from the food tray will be able to eat from it. The cover lid opens when pets get close and shuts when your designated pet walks away. This makes it easier to control who's eating where and when. To further keep pets out, a neoprene lip seals any food into an airtight space to keep wet food moist and dry food safe. The bowl can hold up to 13.5 fluid ounces of cat food, so you don't have to constantly refill the bowl. It also operates on batteries for ease-of-use.
What is the best automatic pet feeder?
Our pick for the best automatic feeder is the Petlibro Automatic Feeder for cats and small or medium dogs. Its easy-to-understand LCD screen tells you exactly when meal portions will dispense and how many portion sizes will be included with each meal.
It's also easy to program and easy to clean, and it can hold enough kibble that you won't have to worry about your furry friends for some time. It also features a deep stainless steel bowl to make sure the kibble stays in the bowl and not all over your floors.
| Best automatic pet feeders | ZDNET's take | Price | Suitable for | Tank capacity | Connectivity | Extra features |
| Petlibro | Best overall | $56 | Cats and dogs up to 44 lbs | 4 L or 6 L | - | LCD screen, battery backup, 10-second voice recordings |
| Wopet | Best for cats | $59 | Cats | 4 L | 2.4GHz Wi-Fi | Mobile app capability, anti-clogging design, 10-second voice recordings |
| DoHonest | Best with camera | $130 | Cats and dogs | 8 L | 2.4GHz & 5GHz Wi-Fi | Built-in camera, large capacity, battery backup, 10-second voice recording |
| Petlibro for two | Best for multiple pets | $70 | Two cats and/or dogs | 5 L | - | Meal splitter, battery backup, 10-second voice recording |
| SureFlap SureFeed | Best for special diets | $228 | Cats and small dogs | 0.4 L | - | Airtight lid, only opens for compatible microchips |
Which is the right automatic pet feeder for you?
The best automatic feeder for your pets will largely depend on the kind of pet you have, their size, how many meals you'd like to store in them, and your dog's or cat's eating habits. Also consider what extra features are important to you, like a camera or extra bowls.
It's also important to consider how much space you have to devote to an automatic feeder, especially as the sizes vary widely from more compact options like the Wopet to the much larger Petlibro options.
| Choose this automatic pet feeder... | If you want... |
| Petlibro | A large kibble storage tray that can last a long time between refills but still keeps the dry food fresh for your pet. It also lets you record your voice for up to ten seconds, giving a new meaning to a dinner bell. |
| Wopet | A Wi-Fi-enabled pet feeder with a smart app to monitor while you're away. This lets you create and change schedules remotely from your phone so you can rest assured your pet is fed even if your schedule changes. |
| DoHonest | To be able to watch and talk to your pets via the built-in camera. It can also send you real-time notifications to your mobile device for any motion detected near the feeder, so you know when your cat finally decides to finish his food. |
| Petlibro for two | To feed multiple cats or dogs that enjoy eating together. This device also works to feed large dogs that wouldn't typically use an automatic feeder as there's more space for kibble with two bowls. |
| SureFlap SureFeed | To feed a pet with special dietary restrictions. The neoprene lid ensures freshness and restricts access to other pets that you want to keep from accessing any special or prescription food. |
How did we choose these automatic pet feeders?
We combed through hundreds of pet feeders, taking into consideration ease of use, kibble storage size, the number and amount of feedings per day, and more. In our selection, we checked customer reviews as well as smart features like Wi-Fi and microchip connectivity built into the pet feeder.
Additionally, we crosschecked the specs among each one, noting where some of them offered special features like microchipping versus some that were more budget-friendly, no-frills pet feeders while also ensuring your fur children have full bellies.
What should you look for in a pet feeder?
It depends on your needs. Do you want one with Wi-Fi so you can check on your cats' food levels while you're out of town for the weekend? Or perhaps you want one that just dispenses kibble?
In general, you should take into consideration the size of the kibble tank. After all, the larger the tank, the longer the food will last. One of the most important features, however, is the kibble sizing. You want to make sure the pet feeder you choose can fit the size of your chosen kibble.
Other factors to consider are how many times you want to feed your pet during the day. If they require small, frequent meals, then more feedings built into the software is best. However, if they don't require a lot of feedings, one that operates more than four times per day may not be the best choice for you.
How do you set up an automatic pet feeder?
It depends on the pet feeder you purchase. Each automatic pet feeder comes with instructions in either a pamphlet or a guide book. Be sure to read through the instructions very carefully.
If you're still unsure how to set it up after reading the instructions, you can also google how to set up the automatic feeder of your choice.
What is the purpose of an automatic pet feeder?
An automatic feeder ensures that your fur baby gets fed at regularly-timed intervals. Say, for example, you have a small dog that gets fed at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily, but you're delayed by that missed commuter train. An automatic feeder can make sure that your dog still gets his dinner.
It works the same way if you decide to go on a weekend trip. While we don't recommend leaving your pet unchecked, if your trip gets delayed, you can focus on getting home safely while knowing your cat has food, water, and a litter box while you're away.
Are there any alternatives worth considering?
Yes; we linked a few below that are definitely worth considering for your pets.
BEST SMART AUTOMATIC DISPENSER ALTERNATIVE
Papifeed automatic dispenser
This Papifeed automatic dry food dispenser can hold up to 6 L of kibble, has Wi-Fi connectivity, dual power supply, and a stainless steel bowl.
BEST PROGRAMMABLE SMALL FEEDER
Petory Timed Automatic Cat Feeders
The Petory is a timed feeder perfect for cats and small dogs.
BEST COMPACT FEEDER ALTERNATIVE
Voluas Automatic feeder
This dry food dispenser doesn't have Wi-Fi connectivity, but it does feature a battery backup so your fur babies stay fed even if your home loses power.