Automatic Pet Feeder with Recordable Message Review & Tips for Using Automatic Feeders
I talk to so many people whose pets, much to their displeasure, wake them up very early morning. This seems to be especially true for cat owners who are often awoken to a hungry meow or even a swat on their nose. I tell the owners to purchase an automated feeder to keep their cats occupied and buy a little more human snooze time!
I also hear from dog owners who feel guilty that their dogs are home alone. They provide toys and treats but their owners are worried that their dog gets bored after a few hours. I also tell then to use an automated pet feeder and portion their daily diet out in several dog feeds.
Until now, I had never tried an automatic pet feeder myself. Time to try one for my hungry cat clan!
This Automated Pet Feeder was simple to set up and instructions easy to follow. (Remember to buy the batteries if you need to start using immediately.) You can program up to 4 feeding sessions a day and set the amount of food you wish to be released. You can also record a message for your pets.
Here are my 3 cats with their first experience of the automated pet feeder…
Tips for using the automatic pet feeder
Voice recording: It seemed logical to me to record myself calling my cats’ names to encourage them to come to the feeder. This worked at first. As they got used to the sound of the machine starting up, however, they were right by it’s side long before my voice called their names! So after a while it might be best just to record a conversational piece for your pet.
Keep it away from your sleeping area: This machine is not quiet. It whirs, it rattles and it spits out food – noisily. During daytime, this is irrelevant. In the middle of the night, it will wake you up, if the running of the cats doesn’t! Your pet may take a little time to get used to the noise (noise-sensitive pets may even be freaked out!) but the delivery of food is a reinforcer enough to quickly learn to accept this machine.
Improve your pet’s diet: I have found a significant increase in my cats’ excitement over dry food. I used to run to the pantry when my cats were hungry, get out the dry food and almost see the look of disappointment on their faces. “Can we have wet food please?” faces. Now they love the whirring of the machine and run to scoff dry biscuits. A good way to get nutritious food into your pet.
Don’t rely on automated feeding only: Imagine if you ran out of food, or batteries, or the mechanism stuck. Your poor pets would starve. I have no evidence of this happening. So far, all has run smoothly for me but I would hate for anyone to rely on this feeder alone while they go on holiday. Use this feeder as a supplementary feeding system, not the only feeder.
The machine, however, does hold a tremendous amount of food so even the largest appetites will be catered for. It could create trouble in multi-pet households where there is competition over food, so be sure to supervise your pets until they are used to this type of feeding.
Feed your bond and improve your bond: There is no doubt that our pets love their food and, as a behaviourist, I encourage everyone to use this to their advantage. Your dogs want to please you and most will do anything for food. Even cats love feeding time. Use food time as an opportunity to interact. Do not rely on an automated feeding machine for all your food delivery.
Think I might try this device with my chickens next!
Summary
I liked this automatic pet feeder and will continue to use it with my pets.
Availability of the Automated Pet Feeder
This automated pet feeder and many other pet feeders are available online, in Australia, through CrazySales.com.au.