A pet cat or dog is a responsibility—you have to feed it regularly, or it will get sick. It takes some time out of your busy schedule, and it is more problematic if you will go on a vacation and there is no one you can turn to help you out.
The good thing is that today, we now have smart cat and dog feeders. These feeders are automated, so you can program them to drop food and water. Kitty will no longer get hungry and thirsty even if you are not around.
But what should you buy? Today, I will show you the five best smart cat feeders that are surely worth your money.
1. PetSafe Smart Cat Feeder
This pet feeder is enabled with pairing with Alexa. It means that if you have Alexa on your device, you can tell the phone to feed the cat as you wish. The feeder also works with the Amazon Echo device. If you are in your room and there is an Amazon Echo speaker in there, you can tell Alexa to feed the cat. 
Here are the features of the feeder:
- Feed anytime from your phone even if you are not at home
- The app is compatible with iOS and Android
- Personalize your pet’s meals
- Flexible food drops between 1/8 cup and up to 4 cups
- Has an optional battery backup; even if your WiFi stops working, it will still drop food
- Safe for use in a dishwasher
With this feeder, you can schedule up to 12 meals for your dog or your cat. There is also a “Feed Now” option where you can feed the cat on top of what is already scheduled. Note that this is only for indoor use. The feeder is made of plastic. You will also have access to customer care over the phone if you need help.
2. SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder
This one is not connected via the internet, and it has no apps. However, it is still a smart feeder because it uses RFID. Your if you buy this, your pet will have an RFID collar, which will communicate with feeder.
Here are the features:
- Prevents stress at mealtimes
- Pets will be healthier because you control the portions
- Helps save money because you will not overfeed, especially for prescription foods
- Can hold wet or dry food
- The lid uses neoprene to lock the food moisture
- Has microchip compatibility
This one works with several types of microchips like the Avid Secure, FDXA, and the FDXB. You can get a microchip number from your vet if you do not have one yet.
The great thing about this device is that it can store up to 32 different microchip IDs. What this means is that it can be programmed to distribute food only when the specific pet’s ID is in range. If you have two cats, one cat will not get food if it gets close to the feeding device that is not his.
Every unit only has one collar tag. Ideally, you should buy one unit for each pet. This way, the cats will not stress out fighting over each other’s meal.
3. Petcube Bites Pet Camera
This is one of the best that money can buy. Not only is it a smart feeder, but it also comes with a camera. You can watch your pets eat while you are away.
Here are the features:
- Connects with Wifi
- Video quality is 1080p
- Has an ultra-wide-angle view and a night vision
- You can zoom in up to 4 times
- You can also hear your pet and speak via the camera; it has a two-way audio
- Easy to set up and works fast at 2.4Ghz
With this device, you can monitor your pets even if you are away. It is up to you to toss a treat to your pet at any time you wish. The device is compatible with at least iOS 11. For Android, you must have at least the 7.1.2 version.
The device is not only used for giving treats. You can use it to schedule a meal and it is going to dispense the meal at your chosen interval. It can only dispense dry foods.
Another thing I want to point out is that it has a motion sensor alert. It will send the alert on your phone, and it will let you know that the pet is around.
4. Wagz Smart Feeder
This is probably the most expensive of smart feeders. It has a video feature, plus you can set feeding schedules.
Here are the features:
- You will get a free subscription to the system for 90 days
- If you get the Plus plan, you will have video updates about your pet and you can also do live streaming
- Create a feeding schedule on your phone while you are away
- Feed your cat no matter where you are
- Interact with your pet while on the go
- Can be integrated with Alexa
- You can control the portion of the food dispensed
- It has a collar feeder
This feeder is easy to clean because the feeder dish is removable. It is safe for dishwasher use. it is ideal for dog feeds, but not for cats. However, it can also accommodate dry cat foods that have the same texture as dog foods. It cannot be used for wet foods.
5. Portion Rx
This one is so popular that it is out of stock most of the time in Amazon. It is ideal for any household—it does not matter if you have a single or multiple pets.
Here are the features:
- Prevents food-stealing
- Uses a patented RFID system
- Has portion control to prevent obesity
- You can manage prescription diets for your pets
- The RFID system has a longer range than other microchips
- The feeder can hold up to 32 cups
You can only use this for dry food. You can schedule up to 6 meals per day. If you buy this feeder, you will get that plus one RFID tag. You can buy more tags if you want to, and then dispense the food from a single feeder only.
Ideally, you must have one feeder per pet. This way, the food will not dispense if the RFID tag does not match the feeder. What’s great about this is that you can save on money. Since you know the portion control, you will not overfeed your pet, especially if it has to eat based on prescription.
Summary: Best Smart Pet Feeders
Smart feeders are the boon of cat and dog owners. The cats and dogs know where to get food, and there is no way you will forget to feed your cat.
The ones I reviewed here can mostly be used for both cats and dogs, except for one that is best used for dogs only.
Just remember that feeders, by design, can only feed one cat. If your cats are willing to share, then you have no problem. But if they are fighting, you may need to get two or more depending on the number of your cats.
Also, smart cat feeders are mainly designed for dry foods. Kitty will not be able to eat wet foods while you are away.