The Best Automatic Cat Feeders

This automatic feeder has an HD camera with a 140-degree viewing angle, infrared night vision, two-way audio with customizable meal calls, and a dual hopper, which allows you to store and dispense two different types of food (5 liters total), depending on your pets' needs. Through the connected app, you can customize and set feeding schedules from the two separate tanks, give snacks, and watch the feeder from your phone. Plus, the camera uses AI to automatically analyze the remaining food in the bowl, and the feeder will stop dispensing to prevent overfeeding.

I love that the dual hopper can store different types of dry kibble and freeze-dried food, and dispense separately—a great bonus for pets with differing dietary needs. The crystal-clear video feed allows you to monitor your pets anytime, the app compiles highlights from pets' visits you can review, and you can even download and share footage. Although this pick is similar to our top pick, the connected Petkit app isn't as reliable or easy to use as Petlibro's app.

Can be used with cats or dogs.

This automatic feeder doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but it's a solid, inexpensive dual feeder. There’s an app where you can customize feeding plans of up to six meals a day, each meal being 1/12 of a cup. But it also has a knob on the front to plan meals if you don't want to use the app. You can also record a 10-second meal message to play before mealtimes. It can be plugged in or run on four AA batteries in case of power outage, for extra peace of mind. I love that the bowls are almost a foot away from each other to give more space for my greedy cats, and the hygienic stainless steel inserts can be removed for easier cleaning. The app is very bare-bones and could use work, but this dual feeder worked reliably, and I consider it a great deal at this price point.

Can be used with cats or small dogs.

This automatic feeder features dual storage, a built-in camera, two-way audio, and a connected app for scheduling and on-demand feeding. It’s AI-enabled to differentiate between pets and identify their behavior. Setup is super easy and takes only a few minutes; then you’ll need to upload pictures of your cats for their profiles and set up customized feeding plans for up to three pets, in increments of ⅛ of a cup. In theory you can create customizable feeding plans for each pet, but there’s no way to ensure each cat is getting their own portions and not stealing the others'. Plus, you can’t just set up a general daily plan; you have to set a schedule for each individual pet.

The AI didn’t distinguish and label my cats in the videofeed, which I found odd, but did identify and log behaviors it recorded, like feeding, napping, and walking. Through the app, you can watch highlights and activity logs, communicate via speaker, and feed on demand. It was cool to be able to watch past video feeds and see the labels AI creates based on observed behaviors, but the promised custom, individualized feeding plans underdeliver.

Can be used with cats or small dogs.

I was super pleasantly surprised by this relatively affordable automatic feeder. It has a scale in the bottom of the stainless steel bowl, which makes sure your pet is getting the exact right amount of food. It'll even alter how much it dispenses based on how much is left in the bowl, ensuring your pet isn't overeating. The feeder has anti-jam technology, low food detection sensors, and a backup battery in case of power failure.

From the app, you can schedule and alter feedings with an optional meal call recording, and it logs when and how much your pet has eaten. This is super helpful to better track and understand your cats' eating habits. But because I have two cats, the tracking feature isn't as reliable, as the feeder doesn't know which cat was eating when it logs. For that reason, some of the cooler aspects of monitoring feedings with this feeder work best for single-pet homes.

Can be used with cats or small dogs.

For this feeder, the pet wears a collar with a tag in which the feeder’s lid opens only with that tag. The sensor in the pad in front will be activated, the stainless steel food bowl (which is removable for washing and is dishwasher safe)is uncovered, and the cover will retract over the kibble when the cat leaves, ensuring that only the chosen pet with the collar can access the food. Through the app, you can create up to 10 feeding schedules whose amounts can be modified anytime, including on-demand feeding. The automatic lid is customizable too, as you can switch on the app to leave the lid in “open mode” or adjust how long the lid stays open after your pet walks away from it.

Overall, I think this is a nearly perfect device for a particular kind of pet owner. I think it works best for a cat in a dog home where the owner doesn’t want the dog getting into the cat’s food, if each pet in the home has a One RFID feeder, if one particular cat has special dietary needs, or if you have a multi-cat home with an aggressive eater. In these cases, I truly think this product would be a life-changer. (If you get a One RFID for each pet, it’s recommended that you space them at least 10 inches apart to avoid any interference.)

Can be used with cats or very small dogs.

This expensive, tech-y automatic feeder has buttons on the interface and an app where you control feeding schedules and food amounts, including monitoring levels to make sure there is enough (it alerts you via app and a light on top of the feeder if the food levels are low). I love how customizable meals are: You can set multiple schedules for different days of the week, and it dispenses anywhere from one-eighth of a cup to half of a cup of food. It also has gravity mode, where the feeder checks levels every six hours and dispenses food automatically if the bowl is empty.

The app is intuitive and easy to use with customizable settings, and it also tracks every time a cat is fed. Although the plastic food bowl is food-safe and BPA-free, plastic is still prone to harboring bacteria and I’d prefer stainless steel. (Whisker has a stainless steel ($20) insert or glass bowl insert ($30)). I can’t really find any faults in this feeder—it has worked perfectly and just feels sleek and elevated.

Can be used with cats or small dogs.