Pet Feeder, Natural Gravity Feeding Supplies Automatic Dog

The product works very well. The timer allows for 4 feeding times to be triggered and each feeding time can have a customized portion of 1-35 (where 1 portion is about a teaspoon). Started our 14# cat on 2 feeding cycles (5 portions) and have modified it to 4 cycles of reduced portions (4/3/4/3). The programming is very simple, just follow the provided directions. Adding a recorded voice call to tell your pet it's feeding time is a nice plus! (Recorded myself and my wife calling our cat for "chow time".)But I think there is design flaw in how you load the feeder. You twist the "head" slightly to release the locktabs, then turn the "head" over as it acts as the feeder container. However, you need to turn the feeder body upside down to lock it back on to prevent spillage out of the head. Instead, I wish the head had a "cap" that unscrewed to allow you to pour food straight into the bin. The spaceman visor look can be strange too, but it is what it is. I would also prefer if the feeding bowl that receives the dispensed food was shaped a little more convex to continue to gather the food towards the center of the bowl. Our cat tends to push food up and in and it stays there until I pull back with my fingers.We've had it battery-only use for about 2 months now with no problems. I've mixed a small bag of kibble treats ("Greenies") in with previous batches of cat food to help entice our cat to eat at the feeder, but it worked too well!. He started picking out just the Greenies, then coming back later to eat a little of the regular food. When we stopped loading Greenies, he started crying a bit, but is coming around again with the embedded treats.Simplifies pet feeding. We're really glad we got this!UPDATE (3 years later):We can't remember if we've changed the batteries in 3 years of operation. If we have it's been only once. We've gotten over the food loading issue -- just release the head (that contains the food) and place upside-down on top of the unit and add the food. Finally, invert the body of the feeder over the head so capture any remnants of food, then place over the head and rotate. The non-convex feed bowl is not an issue -- I just brush the food back in the center periodically when I pass the dish.We wipe out the feeder bowl each time the unit is refilled for simple cleaning, occasionally using a damp paper towel. We have not yet seen a need to clean the storage bucket head.We are extremely pleased with the unit and our cat alerts us if he needs/wants more food by leading us to the feeder and sitting down. We no longer use the voice recorder as the falling food is enough of a trigger to let the cat know food is available.Very easy to use and adds a lot of convenience. If you feed dry food, this unit is excellent. (Modified to 5-stars)

It's a rare thing when a product actually exceeds expectations, but this is (so far) one such product.We have two cats we have been feeding the old fashioned way for years now, but I had an idea to see if there might be a modern technology method of doing it that would automate the process, ensure set feeding times, and allow fine tuning of portion control.I must have lucked out with this one, because it turns out to work amazingly well.I'll go over some of the features.It has a clock that controls feeding times.It allows up to four separate feeding times, any of which can be switched on or off, with independent times for each that you set yourself, and even independently settable portion sizes for each.You can record a message to get your cat's attention to let him know that it's feeding time if you like.The feeder unit can be powered by either a USB cable/AC adapter (it comes with both parts) with a nice long cable about six to eight feet long that allows it to be positioned with more flexibility, or you can use 3 C cell batteries.A lot of people will wonder why even bother with an electronic feeder when there have been the far simpler gravity-fed automatic feeders for decades now, but keep in mind that it's important to control how much your cat eats, something that can only be done automatically with the electronic feeders.We've been using this for over a month straight now, and both of our cats love it.They come scampering for the kitchen the moment they hear my voice coming through the feeder unit's speaker for a meal.So far, it has been 100% reliable, and it's especially nice being able to set exact feeding times, and the portion control setting is outstanding, allowing surprising precision for how much gets dispensed, even allowing each meal to have a different portion size if that's what is needed.Oh, one more thing for those who are probably wondering, its bin holds almost exactly a gallon's worth (we use a gallon pitcher to refill it) of cat food, which for us is enough to last at least two weeks for both cats.Check it out.

02/15/2020-I would like to update my previous review.I am still pleased with the feeder, however, I would suggest one small upgrade if possible in manufacturing future feeders. If you would replace the black plastic part of the top with a clear or semi-clear section so the pet owner can see how much food remains, it would be very helpful. This is really the only downfall to this item.—————————-I am pleased with automatic feeder. It works well and able to record my voice is a nice touch. I can regulate how much food she gets with each meal. I physically feed my Siamese wet food in the morning. But if I know I’m going to be gone overnight, it’s simple to turn the auto feeder on for her to receive dry breakfast meal. I have the auto feeder set for a snack in the afternoon and dinner size portion of dry food in the evening just in case I’m not home I know she will be fed. The only complaint I have is there is no indication the auto feeder is out of food unless you take cover off. I’m in the process of recording how long a full container lasts so I can mark my calendar that is time to refill. I like that it is AC/DC. If my power goes out, the Battery kicks in.