It also comes with a stainless steel bowl, so it’s less likely to trap bacteria that could cause chin acne. It keeps semi-moist food from spoiling for longer than the competition, too. This model’s hopper holds more kibble than most, up to 24 cups, and since it's translucent, you can easily see how much is left. It’s easy to program (although slightly more difficult than our main pick, the PetSafe 5-Meal Automatic Pet Feeder) and harder to tip over than most of the feeders we looked at. The PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder is the best set-and-forget dispenser feeder we found, though it still has major drawbacks.

Wi-Fi outage protection: For smart feeders, I turned off the Wi-Fi connection in my home to see if each one still dispensed the programmed feedings without a signal.ĭispenser feeders are great if you have a pet that doesn't need strict portion control, and if you like the idea of filling the dispenser only every few weeks.

Power outage protection: I connected dispensers that required a power adapter to a surge protector, and then turned off the surge protector to see which feeders retained their programmed settings.

The fresh test: I added wet and semi-moist food to the dispensers that supported them and observed how fresh they kept the food over 24 hours.

Ease of cleaning: I followed the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions and noted any challenges associated with cleaning each dispenser.

I tested four dry-kibble labels, two semi-moist varieties, and one wet-food brand: Meow Mix Original Choice, Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused, Pedigree Adult, Hill's Science Diet Adult Oral Care, Purina Moist & Meaty, Purina Beneful Healthy Weight, and Fancy Feast Medleys, respectively.

Kibble compatibility and dispensing accuracy: I tested how easily and accurately each model dispensed pet food of different sizes, shapes, and moisture content.

Stability: I took a 10-pound bag of rice and banged it against each feeder to see if it would stay upright when attacked by a hungry pet.I also tried breaking into them myself by using my fingers and various kitchen utensils. Pet-proofing: After filling each feeder with kibble, I unleashed my cat and dog on them to see if they could easily steal kibble from the hopper or spout.

Ease of use: I followed the manufacturer’s instructions to assemble and program each feeder, and I noted how intuitive each system was.

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