|
Rating:  -
We purchased this for our three cats, set to dispense 3/4 of a cup 3 times a day. After watching it dispense, we discovered it dispenses the wrong amount. The 1/4 cup setting dispenses a little more than 1/4 cup, the 1/2 cup setting dispenses nearly 1 cup, and 3/4 cup setting dispenses over 1.5 cups. It's possible that this is because our cat food is pellets that are pretty small, but either way - if you buy this, be sure to check to see how much it's *actually* dispensing!
Rating:  -
We are extremely happy that we purchased this for our cat. It took only 5 minutes to set up. I set it up to serve 1/4 cup twice a day for our 13lb cat. I also tested it, and it really does serve 1/4 cup. I used Hill's Prescription R/D until I read some negative information about the ingredients, so switched to Natural Balance cat food. Both types of food worked perfectly in the automatic feeder. We have had the feeder for a little over a month, and noticed the positive changes immediately (before changing the food). My cat has gone from a 13lb cat that mostly slept, and not much anything else to a playful kitten! She's 8 years old and is acting like a kitten all over again. She also looks like she's lost a little weight. Plus, I don't have to get up at 6am on the weekends to feed her and she doesn't associate us with food. We fed her twice a day everyday, but it would vary by an hour or so before we got the feeder. I guess cats like exact routine because it has made a big difference for her and us!
Rating: -
After reading the reviews here, I purchased the "Linen" color one that is a later model. It was super easy to set up - less than 5 minutes. My cat can't get food out, although she's not aggresive either. She acts like a new cat since I purchased the feeder. Although we fed her at almost the same time everyday, it wasn't the same. She's a cat and likes perfect routine. She has gone from an 13lb cat to playing like a kitten. She looks like she's lost weight, but most of all she's much more playful and HAPPY.
Rating:  -
I won't bore you with all the pros and cons of previous reviews. I have been satisfied with the 4 or 5 times we have used them. Other concerns of DOA or short life can be mitigated by buying from a good company like Amazon. Just to add my experience. I have owned two ( purchased from Amazon )for over a year and have learned to work through the programming issue. We are using them as vacation suppliment feedings for a large and a medium Retriever mix dogs. The small bite Pedigree dog food we use does jam the feeder if you do not manually override the program and let it operate a couple of times before leaving it unattended. It is probably as a result of a few things. First the dispenser vanes are very flimsy plastic for the size pellets. Secondly, the dispenser vanes should be set manually to form a V (looking from the top) before putting the storage bowl on top so that the food does not jam them during it's first turn. Finally do not overfill and squeeze the top on as the compacting of the food doesn't help. The new batteries will last 5-7 days depending on quality. Protect from the elements. We are using them outside but covered by porch and behind x-large dog portable kennel. One last consideration. The amount of food may vary by pellet size so experiment with times and amounts dispensed.
Rating:  -
After looking around for an auto feeder it seemed like they all had some issue, but this had mostly positive reviews so I figured I'd give it a try. I bought two so each of my cats could have one. Unfortunately one of them did not work upon arrival so I sent it back and had a new one sent within a week. A few things to point out based on other reviewers problems.
1. Programming is quite easy if you just follow the instructions, it took me about 2 minutes to have it set up and ready to go.
2. If you attach the container and lid on properly your cat will not be able to get into it.
3. It will only take a day or two for your cat to realize if it sticks its arm up the food chute it can get a piece or two out but it's probably more of a hassle than your cat will want to deal with after a few tries.
4. If you are using normal dry cat food (which is smaller than the 1/2" recommended size on the instructions) the portion control isn't very accurate. I found I had to just set it 1/4 cup smaller than I actually wanted them to have.
Once you figure out a few of the quirks of this product it will work without problems. Both of mine have made my life much easier since the cats know I don't control their food anymore than just sit around until they hear the food being portioned out by the auto feeder.
|
