? Timed feeder questions

I found this thread but have some more questions: http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/7-1-peyton-ambg-4-64-otj-trial-day-8.121121/#p1262140

I am looking to get a timed feeder for my cat and was looking at the Cat Mate C20 and Petsafe 5 compartment feeder. Neither seems exactly what I would like. I would like to feed him at +2 or +3 but the Cat Mate C20 seems to have a 4 hour minimum timer. The Petsafe 5 compartments seem small and we wouldn't need 5 different meals. I like the 2 compartments on the C20. The Petsafe 5 also doesn't have an ice pack spot to keep wet food fresh like the C20 does.

I was about to buy the Cat Mate C20 until I saw the timer minimum.

Does anyone else have any other recommendations or better info on these feeders? What does everyone else here use and do you like it?

Thanks

 

You can still use the Petsafe 5....you just don't put any food into the compartments you don't want to feed at.

A lot of people either freeze their food into "foodsicles" (by adding water and freezing in ice cube trays) or add an ice cube on top of the wet food to both add extra water and keep the food fresher

 

I just bought the Petsafe 5 compartment feeder and used it for the first time last night. I like it so far (based on only the one try). I put cat food in the fridge for a few hours beforehand in order to ensure it was cold when I loaded the feeder (no full meal amounts, just snacks). I set it to rotate every 2 hours, and 90% of the food had been eaten when I checked this morning. I also like that it`s easy to clean.

I know there are many others who use auto feeders and have a lot more experience than I do -- I purchased this feeder based on info I read on this site -- the experienced members will no doubt be along throughout the day with lots of good info for you.

 

I have found that if you prefix your header with the question mark, it seems to draw people's attention to your posting. Just go to thread tools, edit title, and there's a drop down menu entitled 'no prefix', in the drop down menu is a ?, 911, or GA. Use the ? if you have a question, the 911 if you have an emergency, and the GA is for reporting that a kitty has gone ahead to the Rainbow Bridge.
P.S. I had a scare with my kitty the other night, and used the 911 -- help was on the way within minutes. This forum is EXCELLENT!!!

 

I too have the petsafe 5 feeder, and I think it has been great. I even got a 2nd one recently. On amazon it was just 29.97 this time, it had dropped 7$ from the first one I got back in Feb. It does actually have a compartment on the bottom to hold an ice pack, but it's fairly shallow, so you might have to use those soft cube like freezy packs. so far, I have just used refrigerated canned food w/ water and it's not been out more than a few hours (feeding w/in the first few hours after shot) so freshness I don't think is too much of an issue.

My only complaint is that the only way to shut it off is to take out the batteries. You can clear out the timed feedings and then it won't rotate, but you have to reset the program. Most reviews said the batteries last a long time. We shall see...It takes 4 D size.

I did also read reviews that said some cats are smart/determined enough to push the tray around to get at the next meal. My guy so far has not figured that out and so it's been working great for us.

 

Wrigley like to eat off plates instead of bowls. It seems he eats better in shallow dishes. The petsafe 5 seems pretty deep with smaller compartments. Is that true? It is tough telling from the pictures.

He also eats better when his food is room temp vs when it has been in the fridge. I don't think we would use this more than 3-5 hours from his shot so I guess an ice pack isn't that big of a deal to me.

 

Yes, the compartments are somewhat deep, definitely more bowl-like than plate, but that doesn't seem to bother my Oren. He perches near the machine waiting for it to go off! Or he goes running when he hears it if he's in another room.

 

I just bought the petsafe 5 feeder from Amazon. I should have it in two days. That one seems to get the most talk and best reviews. Thanks for the information and recommendations.