Can anyone recommend an autofeeder for kittens please?

MrsManda

Hi,
I have two kittens, about 4 months old and I'm going to a wedding in a few weeks so need to leave the kittens overnight. Does anyone have any recommendations for an autofeeder, preferrably with five meals which is not easy to break into?

Hi, I've done a search of the forums but though I could find people mentioning using autofeeders I can't seem to find any recommendations.

thanks in advance

MrsManda

morg_monster

I would recommend the Catmate C50, we have this for our 2 and despite determined efforts they have not broken into it yet after many times of use. We use it when we want a lie in and also when we know we're going out straight after work, as well as for weekends away. It has 5 compartments which are quite roomy and also ice packs so you can leave wet food down and it'll keep it cool for a little while (you could also freeze wet food in the compartments). Most usual cost seems to be about £40. Easy to clean the parts that get dirty from food.
One thing to note is that the first compartment is already open, so really you are only getting 4 future meals. You can get feeders with a different design, where lids pop up, so you get the full number of compartments to use for future meals, but I feel there's more mechanical parts to go wrong with those.

Edit - just wanted to add, make sure you do a test run with the feeder so you are 100% sure about how it works, before you leave!! Also, when you are filling up the compartments, lock the cats out of the room...

MrsManda

morg_monster wrote: »

I
Edit - just wanted to add, make sure you do a test run with the feeder so you are 100% sure about how it works, before you leave!! Also, when you are filling up the compartments, lock the cats out of the room...

Thanks, that's why we want to get one over the next few days so we can try it out a few times before we have to leave them. I lock the girls out of the room when I'm filling up their bowl for normal feeding timeotherwise I get mobbed and end up either standing on one or tripping up spilling food everywhere

Lil_Me_2

I WOULDN'T recommend any "digital" ones. We bought one that had an electronic display and at the set time the flap opened up. The flaps weren't solid enough to stop my (then) 6 month old kitten lifting the lid with one paw and scooping the food out with the other. We've since bought one with the circular timers that use a simple lock that opens up when the timer rotates to the right place, much more solid. It's a catmate one so I'd bet the 5 feeder one would be good! We have the 2 feeder.

spookylukey

I think the five feeder CatMate C50 one only opens up one segment at a time though so if you have one greedy kitten the other one gets nothing.

The two feeder CatMate C20 is cat proof and you can open both sides up at the same time, but you need to tape the battery in as any pushing around/vandalism of the feeder knocks the battery out and they go hungry It's a bit tricky to get both sides to open at exactly the same time but a minute either way should mean both cats get to eat!

The Staywell PetPod (digital) is NOT cat proof, the lid is easily lifted up with minimal effort and both breakfasts are devoured by one cat minutes after I put the feeder down at night

Owain_Moneysaver

Two separate feeders in separate rooms, opening almost simultaneously, should mean that each kitten gets a feed, if they've learnt to run to the feeder when it clicks open.

But 4-month-old little kitties ... can't you find someone to come in and feed then, sit and watch the Tv with them for a little while, and tuck them up to bed with their blankie and a story?

cyberbob

morg_monster wrote: »

I would recommend the Catmate C50, we have this for our 2 and despite determined efforts they have not broken into it yet after many times of use. We use it when we want a lie in and also when we know we're going out straight after work, as well as for weekends away. It has 5 compartments which are quite roomy and also ice packs so you can leave wet food down and it'll keep it cool for a little while (you could also freeze wet food in the compartments). Most usual cost seems to be about £40. Easy to clean the parts that get dirty from food.
One thing to note is that the first compartment is already open, so really you are only getting 4 future meals. You can get feeders with a different design, where lids pop up, so you get the full number of compartments to use for future meals, but I feel there's more mechanical parts to go wrong with those.

Edit - just wanted to add, make sure you do a test run with the feeder so you are 100% sure about how it works, before you leave!! Also, when you are filling up the compartments, lock the cats out of the room...

Another vote for the catmate. We have 4 of them (we have 6 cats). The compartments hold a good amount of food and the ice packs keep it cool. Easy to clean and when it moves it doesn't freak the cats out.