PawsPik Automatic Microchip RFID Cat Feeder, 16-cup

All three cats have taken to these quickly. Being able to monitor their feedings via the app has been helpful in making adjustments to times and amounts served throughout the day and night. Having individual feeders also makes it easier to tell if they aren’t feeling well based on how much they are or aren’t eating. I also like being able to put their afternoon and bedtime treats in their individual bins as well. The ability to give an extra feeding at the touch of a button if they have a day here and there where they’re more active and thus eating more is great. The reservoir and battery backup are also nice because we don’t have to worry about inclement weather preventing the pet sitter from making a visit, or taking our power out while we’re away. ****Using the feeder helped our cat that needed to lose weight finally do so and now she’s no longer limping and is jumping around and playing again! Thank you for this excellent feeder option that suited all of our needs.

I was so hopeful this was going to be the perfect solution for my cat who needs small, consistent portions and is on a prescription food my other cats cannot eat. Unfortunately, it does not work for my household. The microchip reader works inconsistently due to the design; my cat is on the taller side, and it is difficult for him to get low enough or far enough into the feeder to trigger the sensor, and it only recognizes him and opens about 25 percent of the time. It has an open mode that allows it to remain open but closes when non-paired pets with microchips try to use it, and while this worked initially, my other cat figured out he can still reach his arm in and snag food without triggering the sensor. The company was initially responsive, but after much back and forth, determined the feeder was working as it is supposed to and blamed my cat’s microchip - despite his chip working perfectly with microchip devices from other manufacturers. Also, note for those who also have Sure Petcare products in their household; it interferes with other RFID readers. We have two short SureFlap feeders that have worked flawlessly to date and stopped working when we plugged the PawsPik feeder in. They worked again when placed on opposite ends of the house, but it is very inconvenient to be unable to feed in the same room or space due to competing signals. I’ll likely try again if they come out with a second generation with a better design, as a microchip-based portion feeder is such a great solution for multi-cat households with specific dietary needs. However, this version missed the mark.

If your cat will wear a collar you won’t have an issue as the feeder reads the collar very quickly. My cat won’t. I had to go and get him a microchip and showed them the placement. It looked like they did what this company recommends. He is however, a big cat so the feeder won’t read his chip unless his head is IN the bowl. This means I can only use the setting that leaves the door open, allowing my other cat to get in a lot easier. It reads her microchip 25% of the time and will close the door on her. Really bummed about it as I’ve been waiting so long for a company to come out with a timed feeder that reads microchips. They just need a more sensitive reader or to add some to the sides or something.