PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Programmable Dog & Cat Feeder, 24-cup

I really wanted to love this food dispenser, but I just couldn't. I used to have the Petnet feeder, but the company went out of business. It was a fantastic automatic dispenser (sorry to the competition!). So I decided to get this one, and for me, the biggest problem I had was getting it program. Every time I made a mistake in the setup - and I did make a few - I couldn't backup and fix my mistake. I wound up having to pull the batteries out, clear the settings, and start completely over. Now, maybe I totally missed something in the directions, but it was so infuriating I almost returned it. However, I needed a feeder so I decided to stick it out and keep trying. It is now set up for 3 feedings I really wanted to love this food dispenser, but I just couldn't. I used to have the Petnet feeder, but the company went out of business. It was a fantastic automatic dispenser (sorry to the competition!). So I decided to get this one, and for me, the biggest problem I had was getting it program. Every time I made a mistake in the setup - and I did make a few - I couldn't backup and fix my mistake. I wound up having to pull the batteries out, clear the settings, and start completely over. Now, maybe I totally missed something in the directions, but it was so infuriating I almost returned it. However, I needed a feeder so I decided to stick it out and keep trying. It is now set up for 3 feedings. My old Petnet could dispense a feeding as small as a 1/16th of a cup - this one only goes down to 1/8th. I also had no way of being sure the food was being dispensed at first - ie, if I set it up right initially. I had to be home one day to watch it, and turns out it wasn't working and my poor cat didn't get his food like he was expecting. All in all, I found this to be a pretty basic dispenser, nothing special, but it'll do for now. … more

I got this about two weeks ago. I decided to get the power cord as well so I could use both electric and the battery back up (it is clear in the description that the power cord and batteries are not included, at least at the time I ordered). I set it up to test and make sure it worked a few days ahead of a short trip I had planned. I followed the instructions for programming and as long as you do, the programming is easy. The first morning it made a noise but did not dispense food. That was my fault, I did not thoroughly read that part of the instructions and did not do the step to load the conveyor belt. I'm also not sure I checked to ensure the conveyor lock was in the correct spot. I got this about two weeks ago. I decided to get the power cord as well so I could use both electric and the battery back up (it is clear in the description that the power cord and batteries are not included, at least at the time I ordered). I set it up to test and make sure it worked a few days ahead of a short trip I had planned. I followed the instructions for programming and as long as you do, the programming is easy. The first morning it made a noise but did not dispense food. That was my fault, I did not thoroughly read that part of the instructions and did not do the step to load the conveyor belt. I'm also not sure I checked to ensure the conveyor lock was in the correct spot. Once that was taken care of, it has worked perfectly since! So my biggest advice is to thoroughly follow all the instructions. It can be easy to gloss over parts when we think we have got it. I also measured how much it is dispensing a couple times to be sure it was accurate and both times it seems very close to the measurement I selected. At least as close as if I were scooping by hand but my Cat can't charm it in to heaping a little more. It seems fairly tamper proof and my Cat has not managed to get anything extra out of it (I'm not sure it would hold up against a very determined Dog though). I'm very pleased with it so far. Oh, and I also tested it to see if it will switch to battery if it loses power and it does. There is an indicator on the display that tells you whether it is using the plug or battery and it was clear it switched. I have chosen to leave it on after my trip so he will always get fed at the same time. … more

I was on the fence about this for months. Finally it went on sale (probably because of the newer model) and I took the leap. So glad I did! I have a very food motivated Lab who thinks he might die of hunger at ~5:30 a.m. Now he gets breakfast using the slow feeder option which doles it out over about 15 minutes, giving him something to do while I get to stay in bed like a normal, reasonable human being. This model doesn't connect to the internet, order its own refills, or tell my phone anything about its day. I'm fine with that. It was not intuitive to program (which just means I actually had to read the manual, but the directions were easy to follow) and the food clanged loudly into the metal I was on the fence about this for months. Finally it went on sale (probably because of the newer model) and I took the leap. So glad I did! I have a very food motivated Lab who thinks he might die of hunger at ~5:30 a.m. Now he gets breakfast using the slow feeder option which doles it out over about 15 minutes, giving him something to do while I get to stay in bed like a normal, reasonable human being. This model doesn't connect to the internet, order its own refills, or tell my phone anything about its day. I'm fine with that. It was not intuitive to program (which just means I actually had to read the manual, but the directions were easy to follow) and the food clanged loudly into the metal bowl provided. But it works great! It dispenses kibble and allows me to sleep past 5:30 am. The slow feeder is a great option. I also like that the portions are perfectly measured, so I don't have to worry about other members of my household thinking "the dog looks so hungry" and giving him too much food at a time. If you're considering it, get it. Your pet will quit nagging you and there will be peace and happiness in the house! … more

I slept until 8:00 both mornings last weekend thanks to this feeder. I had to shut off the slow feed feature for now, because the noise of the conveyor spooked the cats while they were eating, but plan to try it again once they're more comfortable with it. The only trouble we're having is that the food builds up in a pile underneath the dispenser, and our cats don't like to try to eat from underneath the dispenser. It would be nice if it was inclined somehow to let the food fall toward the front of the dish.

I was a little nervous after reading some reviews saying that set up was difficult but the directions are very clear and there shouldn't be any issues as long as you follow them. My older cat has to be fed 6 small meals a day because of stomach issues so it's great that the feeder can be set to 1/8 of a cup. My cats were a little skittish at first because the feeder does make a little sound right before it dispenses the food but it has been a few weeks now and they both have the schedule memorized and sit by the feeders waiting for their food.

You will need 4 D batteries or the power adaptor cord - which is NOT INCLUDED - to use this. Plan ahead - I didn't!! I wish it was listed somewhere obvious that the power cord comes separate - I have never bought anything electronic that didn't come with its charger/power adaptor. And I didn't have 4 D batteries (only 2) just laying around. Indicating the power options in the description should be priority. The feeder itself works well. Easy to use and set up, works well and consistently. I wish the bowl was smaller so I could use one of my other bowls interchangeable, but none of mine have a wide enough diameter to fit the bowl holder and my cat will push it out of alignment with the dispenser You will need 4 D batteries or the power adaptor cord - which is NOT INCLUDED - to use this. Plan ahead - I didn't!! I wish it was listed somewhere obvious that the power cord comes separate - I have never bought anything electronic that didn't come with its charger/power adaptor. And I didn't have 4 D batteries (only 2) just laying around. Indicating the power options in the description should be priority. The feeder itself works well. Easy to use and set up, works well and consistently. I wish the bowl was smaller so I could use one of my other bowls interchangeable, but none of mine have a wide enough diameter to fit the bowl holder and my cat will push it out of alignment with the dispenser. I wish PetSafe had more bowl options as well so you could purchase a few or one that suits your kitchen décor. I do like how easy it is to take apart and clean (at least half is dishwasher safe) - I am crazy about keeping my cat's stuff clean and the fact that the whole thing comes apart (even the conveyor comes out) and I can really get it clean is a HUGE plus for me. Lots of programming options and easy to follow instructions. All in all, great feeder. MAKE SURE TO ORDER THE POWER CORD AS WELL, or at least to make sure you have enough D batteries. Since I use this for when I am out of town, I don't want to always wonder if the batteries are going to die, so I did cord AND batteries - battery power is used as backup if the adaptor fails, and we get blackouts during storms. My cat is on a diet so I would hate to end up restricting her even more because the feeder lost power. So far, it has been easy to use and keep clean. … more

Our cat is a beggar..... sitting by her bowl and making all kinds of cat noise. With this unit, I have set her feed for 3x per day at 1/8th of a cup. She was scared of it at first, but soon she realized it was her personal chef. Now she knows when the feed is going to arrive and she head over and waits, exhibiting a pride in making this black robot feed her. We all love it. Get the charger - but put the batteries in as well in case of a power loss.

I love having an auto feeder so that my ravenous cat doesn't have to harrass me for food! This feeder has a large container for the food and my starved cat has not attempted to open it, must be very well sealed. Easy to set up but the timer could not be more difficult to set for up several meals.

This works as advertised and allows up to 12 feedings. Please note that the smallest portion is 1/8. I previously had a feeder that allowed you to set the amount of time it was on (start at 9:00:00 and off at 9:00:08) this allowed me to feed about 20 pieces of food at a time for cats. I have one grazer and one that cleans the bowl. I will say that with this larger proportion feed the one that cleans the bowl has finally started leaving food and I am cutting out feedings since they are so large. That cat is now 10 years old so it may be a little bit of age that is allowing the food to remain in the bowl. She never took food away from the other cats but if they did not clean their bowl she would This works as advertised and allows up to 12 feedings. Please note that the smallest portion is 1/8. I previously had a feeder that allowed you to set the amount of time it was on (start at 9:00:00 and off at 9:00:08) this allowed me to feed about 20 pieces of food at a time for cats. I have one grazer and one that cleans the bowl. I will say that with this larger proportion feed the one that cleans the bowl has finally started leaving food and I am cutting out feedings since they are so large. That cat is now 10 years old so it may be a little bit of age that is allowing the food to remain in the bowl. She never took food away from the other cats but if they did not clean their bowl she would. Hope this is helpful information. You may also use other bowls but if the sides are not high enough, it does "shoot" the food out. We used ceramic human plates with angled sides so that the other feeder would allow the food to move across the plate and not be directly under the spout. These plates allow this feeder to shoot food all the way across the plate onto the floor. … more

I'm a fan of this feeder! I can't say I share the same thought as a few others about the manual. I didn't find it difficult to operate at all. I forget how to set it up with the food newly replaced but it's a quick step of a few buttons so I just highlighted it in the book. Otherwise, it's rather simple. I purchased the power adapter as I didn't want to deal with batteries. It does not include the adapter that's my only suggestion is for the price it could easily come with a $5 power cord. I have it set for a 4 month old pup feeding 4 times a day. With an ever-growing puppy it's very convenient to simply adjust his intake... Set it up and let it go until he requires more food as he grows. It I'm a fan of this feeder! I can't say I share the same thought as a few others about the manual. I didn't find it difficult to operate at all. I forget how to set it up with the food newly replaced but it's a quick step of a few buttons so I just highlighted it in the book. Otherwise, it's rather simple. I purchased the power adapter as I didn't want to deal with batteries. It does not include the adapter that's my only suggestion is for the price it could easily come with a $5 power cord. I have it set for a 4 month old pup feeding 4 times a day. With an ever-growing puppy it's very convenient to simply adjust his intake... Set it up and let it go until he requires more food as he grows. It keeps him on a good routine, as well. He hears his food drop and stops WHT he's doing to eat. Pavlovian... Haha … more