The 10 Best Automatic Dog Feeders To Keep Your Pet Fed On Time (2024)

Camryn Rabideau

Contributor

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Capacity: 24 cups | Dimensions: 8 x 13.8 x 14.1 inches | Weight: 4 pounds | Food type: Dry food between 2 and 15 millimeters | Meals per day: Up to 6

The Petlibro Automatic Feeder helps ensure your dog gets every meal right on time. This feeder is designed to be used with dry kibble, and it can accommodate most kibble sizes, as long as the pieces are less than 15 millimeters (roughly 0.5 inches) in diameter. It has a basic control panel on the front of the feeder where you can program up to six meals per day and easily adjust the portion size, as well.

The hopper on this feeder can hold up to 6 liters, or 24 cups, of your dog’s food, and it’s secured by a twist-lock lid to prevent your pup from breaking into it. The feeder has an anti-jam design that minimizes the risk of kibble getting stuck in the chute, and it even has an optional battery backup that will make sure your pet is fed, even if the power goes out.

The only downside of this feeder is that the included bowl is on the smaller side—if you have a larger dog, you may want to swap in another larger bowl so they have enough room to eat comfortably.

Pros:

• Can be used with most dry dog food
• Easy to program using the digital control panel
• Backup batteries in case of power loss
• The twist-lock lid prevents pets from breaking into the hopper

Cons:

• Bowl may be too small for larger dogs

Cat Mate C200 Automatic Pet Feeder

Capacity: Two 14-ounce servings | Dimensions: 10 x 8.3 x 3 inches | Weight: 1.82 pounds | Food type: Wet food | Meals per day: 2

If your dog eats wet food, you’ll need an automatic feeder like the Cat Mate C200. It has a simple two compartment design, and each section has its own 48-hour timer, controlled by an easy-to-use dial. The feeder comes with reusable ice packs that keep wet dog food fresh, and each bowl can hold up to 14 ounces of food. The bowls that come with the feeder are dishwasher-safe plastic, but stainless steel inserts are sold separately, if you prefer.

This automatic feeder runs on a AA battery (not included), so you don’t have to worry about the power going out. The lids on the compartments are tightly sealed to prevent your pet or any pests from getting inside, but particularly eager animals may push the whole unit around trying to get at their food—in this case, the brand recommends fastening it to a board for more stability.

Pros:

• Feeder includes ice packs to keep wet food fresh
• Dial-style timers are easy to program
• Operates for up to 12 months on a single battery

Cons:

• Stainless steel bowl inserts are sold separately
• May need to be fastened to a board for stability

Capacity: 6 servings | Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 2.6 inches | Weight: 2.2 pounds | Food type: Dry or semi-moist | Meals per day: Up to 5

Some automatic feeders are challenging to program, but this model from Amazon Basics is straightforward and easy to operate thanks to its digital timer. The rotating design has six total compartments, allowing you to store up to five meals for your pet, and there’s a digital control panel in the center for scheduling. It operates using a countdown timer, so you can set it to rotate, for instance, every 6 hours—or whatever frequency works best for your pet. It even runs on batteries, so you don’t have to worry about plugging it into an outlet.

While this feeder is easy to program and use, keep in mind that its compartments are quite small. It’s a good option for cats and small dogs, but larger animals may have trouble eating from it.

Pros:

• Easy to program using digital timer
• Holds up to six portions of food
• Runs on AA batteries

Cons:

• Scheduling must be at consistent intervals
• Too small for large dog breeds

Capacity: 29 cups | Dimensions: 10 x 12 x 15 inches | Weight: 5.67 pounds | Food type: Dry food between 2-15mm | Meals per day: Up to 5

The Wopet Automatic Dog Feeder is a top-selling model on Amazon, and it’s suitable for pets of all sizes. The feeder has a large 29-cup hopper, and you can program it to dispense up to five meals per day for your dog. It can be used with dry kibble up to 15 millimeters in diameter, and you can easily adjust the portion size, as well.

This feeder has a digital control panel under its lid, which is see-through so you can monitor the food levels in the hopper, but it can be a bit tedious to program. A built-in microphone lets you record a message for your pet, calling them to eat at mealtimes, and the unit has a battery backup in case of a power outage, ensuring your pet is always fed on time.

Pros:

• Can be used with most dry kibble
• Hopper and bowl are large enough for bigger dogs
• Battery backup in case of power loss

Cons:

• Control panel isn’t the most user-friendly

Petsafe 5-Meal Dog Food Dispenser

Capacity: Five 1-cup servings | Dimensions: 12.6 x 4.4 x 16 inches | Weight: 4 pounds | Food type: Dry or semi-moist | Meals per day: Up to 5

For smaller dogs, the Petsafe Eatwell Automatic Feeder is an easy way to schedule their daily meals. This rotating feeder has a total of five compartments, each of which can hold up to a single cup of food. It operates on a timer, advancing to the next bowl after a set number of hours, and the design is ideal for pets who need more frequent meals or even daily medication.

This feeder is more compact than many other options, and it has a tightly locking lid to keep pets from helping themselves to more food. The inner tray can even be put in the dishwasher for hands-off cleaning. The only downside of this feeder is that it needs to be refilled on a daily basis, as it’s designed to be used on a 24-hour cycle.

Pros:

• More compact than many other feeders
• Lid locks tightly to keep pets out
• Inner tray is dishwasher safe

Cons:

• Only able to schedule one day at a time

Capacity: 7.5 pounds | Dimensions: 8 x 18.1 x 12.5 inches | Weight: 4.7 pounds | Food type: Dry food smaller than half an inch | Meals per day: Up to 6

Many automatic feeders are too small for large dogs to use, and if you have a pooch over 50 pounds, you’ll likely want a model like the Gamma Nano. This oversized feed comes with a spacious bowl that can hold several cups of food at a time, and it gives your dog plenty of space to chow down. Its hopper can also hold up to 7.5 pounds of your dog’s kibble (so long as the pieces are less than 0.5 inches in diameter), so it can go longer between refills.

You can program this feeder to dispense up to six meals per day, and the portion size can be adjusted, as well. There’s even a slow feed option that dispenses the kibble in small amounts—handy if your dog tends to eat their food in huge gulps. The unit has a battery backup in case you ever lose power, and the lid locks tightly to stop pets from helping themselves to an extra meal.

Pros:

• Large bowl can hold multiple cups of food
• Optional slow feed setting
• Battery backup in case of power outage

Cons:

• Time-consuming to program

Capacity: 32 cups | Dimensions: 14.3 x 12.2 x 13.4 inches | Weight: 7 pounds | Food type: Dry food | Meals per day: Up to 6

If you have multiple pets and want to prevent them from eating each other’s food, the Portionpro Rx feeder offers a high-tech solution. This feeder comes with an RFID tag that you attach to your dog’s collar, and the bowl will only open when the wearer is in front of the feeder. This prevents other pets from eating the food, and it’s especially useful if one of your dogs has a special prescription diet or just eats more slowly.

The PortionPro feeder can be programmed to dispense up to six meals per day, and its maximum serving size is 2 cups, making it suitable for larger dogs. It also has a large-capacity hopper that holds up to 32 cups of kibble, so you won’t have to refill it as frequently.

Pros:

• RFID collar used to open feeder
• Suitable for dogs of all sizes
• Extra-large hopper capacity

Cons:

• Stainless steel bowl isn’t dishwasher safe

Capacity: 33 cups | Dimensions: 8.1 x 7.8 x 14.8 inches | Weight: 4.4 pounds | Food type: Dry food between 2-12mm | Meals per day: Up to 7

The Yakry Automatic Feeder has a large 8-liter hopper that can hold around 33 cups of dry kibble. It’s ideal for larger dogs who eat big servings, as you won’t need to constantly refill the feeder—in fact, the brand claims that most people will only have to refill the hopper once a month. Plus, the food tank even has a compartment where you can place a desiccant pack to keep the food fresh.

This automatic feeder can be scheduled with up to seven meals per day, and it has a battery backup that uses three D batteries. You can even record a personalized message to call your pet to their meals if you want.

Pros:

• Extra-large hopper holds 33 cups of food
• Bowl is large enough for big dogs
• Slot for desiccant pack to keep food fresh

Cons:

• Slightly complicated to program

Capacity: 25 cups | Dimensions: 13 x 12.5 x 15 inches | Weight: 9 pounds | Food type: Dry food | Meals per day: Up to 8

The Whisker Feeder-Robot is a worthwhile splurge if you want an automatic feeder that’s high-tech and easy to operate. The smart gadget connects to your phone via Wi-Fi, making it quick and easy to create feeding schedules and adjust portion sizes for your pet. It has a 25-cup hopper that can hold kibble up to 0.625 inches in diameter, and if you feed your dog smaller kibble, you can even remove the hopper insert, increasing its capacity to 32 cups.

In addition to being extremely user-friendly, this smart feeder has a variety of thoughtful design features. The hopper lid automatically locks to keep pets out, and it has a large indicator light that lets you know if the feeder is jammed or running low on food. The power cord is even covered with a nylon braid to prevent pets from chewing on it, and the feeder has a unique “gravity mode” that keeps the bowl full at all times, in case your dog likes to graze throughout the day.

Pros:

• Syncs to your smartphone for easy programming
• Optional “Gravity Mode” keeps bowl full
• Large status indicator light lets you know when hopper is low
• Chew-resistant power cord

Cons:

• Battery backup is sold separately
• More expensive than most other models

Petsafe Smart Feed Electronic Pet Feeder

Capacity: 24 cups | Dimensions: 13.3 x 10.3 x 15.8 inches | Weight: 7.4 pounds | Food type: Dry food up to 0.75-inch | Meals per day: Up to 12

The Petsafe Smart Feed Electronic Pet Feeder is a moderately priced option if you’re looking for a Wi-Fi-connected model. It connects to your smartphone, making it easy to program a feeding schedule and set portion sizes, and it’s one of the better options if your pet needs to eat frequently, as it can dispense up to 12 meals per day.

This feeder holds up to 24 cups of dry dog food in its hopper, and it can accommodate kibble up to 0.75 inches in diameter. There’s a slow feed option for dogs who wolf down their food, and you can even control the feeder via voice commands using Amazon Alexa.

Pros:

• Connects to smartphone for easy programming
• Slow feed setting available for fast eaters
• Dishwasher-safe components are easy to clean

Cons:

• Bowl doesn’t stay in place well