An automatic cat feeder just may change your life. No more screeching at 4 am. Plus, it can give some peace of mind while you’re away from your fur baby. As seen with the rise of automatic litter boxes and pet tracking, technology has made it so we can closely monitor our pets without having to do a lot of the manual labor normally involved.
Automatic dry-food dispensers like our top pick, the Petlibro Granary ($160), were invented nearly a century ago, but today most automatic cat feeders utilize Wi-Fi and are connected to an app on your phone that allows you to make a schedule or feed on demand from afar, all while monitoring your pet’s eating habits. Automatic wet-food dispensers—our top pick in this category is the Petlibro Polar ($130)—are relatively new, often using ice packs or mini-refrigeration cooling systems to ensure the food stays as fresh as possible.
Automatic feeders are also helpful for pet parents who want to monitor their pets’ health, have specialized schedules, or want to foster healthier eating habits (a customizable automatic cat feeder can help with the endless gorging-vomiting cycle many cats struggle with). Nearly all of the automatic cat feeders on this list are marketed toward cats, but some can be used with smaller dogs, and I’ve noted these below.
Check out our related guides, like the Best Automatic Litter Boxes, Best Cat Water Fountains, Our Favorite Fancy Cat Furniture, and the Best Cat Toys. More of a dog person? We’ve got you covered; see our Best Accessories and Tech Essentials for Your Dog guide.
Updated April 2025: We’ve added the Pawsync Smart Pet Feeder, Tkenpro 2K Pet Camera Treat Dispenser, and Enabot Rola PetPal Robot Pet Companion. We moved the Catit Pixi Smart 6-Meal Feeder, Closer Pets C500, and Catit Pixi Smart Cat Feeder to “Do Not Recommend,” and updated prices throughout.
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Why Use an Automatic Feeder?
Automatic feeders are great for pet owners who want to help manage their pets’ weight and monitor eating patterns. Plus, they allow for a lot more control and precision for owners to learn exactly how much their cat is eating and when. Because cats are naturally more nocturnal, many have the annoying habit of waking you up in the early hours demanding food, and these allow you to set up a schedule that fits more to their schedule without inconveniencing yours.
Of course, it’s never recommended to leave pets alone for long periods, but these automatic feeders give more peace of mind and are a whole lot healthier for your pet than leaving a huge amount of food for free-feeding while you’re away for the night. Simply put, it’s an easier way to feed and monitor your cat’s health with less work for you, the human.
How Long Can I Leave My Cat Alone?
Although cats are generally thought of as less high-maintenance than dogs, it’s still not good to leave your cat for prolonged periods. Under dire circumstances, you can leave a cat alone for 24 to 48 hours with scheduled feedings and a clean water source, but it’s not ideal—especially for cats with health issues, kittens younger than a year, or very elderly cats. Although these feeders are automatic, and meals can be scheduled in advance and over multiple days, our pets still need their human pals around for enrichment, care, and well, love.
I have two rescue cats, ages 3 and 4, and they eat two wet-food meals a day and small amounts of dry kibble for snacks throughout the day. Vets (and TikTokkers) have successfully persuaded me to move toward a primarily wet-food diet, however, which has a higher water content. This provides more moisture in their diet, which helps with potentially life-threatening problems like UTIs, which are especially prevalent in male cats. I still like to give smaller dry-food meals throughout the day for them to satisfy their need for crunch.
For dry food, I use Hill’s Science Diet, and for wet food I use Friskies’ Shreds variety. (Yes, only Shreds. Fellow cat owners will understand.) I know there are better, more protein-rich brands, like the ever-popular Tiki Cat, but it’s out of my budget.
I used each of the feeders for a week at least and stuck to my cats’ usual meal schedule.
