Help me feed my cat without the headaches

March 1, 2009 6:30 PM

Good automatic feeder for a cat that can open the fridge?

I really like the idea of buying an automatic feeder for my cat. The problem: said cat has been smart/persistent/strong/hungry enough in the past to figure out how to open the fridge door (I have a child lock on it now). I'm scared that he might be able to break into your average automatic feeder. Does anyone have any recommendations? Other than being crazy cat-proof, the only other feature I need is a 12 hour timer.

posted by dinty_moore to Pets & Animals (8 answers total)

My friends have a cat who was too fat so they got an auto feeder. The cat was smart enough to figure out that she could stick her paw up the hole and get a single piece of food out somehow. They still use it, but give her less per feeding now since she self feeds from it the rest of the time.
posted by bottlebrushtree at 6:37 PM on March 1, 2009

Best answer: The cat feeder mentioned in this blog post has an optional anti-pilfering chute cover available. However, I learned that the cat in question actually broke off the security device to get at the food! Last I heard the cat owner was contemplating some sort of reinforcement to the chute cover.
posted by exogenous at 7:35 PM on March 1, 2009

I used to cat sit for a friend who used an automatic cat feeder like this when she was away. I'd feed her cats in the evening and set the feeder to feed them again in the morning. When I'd arrive the next evening, I'd find the cat feeder in pieces with the top in one room and the bottom in another.

I hated the thing because I felt like it was torturing the cat. (Of her two cats, one was a particularly clever fellow) He knew there was a meal in there, but he didn't know when it was going to open. I secretly rooted for him, hoping I'd walk in the next day to find the feeder even more banged up than it had been the day before.

God, I love cats! They're such marvelous creatures... This particular cat also played fetch better than any dog I've ever met.

I guess my point is, you might like the idea of a cat feeder, but your cat might not. Sorry! I don't mean to be a party pooper.
posted by 2oh1 at 9:06 PM on March 1, 2009

How fat is your cat? If it's within normal weight ranges, you might consider just leaving out a huge bowl of food, or a non-timed feeder that keeps filling the bowl. He'll pig out for a few days but then settle into a routine of eating when he's hungry, and you can take the lock off the fridge.
posted by mmoncur at 9:36 PM on March 1, 2009

I have what sounds like the feeder bottlebrushtree was describing, and wrote the blog entry exogenous mentioned (and just updated it to reflect the latest fix.) Despite the recent hassles with the cat managing to "pick" extra kibble out, the feeder is well worth it. Besides being able to go on trips without worrying the cat will eat all her food on the first day, I'm also able to sleep in. If you have any questions, the owner is very responsive to email.
posted by rama at 9:53 PM on March 1, 2009

Best answer: My wife answered a similar question a while ago.

We use this one.

My cats, who are generally very persistent about getting into anything that smells like food, still haven't figured out how to open it.

I prefer it to the hopper/release designs as there's nothing to knock over and nothing they can break--it's wide and flat, and the entire top is one armored clamshell of plastic. I thought, at first, that they might be able to rotate the tray by paw. But, it's firmly ratcheted, and I can't turn it more than a couple centimeters, let alone a cat. I also have issues getting it to easily open normally, and the cats haven't seemed to have even noticed the recessed latch.
posted by Netzapper at 10:05 PM on March 1, 2009

Response by poster: Mmoncur-my cat isn't fat, but he is on a strict diet due to his diabetes. I've been feeding him 1/2 cup of special DM kibble a day (which sounds like a tiny amount, I know, but is both what the vet and instructions on back recommend), and he's still managed to gain a tiny amount of weight. Unfortunately, just leaving out a bowl of kibble isn't a very good option, despite it being what both the cat and I would prefer.
posted by dinty_moore at 4:49 AM on March 2, 2009

I guess my point is, you might like the idea of a cat feeder, but your cat might not. Sorry! I don't mean to be a party pooper.
posted by 2oh1 at 9:06 PM

I actually think cats like these things, since they pose a challenge to their "breaking and entering" and "wreaking havoc" abilities.
posted by orme at 5:37 AM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]