There's been a growing epidemic of feline obesity in recent years. There's a constituent of cats that will overeat if being free-fed. I have one of those kitties, if the food is there, she will eat. In addition to obesity, there are feline health conditions that make free-feeding your cat a poor choice. Not to mention, there are owners who only feed their cats wet food. For these cat owners, life is more difficult. An unexpected work delay causes stress for the owner and their hungry pet. A spontaneous trip is out of the question if the petsitter or neighbor is unavailable. an automatic cat feeder is a great solution.

For the pet owner with a diabetic cat or one who's in chronic renal failure, the automatic cat  feeder can be a life saver. My 17 year old girl, in chronic renal failure, cannot handle a large quantity of food all at once. She does much better with frequent, small meals throughout the day. She also benefits from wet food since she gets dehydrated very easily. I cannot set out a big bowl of food and leave for the day unless I want to return to a lot of cat barf.

Diabetic cats are in a similar situation. They need timed feedings in accordance with their insulin shots or medications. Too much food will rapidly shoot their blood sugar up to unhealthy levels. Additionally, when an insulin-dependent cat is given a shot, the body's response to the insulin is not immediate. Most take time to work. If the cat is given a shot before the owner goes to work in the morning, he or she may not be there when the insulin fully peaks, potentially setting the kitty up for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) if no food is available. Simply leaving out food all day long for the cat isn't necessarily the best choice for stabilizing insulin levels throughout the day. Too much eating can lead to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), an undesirable state if it occurs on a regular basis. Ketoacidosis is a very serious condition resulting from sustained hyperglycemia. So, the pet owner is in a predicament.

Obese cats with a proven track record of overeating with the free-feeding method will also do better with smaller meals throughout the day. The automatic food dispensers help both owner and cats by creating a great food measuring system.

Some pets on medications will need frequent feeding to avoid stomach irritation. I've even known cats not on medications that need numerous meals throughout the day or they will vomit from an empty stomach. Cats have very sensitive digestive systems.

Finally, some cats just won't leave their owners alone in the morning or the middle of the night when they're hungry. If your cat demands food at 5 a.m., this is a great option for you.

Unfortuantely, there is a deficit in quality pet feeders out there. Many are poorly crafted with below par electronics. Or they're made from readily destructible materials that a hungry pet will devour. Many aren't sophisticated enough to outsmart our pets and they discover a "glitch in the system" and bust into the feeder for early and frequent illicit feedings. Obviously, these are a waste of money. When looking for an automatic feeder you WON'T be returning right away, make sure to consider the following.

The best pet feeders will be:

• Designed to outsmart the cat. That's right, cats are smart. Some cats have been able to figure out how to dig out the food from the receptacle. Make sure to choose a model that's cat-proof!
• Able to be set to open frequently. Some are inflexible in terms of when they will open: they have long and fixed timing intervals that may not work for you individual situation and pet. Make sure they can be set to open when you need them to open, not every 6, 12, or 24 hours only, for example.
• Safe: They are motorized, battery-operated, or plugged into the wall. Make sure the movable parts cannot injure your cat. Make sure they're not a fire hazard. Do your research.
• Backed up with batteries in case of a power outage.
• Easy to clean: Make sure they have removable food bins that you can wash. Even better if they're dishwasher-safe.
• Durable: Make sure they can handle kitty paws attempting to extract food from them. The parts should be sturdy, well-secured, with quality electronics and motor.
• Tip-proof: The cat shouldn't be able to knock over the feeder. Some are light enough a determined cat can tip it over enough to spill out the contents. Clever kitties!
• Equipped with ice packs if it purports to serve wet food. Even if it states the containers are air tight, well, the food still dries out. They really need built-in ice packs to keep wet food fresh.
• Easy to use: Some have very complicated timers making them difficult to use and creating unnecessary user errors. It shouldn't be rocket science trying to figure out how to get them programmed correctly.
• Able to replace parts: If something does break, you should be able to order a replacement part for the feeder.
• Guaranteed: Make sure there is a decent money back guarantee on the product. Be smart, save your receipts.

1. Cat Mate C20 Automatic Feeder: This feeder can hold both wet or dry food. It has two separate compartments that can be preset to open at any specified time. For two cats, the receptable can be set to open simultaneously. Or, for one cat the feeder can be used to feed him or her twice. The device can be set to open anytime up to 48 hours. The wet food is kept fresh with built-in ice packs that stay cool for roughly 15 hours. It's battery-operated, durable, spill-proof and well manufactured. This works for small dogs also.
2. Cat Mate C50: This holds both wet and dry. It has 5 rotating compartments that are very easy to clean. Again, it has the built-in ice packs to keep the wet food fresh. It's battery operated, so no need to worry about the electricity going out. It has a very accurate Quartz timer. It does not have fixed intervals and can be set up to 96 hours away.Like the C20, it's well made and very durable. Compared to the Cat Mate C20, it's a little more difficult to learn to use. You definitely need to read the directions carefully. That being said, once it's up and running, it's a great product! Suitable for small dogs as well.
3. The Perfect Pet Feeder by Pillar Pet Products: This is the ultimate feeding machine! Unfortunately, it does have a price to match... This feeder only dispenses dry food, and does so with an extraordinary amount of precision and flexibility. It can dispense as little as a few kibbles to a few cups at a time. You can feed two cats since it comes with both one or two bowl components. It plugs into the wall, but has backup batteries in case of a power failure. You can readily clean this feeder inside and out. It's made of stainless steel and all parts are easily removed and cleaned. Obviously, it's made of durable materials. It may be very technologically advanced with superior workmanship, but it's very easy to use. Programming it is a breeze. It truly has each and every feature I listed above. Plus, you can also use it for your dogs. Again, it's pricey, but it will be with you for a long time.

• Do a dry run with the feeder before you leave. Make sure you have it programmed correctly. If possible, set it up at least a week before you leave to get the hang of it and to allow your cat(s) time to get used to it. They have motors, so they make some noise. Your cat may be a little suspicious in the beginning.
• Check your batteries regularly.  Make sure you have a fresh one if you're leaving for a full day!
• Please don't use this as your petsitter. This should be used in conjuction with a petsitter while you're out of town. It may decrease the number of visits the sitter has to make, but it cannot replace a human checking in on your beloved pets!