# Pet Feeders

A feeder's dispensing mechanism, not its price, decides whether food arrives as an exact scheduled portion or just keeps a bowl topped up by gravity. Pet count, food type, and whether it's a tank or a kitchen floor decide whether a buyer needs app scheduling, microchip recognition, a plain hopper, or a tank-side timer.

## How it works

A gravity feeder is just a hopper above a bowl: food falls as the bowl empties, giving continuous access with no control over portion or timing. A programmable electric feeder uses a motor-driven impeller or auger that turns on a timer or app schedule to drop a measured portion into the bowl; some add a camera, Wi-Fi, or a microchip-reading lid that opens only for one registered pet, which also lets them serve wet food safely. An aquarium fish feeder clamps to the tank rim and rotates a small hopper of flake, pellet, or freeze-dried food on a dial timer or app schedule, dropping it through a chute into the water; better models actively vent the food chamber so humidity above the tank doesn't clump or mold the food before it drops.

## How an expert narrows the choice

```mermaid
timeline
  section 1 · Feeder type
    automatic_electronic : ask Timer or app-controlled, Reservoir capacity, Meals per day limit, Kibble size compatibility, Power source, Camera and two-way audio, Dispensing mechanism, Multi-pet recognition, Dry only or wet and dry, Wet food cooling method, Freshness sealing, Bowl/dish material, Dishwasher-safe parts, Jam handling : skip Hopper capacity, Hopper/bowl material, Fish food type, Mounting method, Feeding chamber ventilation
    gravity_non_electronic : ask Hopper capacity, Hopper/bowl material, Dishwasher-safe parts : skip Timer or app-controlled, Reservoir capacity, Meals per day limit, Kibble size compatibility, Power source, Camera and two-way audio, Dispensing mechanism, Multi-pet recognition, Dry only or wet and dry, Wet food cooling method, Freshness sealing, Bowl/dish material, Fish food type, Mounting method, Feeding chamber ventilation, Jam handling
    fish_aquarium : ask Timer or app-controlled, Fish food type, Mounting method, Feeding chamber ventilation : skip Reservoir capacity, Meals per day limit, Kibble size compatibility, Power source, Camera and two-way audio, Dispensing mechanism, Multi-pet recognition, Dry only or wet and dry, Wet food cooling method, Freshness sealing, Bowl/dish material, Dishwasher-safe parts, Jam handling, Hopper capacity, Hopper/bowl material
  section 2 · Timer or app-controlled
    basic_timer : skip Camera and two-way audio
    wifi_app_smart : ask Camera and two-way audio
```

1. **Feeder type.** Programmable feeder, gravity hopper, or fish tank feeder?
   Mechanism sets everything else that matters: an electric feeder's portion and connectivity specs, a gravity hopper's capacity and material, or a fish feeder's mounting and food type.
   If automatic_electronic: ask Timer or app-controlled, Reservoir capacity, Meals per day limit, Kibble size compatibility, Power source, Camera and two-way audio, Dispensing mechanism, Multi-pet recognition, Dry only or wet and dry, Wet food cooling method, Freshness sealing, Bowl/dish material, Dishwasher-safe parts, Jam handling; skip Hopper capacity, Hopper/bowl material, Fish food type, Mounting method, Feeding chamber ventilation.
   If gravity_non_electronic: ask Hopper capacity, Hopper/bowl material, Dishwasher-safe parts; skip Timer or app-controlled, Reservoir capacity, Meals per day limit, Kibble size compatibility, Power source, Camera and two-way audio, Dispensing mechanism, Multi-pet recognition, Dry only or wet and dry, Wet food cooling method, Freshness sealing, Bowl/dish material, Fish food type, Mounting method, Feeding chamber ventilation, Jam handling.
   If fish_aquarium: ask Timer or app-controlled, Fish food type, Mounting method, Feeding chamber ventilation; skip Reservoir capacity, Meals per day limit, Kibble size compatibility, Power source, Camera and two-way audio, Dispensing mechanism, Multi-pet recognition, Dry only or wet and dry, Wet food cooling method, Freshness sealing, Bowl/dish material, Dishwasher-safe parts, Jam handling, Hopper capacity, Hopper/bowl material.
   Skip if already known: a query already naming 'automatic feeder', 'gravity feeder', or 'fish feeder', an earlier answer naming the pet as fish.

2. **Timer or app-controlled.** Just a timer, or control it from an app?
   A basic timer needs no Wi-Fi and has no camera; an app-controlled feeder adds remote scheduling and usually a camera, at the cost of depending on home Wi-Fi.
   If basic_timer: skip Camera and two-way audio.
   If wifi_app_smart: ask Camera and two-way audio.
   Skip if already known: an earlier answer naming an app, Wi-Fi, or a specific smart-feeder brand.

## What to surface

### Feeder type

Whether the feeder is a motor-driven programmable dispenser, a powerless gravity hopper, or a tank-side device for aquarium fish. It decides which spec set even applies: an electric feeder's portion and connectivity specs, a gravity hopper's capacity and material, or a fish feeder's mounting and food type. Asking anything else first risks asking about Wi-Fi on a gravity feeder. [7] [4]

Values: automatic_electronic, gravity_non_electronic, fish_aquarium.
Question to ask: Programmable feeder, gravity hopper, or fish tank feeder?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Derive from the title: 'automatic'/'smart'/'wifi' feeder, 'gravity' feeder, or 'fish'/'aquarium' feeder.
Title keyword match covers almost every listing; default to automatic_electronic when the title says only 'pet feeder' with no other qualifier, since it is the most common listing type.

### Timer or app-controlled

Whether the feeder is set with onboard buttons and a battery-backed timer, or scheduled and monitored from a Wi-Fi phone app. App control adds remote rescheduling, instant-feed-from-anywhere, and usually a camera, but it only works while the home Wi-Fi and the manufacturer's cloud service are both up; a basic timer keeps feeding through a Wi-Fi outage because it never depended on one. [2] [8]

Values: basic_timer, wifi_app_smart.
Question to ask: Just a timer, or control it from an app?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Almost always in the title or bullets: 'app-controlled', 'Wi-Fi', or 'smart' versus 'timed' or 'programmable' with no app mentioned.
Title and bullet keyword match for 'app'/'Wi-Fi'/'smart'; default to basic_timer when none of those words appear.

### Dry only or wet and dry

Whether the feeder can only dispense dry kibble, or is built to also hold and serve wet or pouched food. Almost all impeller- or auger-based feeders only move dry kibble; a pet on a wet-food diet needs one of the lid-release, chilled-compartment, or sealed-bowl designs built specifically to hold wet food without it drying out or spoiling between visits. [6] [1]

Values: dry_only, dry_and_wet.
Question to ask: Does your pet eat wet food, dry food, or both?

Used as: filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Dry-only is the default for any auger/impeller feeder; 'wet food' or 'wet and dry' is called out explicitly when a model supports it.
Default dry_only unless the listing explicitly mentions wet food or pouches.

### Camera and two-way audio

Whether the feeder has a built-in camera for remote viewing, and whether it also supports two-way voice so the owner can be heard through it. A camera lets an owner confirm a pet actually ate and see who's at the bowl in a multi-pet home; two-way audio goes further, letting the owner call out to the pet, but both add a running cloud/app dependency and usually a subscription for video history. [1] [2]

Values: none, camera_only, camera_with_two_way_audio.
Question to ask: See and talk to your pet at feeding time?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Always marketed prominently in the title or main image when present ('with Camera').
Title keyword match for 'camera'; 'two-way audio'/'two-way voice' is usually a bullet on the same listing when the camera model supports it.

### Hopper capacity

How much dry food a gravity feeder's hopper holds before refilling, in pounds. Capacity is the only real lever a gravity feeder gives you: a bigger hopper means fewer refills for a large dog or multi-pet household, but it also means more food sitting exposed to air for longer before it's eaten. [4] [5]

Range: 2 to 10 lb.
Question to ask: How many pounds of dry food should the hopper hold?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Almost always in the title ('10 lb Gravity Feeder') or as a size variant (Small/Medium/Large) that maps to a pound figure on the spec sheet.
Title keyword match for a pound figure, or map a Small/Medium/Large variant name to the brand's own size chart.
Chart: position on a capacity axis, pounds.

### Power source

Whether the feeder runs on batteries alone, on AC power alone, or on AC power with a battery backup for outages. AC-only feeders stop dispensing the moment the power drops, which matters most for a smart feeder a pet depends on while the owner is away; battery backup (or battery-only operation) keeps meals on schedule through an outage, at the cost of swapping batteries. [1] [6]

Values: battery_only, ac_adapter_only, ac_with_battery_backup.
Question to ask: Does it need to keep feeding through a power outage?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Usually a bullet: 'battery backup', 'runs on batteries', or no mention (assume AC-only).
Keyword match 'battery backup' vs 'battery-powered' vs neither; default to ac_adapter_only when the listing only shows a plug and says nothing about batteries.
Chart: position on an outage-resilience axis.

### Multi-pet recognition

How the feeder decides which pet it's serving: no recognition at all, a second bowl with its own schedule, or a microchip/RFID check that only opens the lid for one registered pet. In a multi-pet home a feeder with no recognition lets any pet eat any other's food or steal a prescription diet; microchip or RFID recognition solves that by only opening for the matching pet, which matters most when pets are on different diets or weight-management plans. [6] [2]

Values: none_single_bowl, dual_tray_no_recognition, microchip_or_rfid_selective.
Question to ask: Do your pets need to be kept off each other's food?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: 'Microchip Pet Feeder' or 'RFID' in the title; a 'dual bowl' or 'double tray' listing with no chip/RFID mention is the no-recognition multi-bowl case.
Title keyword match for 'microchip'/'RFID' vs 'dual bowl'/'double tray' vs neither.
Chart: position on a multi-pet-control axis.

### Reservoir capacity

How much dry food the feeder's main reservoir holds before refilling, in litres. A bigger reservoir means fewer refills and more days of coverage while travelling, but it also sits full of food for longer, which matters more in humid climates where kibble can go stale or attract pests. [3] [1]

Range: 2.9 to 5 L.
Question to ask: How many litres should the reservoir hold?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Usually in the title or a spec bullet ('5L Automatic Feeder'); confirm against the spec table when present.
Title/bullet keyword match for a litre figure; default to the modal 5L when a smart feeder's title gives no capacity.
Chart: position on a capacity axis, litres.

### Bowl/dish material

What the removable feeding dish itself is made of: plastic or stainless steel. Stainless steel doesn't retain odours or scratch into a bacteria-holding surface the way plastic can over time, and it's dishwasher-safe without clouding, which matters for a part that holds food and is handled daily. [3] [6]

Values: plastic, stainless_steel.
Question to ask: Plastic bowl, or stainless steel?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Usually in the title or a bullet ('Stainless Steel Dish'); default to plastic when unstated, since it's the cheaper, more common part.
Title/bullet keyword match for 'stainless steel'.

### Hopper/bowl material

What the gravity feeder's hopper and bowl are made of: BPA-free plastic throughout, a plastic hopper with a stainless steel bowl, or a plastic treated with an antimicrobial additive. A stainless steel bowl under a plastic hopper resists the odour and bacterial buildup plain plastic can develop over repeated feedings, and an antimicrobial-treated plastic is a cheaper way manufacturers aim at the same problem without switching to metal. [4] [5]

Values: bpa_free_plastic_only, plastic_hopper_stainless_bowl, antimicrobial_treated_plastic.
Question to ask: Plastic throughout, or a stainless steel bowl?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Usually in the bullets: 'stainless steel bowl', 'BPA-free', or 'Microban'/'antimicrobial'.
Keyword match 'stainless steel' / 'Microban' or 'antimicrobial' / neither (default to bpa_free_plastic_only).

### Fish food type

What form of fish food the feeder is built to drop into the tank: flakes, pellets, freeze-dried food, or a mix. Flake food clumps and can jam a feeder's drop mechanism far more easily than pellets do, and freeze-dried foods need a dry, well-ventilated hopper or they stick together into one solid lump; a feeder built and tested for pellets may underperform or jam on flake. [7]

Values: flakes, pellets, freeze_dried, mixed.
Question to ask: Flakes, pellets, or freeze-dried food?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Rarely a dedicated field; usually in the description as 'suitable for flake and pellet food' or similar.
Default to mixed/flakes_and_pellets when the listing doesn't specify, since most feeders are marketed as handling both.

### Dishwasher-safe parts

Whether the removable bowl, dish, or hopper base is safe to clean in a dishwasher rather than needing hand-washing. A feeder is refilled and handled daily, so cleaning it is a recurring task; dishwasher-safe parts make that a five-minute job, while hand-wash-only parts (common where a motor or seal sits close to the bowl) add a chore a buyer may not expect. [4] [5] [9]

Question to ask: Do the removable parts need to be dishwasher-safe?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Usually a bullet: 'dishwasher safe' or 'top-rack dishwasher safe'; absence usually means hand-wash only.
Keyword match 'dishwasher safe'; default to hand-wash-only when the listing says nothing, since brands reliably call this out when true.

### Meals per day limit

The maximum number of separate, scheduled meals the feeder can be programmed to dispense in a day. A multi-cat or diabetic-pet diet plan often calls for 6 or more small meals a day instead of 1 or 2 large ones; a feeder capped at a low meal count can't support that plan no matter how fine its portion control is. [2] [3]

Range: 10 to 12 meals/day.
Question to ask: How many separate meals a day do you need?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Rarely on the listing itself; found in the spec sheet or manual under 'meal' or 'schedule' settings.
Only worth backfilling for smart/app feeders, where it is in the brand's own spec table; most models cluster at 10 to 12 and can default there.
Chart: position on a schedule-flexibility axis.

### Kibble size compatibility

The range of dry kibble diameter the dispensing mechanism can reliably move without jamming, in millimetres. An auger or impeller sized for small kibble jams or crushes large biscuit-style kibble, and one sized loose for large kibble under-doses fine kibble; a buyer feeding an unusually small or large kibble needs to check this before the mechanism, not after. [1] [3]

Range: 2 to 15 mm.
Question to ask: Roughly how big are your pet's kibble pieces?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Rarely on the listing; in the brand spec sheet, if given at all.
Backfill from the brand spec sheet where available; models vary from about 9mm max (Catit PIXI) to 15mm max (Petlibro Granary), so don't assume one figure across brands.
Chart: position on a kibble-size axis, mm.

### Dispensing mechanism

The moving part that actually measures and releases food: a rotating impeller or auger for dry kibble, or a lid that opens for a recognised pet. An impeller or auger can jam or crush oddly shaped treats and generally can't move wet food at all; a lid-release mechanism sidesteps jamming and works with wet food, but it can only gate access to a bowl rather than measure out an exact amount per visit. [3] [6]

Values: rotating_impeller_or_auger, lid_release_selective.
Question to ask: Does your pet eat wet food, dry kibble, or both?

Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Rarely named directly; infer a lid-release mechanism from 'microchip' or 'selective' feeders, and an impeller/auger from any other dry-food smart feeder.
Default to rotating_impeller_or_auger unless the listing names microchip or RFID recognition, which implies a lid-release mechanism.

### Mounting method

How the fish feeder attaches to the tank: clamped or bracketed to the rim, or suction-mounted to the glass. A rim clamp or bracket works on an open-top tank but can conflict with a full-coverage lid or canopy; a suction mount sticks to the glass instead and works where there's no rim to clamp onto, at the cost of occasionally losing suction. [7] [8]

Values: tank_rim_clamp_or_bracket, suction_mount.
Question to ask: Does your tank have an open rim, or a full lid?

Used as: filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Rarely a dedicated field; inferred from product photos or the description mentioning 'clamp', 'bracket', or 'suction'.
Default to tank_rim_clamp_or_bracket, since it's the far more common mounting method.

### Wet food cooling method

How a wet-food-capable feeder keeps food safe between visits: a plain sealed bowl with no cooling, or an ice pack or actively chilled compartment. A sealed bowl alone only slows spoilage for a few hours at room temperature; an ice pack or an actively chilled compartment holds wet food at a safer temperature for a day or more, which is the difference between feeding wet food once and leaving it loaded while away. [6] [9]

Values: none_sealed_bowl_only, ice_pack_or_chilled_compartment.
Question to ask: Does wet food need to stay cold between visits?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Rarely a dedicated field; look for 'ice pack', 'chilled', 'thermoelectric', or 'refrigerated' in the wet-food feeder's bullets.
Default to none_sealed_bowl_only unless the listing names an ice pack, thermoelectric cooling, or a refrigerated compartment.

### Jam handling

Whether the dispensing mechanism does nothing special about jams, auto-reverses to clear an obstruction, or only alerts the app when one happens. An auger or impeller can jam on an odd-shaped treat or a stuck kibble piece; a mechanism that auto-reverses clears most jams without the owner noticing, while one that only sends an app alert still leaves the pet unfed until someone steps in. [3] [2]

Values: none, app_alert_only, auto_reverse_on_obstruction.
Question to ask: Should it clear jams on its own, or just alert you?

Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Rarely a dedicated field; look for 'auto-reverse', 'anti-jam', or 'jam alert' in the spec sheet or bullets.
Default to none unless the brand spec sheet names auto-reverse or an app jam alert.

### Freshness sealing

How well the reservoir or bowl is sealed against air, humidity, and insects between feedings: not at all, a simple sealed lid, or a multi-point ('quadruple') seal. An unsealed hopper lets humid air reach the kibble and lets flies or ants reach the bowl, both of which matter more in humid climates or houses with a pest problem; a sealed or multi-point-sealed design keeps food crisp and bugs out for longer between cleanings. [1] [3] [6]

Values: none, sealed_lid, multi_point_sealed.
Question to ask: Do you need the food and bowl sealed against bugs and humidity?

Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Look for 'airtight', 'sealed', or 'quadruple sealed' in the bullets; absence of any such claim means assume unsealed.
Keyword match 'airtight'/'sealed'/'quadruple sealed'; default to none when the listing says nothing about sealing.

### Feeding chamber ventilation

Whether the fish feeder's food chamber is a sealed compartment or actively vented to the air above the tank. A tank's surface air is humid, and a sealed chamber sitting right over it can let moisture in anyway and clump the food into one wedge that won't drop on schedule; active ventilation is built specifically to keep that humidity from reaching the food. [8]

Values: sealed_chamber, actively_ventilated_chamber.
Question to ask: Has clumped food ever jammed a feeder you've used before?

Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost high. Look for it as: Rarely stated; found only in the brand's own spec sheet, if at all.
Leave unknown unless the brand spec sheet explicitly claims ventilation; don't infer it from price or build quality alone.

## Numbers worth computing

| Metric | Formula | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Days of unattended feeding (days) | `reservoir_capacity_or_hopper_capacity / typical_daily_consumption` | The number a buyer actually needs when planning a trip: Catit states its ~2.9L reservoir covers about 2 weeks for one adult cat, so capacity alone is a poor proxy for autonomy without a consumption rate.  |

## What you give up

- An app-controlled feeder schedules exact portions and can show a camera feed, but if the Wi-Fi drops, the power goes out without a battery backup, or the auger jams on an odd-shaped treat, the pet doesn't eat until someone notices. [1] [3] Board branch: "More control, more that can go wrong".
- A gravity hopper needs no power and can't jam or lose Wi-Fi, but it only tops up a bowl as the pet empties it, so it can't portion meals, stop overeating, or hold wet food. [4] [5] Board branch: "Zero failure points, zero portion control".

## Words you will meet

- **Hopper**. The reservoir that holds a supply of dry food above the dispensing mechanism or bowl.
- **Impeller**. A rotating part inside the dispenser that pushes kibble through an opening to measure out a portion.
- **Auger**. A screw-shaped rotating part that moves kibble along as it turns, used by some feeders instead of an impeller.
- **RFID collar tag**. A small tag on a pet's collar that a feeder's lid can detect to decide whether to open for that pet.
- **Microchip pet feeder**. A feeder that reads a pet's implanted ID microchip and only opens its lid for the matching pet.
- **Portion**. One measured release of food, smaller than a full meal; a feeder may release several portions per scheduled meal.
- **Kibble**. Dry pelleted pet food, sized and shaped differently across brands, which is what dispensing mechanisms are built around.
- **BPA-free**. Made without Bisphenol A, a plastic additive some buyers avoid in anything that holds food.
- **Antimicrobial additive**. A substance mixed into plastic (branded 'Microban' on some feeders) meant to slow bacterial growth on the surface.
- **2.4GHz Wi-Fi**. The older, longer-range Wi-Fi band that most smart feeders support; some newer models also support the faster, shorter-range 5GHz band.
- **Freeze-dried food**. Food with its water removed under vacuum rather than heat, used in some fish diets and prone to clumping if it absorbs humidity.
- **Quadruple-sealed**. A manufacturer's marketing term for a reservoir sealed at four points against air and insects, rather than a standardised measurement.
- **Reservoir**. The enclosed container that holds a feeder's supply of food above the dispensing mechanism or bowl; called a hopper on gravity feeders.
- **Thermoelectric cooling**. An electric cooling method using a solid-state chip instead of a compressor or a removable ice pack, used by some wet-food feeders to keep meals chilled.

## Where we made a call

- Battery-backup runtime in hours is self-reported by each brand under its own test conditions and isn't directly comparable across brands. (confidence medium). Catit states about 58 hours on 4 C batteries for a full feeder; Sure Petcare states about 6 months on 4 C batteries for a lower-draw lid-only mechanism, so the figures measure different things. [3] [6]

## References

1. [PETLIBRO Granary Automatic Pet Feeder with Camera](https://petlibro.com/products/petlibro-granary-automatic-pet-feeder-with-camera) (spec sheet). Supports: 5L capacity, 20ml portion, 1-10 meals/day, 1-50 portions/meal, 2-15mm kibble; DC 5V adapter plus 3x D battery backup; Built-in camera with real-time two-way voice/audio; Reservoir described as quadruple sealed for freshness.
2. [PETLIBRO Granary 5G WiFi Automatic Pet Feeder](https://petlibro.com/products/petlibro-5g-wifi-automatic-pet-feeder) (spec sheet). Supports: 5L capacity, 20ml portion, 1-10 meals/day, 1-50 portions/meal, 2-15mm kibble (confirms granary camera feeder spec); Supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks; Battery backup via USB adapter plus batteries protects against power outages; Dual-bowl variant exists for feeding two pets from one unit, no recognition mentioned; Vane design and wide outlet prevent jamming; app sends a pop-up alert if a jam occurs.
3. [Catit PIXI Smart Feeder](https://www.catit.com/products/catit-pixi-smart-feeder) (spec sheet). Supports: Reservoir capacity ~2.9L / 1.2kg, feeds one adult cat about 2 weeks; Up to 12 meals/day, up to 12 portions/meal, kibble up to 9mm; Built-in Wi-Fi supports only 2.4GHz; Back-up battery ~58 hours on 4x C/LR14 batteries; Impeller rotates to dispense and auto-reverses to clear an obstruction; Stainless steel feeding dish; airtight seal on reservoir; Dry food/treats only, up to 9mm diameter.
4. [PetSafe Healthy Pet Food Station - Large (gravity feeder)](https://web.archive.org/web/20100217051651/http://www.petsafe.net:80/Products/Feed-and-Water-Systems/Gravity-Feed-Water-Systems/Healthy-Pet-Food-Station-Large.aspx) (spec sheet). Supports: Gravity feeding system with removable stainless steel bowl and BPA-free plastic hopper; Small/Medium/Large sizes hold 2/4/10 lbs of dry food; Lock-in hopper design to prevent knock-over and spills; dishwasher safe.
5. [Petmate Replendish Pet Feeder with Microban](https://www.petmate.com/products/petmate-replendish-pet-feeder-with-microban) (spec sheet). Supports: Gravity feeder; XSmall/Small/Medium variants hold 2/5/10 lbs of dry food; Bowl is antimicrobial-protected (Microban); reservoir is transparent plastic; Microban-protected base is top-rack dishwasher safe.
6. [SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder](https://www.surepetcare.com/en-us/pet-feeder/microchip-pet-feeder) (spec sheet). Supports: Lid opens only for the registered pet's microchip or SureFlap RFID collar tag; stays closed for other pets; Suitable for both wet and dry food; sealed bowl keeps food fresher and fly-free; Bowl capacity 400ml or two wet-food pouches; Runs about 6 months on 4x C-cell batteries with a low-battery indicator; optional Wi-Fi hub (2.4GHz) for app monitoring.
7. [Aquarium fish feeder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquarium_fish_feeder) (primer). Supports: Fish feeders clamp to the tank wall over the water; a timer rotates a hopper to dispense at intervals; Most feeders dispense flake, pellet, or freeze-dried food; individual small hoppers allow more accurate dosing of mixed foods; Used to prevent overeating and to feed fish precisely while an aquarist is away.
8. [EHEIM autofeeder / autofeeder+](https://www.eheim.com/aquaristik/zubehoer/fuettern/autofeeder/eheim-autofeeder) (spec sheet). Supports: Standard autofeeder runs on batteries; autofeeder+ runs on a safety low-voltage AC adapter with no battery; autofeeder+ adds built-in Wi-Fi and app scheduling of multiple feeding times; Food chamber capacity about 125ml and is actively ventilated to limit humidity/clumping; Includes a bracket for mounting on open aquariums or terrariums.
9. [PETLIBRO Polar Wet Food Feeder](https://petlibro.com/products/polar-wet-food-pet-feeder) (spec sheet). Supports: Keeps 3 refrigerated meals fresh for 3 days using thermoelectric cooling, no ice pack needed; Cooling pauses briefly before each scheduled serving so food isn't cold when the pet eats; Wi-Fi connected, app-powered scheduling; Antibacterial, dishwasher-safe stainless steel bowl.