These 5 Automatic Cat Feeders Were the Best We Tested

The One RFID Smart Feeder from Petlibro shows just how far automatic cat-feeding technology has come. For this feeder, the pet wears a collar with a tag in which the feeder’s lid opens only with that tag. There's a cover that retracts automatically when the pet with the collar approaches the stainless steel food bowl (which is removable for washing and is dishwasher safe). The sensor in the pad in front will be activated, and the cover will retract over the kibble when the cat leaves, ensuring that only the chosen pet with the collar can access the food.

The 3-liter feeder relies on the Petlibro app, which allows the owner to create up to 10 feeding schedules whose amounts can be modified anytime, including on-demand feeding. Like our other automatic Petlibro feeder picks, the app collects the data and tracks trends in your pet’s consumption, and owners control everything from the app. The automatic lid is customizable too, as you can switch on the app to leave the lid in “open mode” or adjust how long the lid stays open after your pet walks away from it.

Overall, I think this is a nearly perfect device for a particular kind of pet owner. I think it works best for a cat in a dog home where the owner doesn’t want the dog getting into the cat’s food, if each pet in the home has a One RFID feeder, if one particular cat has special dietary needs, or if you have a multi-cat home with an aggressive eater. In these cases, I truly think this product would be a life-changer. (If you get a One RFID for each pet, it’s recommended that you space them at least 10 inches apart to avoid any interference.)

One of my only complaints with the device is that the lid doesn’t get super flush to the wall when retracted, and my cat won’t eat the food that is near the back of the bowl. The QR code tag comes on a super-flimsy collar that kept loosening, but there is the option to detach it and put it on your pet’s own collar, which I did, and it worked great after. Although the One RFID isn’t right for my cats, I would recommend it to anyone who has pets with differing food needs.

Can be used with cats or very small dogs.