The best automatic pet feeders you can buy

Why you'll love it: One of the few automatic feeders to accommodate wet food, the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder opens only for the designated pet.

Many automatic feeders aren't designed to work with wet food, but the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder can accommodate both wet and dry food. This feeder comes with a single gray bowl, as well as a split gray bowl that allows you to dispense both wet and dry food. The sealed bowl design keeps the food fresher, since the cover only opens when your pet is nearby to eat.

This feeder is also ideal for multi-pet homes where you need to prevent pets from eating each other's food, such as when one is on a prescription diet or when one pet needs more or less food than the other. This feeder can be paired with a pet's existing microchip, or put the included RFID tag on your pet's collar. When your pet approaches, the feeder recognizes the microchip or collar tag, and opens up. It automatically closes when your pet moves away, so other pets can't access the food. The feeder can store up to 32 pet identities and retains this information even when the batteries are removed.

The feeder is powered by four C batteries, and the batteries last for six months. Thanks to the battery power, you can move this feeder anywhere and position it so that it's out of the way.

The SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder has a 4.5 out of 5-star Amazon rating based on 293 reviews. Justa Person has used this feeder to keep three cats' food separate: "Perfect to separate cats' food. It prevents bully cats from taking others' food. It allows me to know how much and exactly what each cat has eaten. The cats learned to use these fairly easily."

Pirate Captain also found this feeder easy to program and use: "These dishes have solved my problems!!! I have two cats on two different prescription diets and two kittens that need their own nutritious kitten food! They are so easy to program them to your cat's microchips!"

Pros: Accommodates wet and dry food, ensures only the right pet gets the right food

Cons: Not suitable for larger pets, limited food capacity

Buy the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder on Amazon for $157.50

Why you'll love it: The PetSafe 5-Meal Pet Feeder offers timed control over your pet's meals, all at an affordable price.

Automatic pet feeders don't have to be expensive to be effective, and the PetSafe 5-Meal Pet Feeder is proof of that. This pet feeder is economically priced but still has plenty of features to allow you to customize your pet's feeding. The digital timer lets you set feeding times in one-hour increments, and you can feed up to five meals per day.

The feeder's design helps to keep food fresh, which is particularly valuable if you're using the feeder across the span of multiple days. The five sections of the tray each hold up to one cup of food. Then, the tray rotates at the designated time, allowing your pet to access the next portion of food.

Do note that because one tray is always exposed, this food will be immediately available for your pet. You can schedule four additional meals with the trays that are not exposed.

This feeder is powered by four D-cell batteries. It includes an LCD so you can easily set mealtimes. The tray is also removable and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning. While the feeder isn't loaded with some of the features that you'll find in higher-end models, it does have the essential functions you need to feed your pets throughout the day, or over the span of a few days.

The PetSafe 5-Meal Pet Feeder has a 4.1 out of 5-star Amazon rating based on 2,650 reviews. Kristin B. credited the feeder with helping her to finally get some sleep: “Our cat is still getting used to it but we've seen a difference already with how she doesn't wake us up that much. It has five different chambers to put food in which is great for portion control since we have our cat on a diet. The feeder was very easy to program with the times we wanted the next serving of food available.”

Glenn Morse has owned this feeder for 10 years: “It's reliable in terms of actually feeding, which I think is the most important. If the batteries are going to die, it gives you lots of warning, so it doesn't just stop feeding your pet one morning, and it always moves to the exact position, so they can't get at two compartments or be unable to get into the new one. Batteries last years, which is also great.”

Pros: LCD makes it easy to set mealtimes, design helps to keep food fresh

Cons: Limited meal capacity, limited number of meals, battery powered only

Buy the PetSafe 5-Meal Pet Feeder on Amazon for $52.95

Why you'll love it: The PortionProRx Automatic Pet Feeder offers generous capacity, the ability to feed up to six meals per day, and a system that ensures other pets don’t steal food.

If you have multiple dogs, multiple cats, or a combination of cats and dogs in your home, ensuring that each pet gets its food — and its food alone — can be a challenge when you’re not around to supervise meals. The PortionProRx Automatic Pet Feeder helps to solve that problem.

This feeder comes with an RFID tag, and will only open up the protective barrier when it recognizes the pet wearing that specific tag. Other nosy pets won’t be able to steal food. The problem is that it only includes one tag, so if you want additional tags, you'd need to buy it separately. Another bummer: The tag is expensive.

This feeder is an excellent choice when it comes to portion control. You can feed up to six meals per day, and can feed between half-cup to 6 cups of food per meal. For a pet who tends to scarf down food, gets bored between meals, or simply tends to overeat, this feeder can feed small, frequent meals throughout the day, even when you’re unavailable.

Plenty of thought has gone into this feeder’s quality design. The access control system only opens when a pet wearing the appropriate RFID tag is within 2 feet of the feeder. The self-locking lid is pet proof, so even the most determined pets won’t be able to get into the storage container. Plus, the system is equipped with a sensor that recognizes if a pet is trying to reach up through the dispenser door to steal more food. If this occurs, the door will close at a low force to prevent food theft.

The PortionProRx Automatic Pet Feeder has a 4.1 out of 5-star Amazon rating based on 17 reviews. Devin uses two of these feeders to keep two cats on their appropriate diets: "The scheduling lets me feed them dry food four times a day without having to worry about forgetting to fill the bowl if I leave the house … These feeders make meal times worry-free and easy."

Just Us has two cats on two different prescription diets and found the feeders worked well: "Almost immediately, both cats were at their own dishes, eating their own food, and when they crossed to the wrong bowl, it closed right up. It works perfectly, and I'm actually sort of surprised, I expected at least some small hiccups, but nope!"

Pros: Generous capacity, ability to feed up to six meals a day, designed to prevent other pets from stealing food

Cons: Expensive, each pet must wear RFID tag, additional tags are costly

Buy the PortionProRx Automatic Pet Feeder on Amazon for $199

Why you'll love it: Able to hold up to 20 cups of food, the WOpet 7L Automatic Pet Feeder is ideal for feeding large volumes of food.

If you need to dispense a large amount of food, the WOpet 7L Automatic Pet Feeder has the generous capacity you need. The 7-liter capacity accommodates 20 cups of dry pet food, and you can schedule up to four feedings each day. This feeder offers excellent customization of portion sizes, with the ability to serve portions ranging from 2 teaspoons to 4.5 cups. Food pellets must measure between 0.2 to 0.6 inches in diameter in order to work with this feeder.

You can also easily record a brief voice message that will sound to alert your pet to mealtimes. This feeder also features a battery backup to ensure that it operates even during a power outage. The inner compartment is removable and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. It comes with a small portion dish and a large portion dish, so you can choose the appropriate dish for your needs.

The WOpet 7L Automatic Pet Feeder has a 4.4 out of 5-star Amazon rating based on 347 reviews. Adrian McDonald uses this feeder for her dog: “I purchased this because my dog is fat and is now on strict diet. Typically I fed her in the morning and at night — but now she eats four small meals a day. Because I work, this wasn't an option for me until I bought this feeder.”

Jim K also had a positive experience with this feeder. “I love that you have the option to plug it in the wall outlet and it's very easy to change the feed times and amounts. My cat was getting overweight on the self-feeder and this was the best way to control the amount of cat food she could eat per day.”

Pros: Generous capacity, ability to schedule up to four feedings per day, battery backup

Cons: Finding the right portion size can take some trial and error

Buy the WOpet 7L Automatic Pet Feeder on Amazon for $89.95