The Benefits & Considerations of Automatic Feeders for Your Pet

The other day, my husband and I woke up with a start. It was six AM. What was that sound? We quickly realized it was our dog barking, and, still bleary eyed, ran downstairs to fetch him.

Before that morning, our dog Barlow had never woken up before us (we have a four year-old, too, so usually that’s his job). Barlow has generally been content to wait for us to come downstairs and prepare his favorite breakfast—Hill’s Pet Nutrition, of course—so I’d never given much thought to automatic feeders. But this newfound early bird behavior prompted me to look into it.

Automatic feeders are appliances which dispense food for your pet. They’re usually programmable, meaning that you can set the amount of food, the number of mealtimes, and the time that your pet is fed. There are models that sync with apps, and let you control the feeder or make changes with your phone.

But how would an automatic feeder improve ours and Barlow’s life? I decided it was time to find out.

The Benefits of Automatic Feeders

To start, automatic feeders are convenient. After all, there are a lot of things to do in this life, and this removes one from your list. If you’re swamped with tasks related to work, home, or kids, it’s helpful to know that feeding your pet won’t get lost in the shuffle—it’s taken care of. This can also provide peace of mind that you didn’t forget, and eliminate those “oh no, it’s already 10am and I haven’t fed the dog yet” moments that leave you wracked with guilt.

Automatic feeders—along with training your pet into a regular mealtime routine—can also help if you have a pet who wants to eat when you’re not available (for example, at six a.m.). I’m lucky that both my husband and I work from home, but if you’re someone who leaves home for the work day, an automatic feeder can be a lifesaver.

And the benefits aren’t purely owner-based. Automatic feeders ensure that your pet is fed at the same times every day, which helps them maintain a schedule. The feeders can also help keep kibble fresh, and are a great way to practice portion control for your pet. Overfeeding can be a health issue for both dogs and cats, and can lead to problems like diabetes and inflammatory conditions like arthritis.

You should always measure your pet's food, but we know that human error exists, and you may feel guilty resisting their pleading looks for more—you're only human, after all. An automatic feeder controls for that by offering only the amount it is programmed to provide, which can help to regulate weight.

Things to Consider

Automatic feeders are not the answer for every pet owner. Here are a few reasons you might want to continue to feed your pets yourself.

Firstly, if you have multiple pets, odds are good that an automatic feeder won’t work for you. Not all animals are obsessed with each other’s food, of course, but many are, and without a human there to monitor them, pets may stray from their own bowls and eat food that’s not ideal for them.

And while there are automatic feeders that can dish out for multiple pets, they tend to skew on the expensive side—and should not be used with food-reactive pets in a multi-pet household unless they are monitored, or individual feeders can be used with pets in separate rooms or crates.

It’s also important to consider your pet’s size and temperament. Generally, automatic feeders work best for cats and for smaller dogs—so if you’ve got a larger animal, it may not be a fit. Got a particularly sensitive pup or kitty? They may be scared by the noise when the feeder dispenses food, which could cause them to avoid it and miss meals.

And it’s important to stay on top of cleaning an automatic feeder, so food stays fresher longer for your pets. It’s also recommended to keep the original pet food bag to retain feeding instructions and bar code information—and consider that the overall shelf life of your food may change when not stored inside the bag.

Finally—and this is the headline—automatic feeders are never a substitute for human interaction. They can be a wonderful tool as part of your life as a pet owner, offering your animal the nourishment they need in the right amounts when you can’t be there. But they should never be used as a replacement for you, a human being who provides not just food but rubs, snuggles, compliments, and love.

Another way to show your love? With high quality food that gives your pet the nutrients they need to help them live a happy and healthy life. Hill’s Pet Nutrition is backed by science in every bowl, and supports your pet in every lifestage with a variety of formulas and delicious flavors that your pet will love.

With support for every size and age, you can leave the pet parent guilt behind, knowing your pet is getting the nutrition they deserve with Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

Because you’re only human—there’s Hill’s.