Vacation Cat Feeder: Power Cuts, Wi-Fi and Daily Checks

How long can a cat be left with an automatic feeder?

About a day without a check, whatever the hopper holds. Cornell's Feline Health Center says loss of appetite can severely affect an adult cat's health within as little as 24 hours. A jammed or empty feeder would leave a cat without food until someone notices.

Sure Petcare, whose SureFeed has no timer, says not to rely on it to sustain a cat for more than 24 hours. Hoppers can hold far more: oneisall claims its 5 L model feeds two cats for up to 10 days. International Cat Care still advises leaving your cat with a trusted friend, relative or pet sitter.

What happens to an automatic feeder in a power cut?

Most timed kibble feeders here run on mains power with batteries as backup. On batteries, meals usually keep coming, but smart features may switch off.

What each brand says keeps working on backup power:

• PETLIBRO Granary Smart Feeder (Wi-Fi): meals still run, but Wi-Fi, the record button and reset switch off.
• PETLIBRO Granary 2 Vision: its built-in battery keeps Wi-Fi, the camera, pet recognition and schedules going about 48 hours. The Granary 2 without a camera lasts about 24 hours.
• PETKIT Fresh Element Solo: up to about 7 days on five AAA batteries.
• PETKIT YumShare Solo 2: up to about 14 days on AAA batteries, with the camera switched off.
• Pawsync Smart Pet Feeder: up to about 6 days on three D batteries.
• oneisall PFD-001 Pro: the schedule keeps running, but the app can't be used.
• PawsPik: meals dispense for up to about 3 days, but chip reading, buttons and the app stop. Any pet can then eat.
• HoneyGuardian SF35: scheduled meals and tag reading work on AA batteries; the app and Wi-Fi don't.

Some feeders mention no backup at all. PetSafe's FreshFeed and Furdear's Europa wet-food feeders run on mains power, and neither brand mentions a battery.

Two selective bowls skip the plug entirely. SureFeed runs about six months on four C batteries, and ePawDen's built-in battery lasts about 3 to 6 months per charge. Neither has a timer.

See timed feeders with battery backup (23 feeders)

What happens if the Wi-Fi goes down?

Meals usually keep coming. PETLIBRO says schedules stored on its feeders don't depend on the network. Furdear says its Europa keeps its schedule if Wi-Fi drops, and Sure Petcare says the SureFeed Connect works normally if its Hub loses internet.

Without Wi-Fi, though, the app can't reach the feeder, so you can't check it from afar.

Simpler feeders skip Wi-Fi and are set on the feeder itself. Examples are the VOLUAS 4 L feeder, IMIPAW's 3 L, the Nityers QQ21, PETLIBRO's 3 L Granary and oneisall's 5 L for two cats. Nothing depends on the network, and nothing reports back either.

How do I set up a feeder before a trip?

1. Fit fresh backup batteries

   PETLIBRO, PawsPik, PETKIT, Pawsync and VOLUAS don't include them. PETLIBRO says batteries are an emergency backup, not the main power source.

2. Run the schedule at home first

   Watch a few meals drop before you leave. VOLUAS advises rechecking the clock and schedule after any outage or battery change.

3. Change the desiccant

   PETLIBRO suggests a new desiccant bag every two weeks in its Granary, to prevent mould.

4. Book a daily check

   A friend, neighbour or sitter should see the cat and the bowl every day, given Cornell's 24-hour warning.

To compare every checked feeder by power and app, use the feeder finder. For one pick per need, see our picks for each feeding need.