Cat Feeder RFID Guide: Microchip vs Collar-Tag Feeders

How does a microchip cat feeder work?

Sure Petcare's manual describes the design. Sensors in the hoop detect your cat's head, the reader checks its microchip or collar tag, and the lid opens. If an unregistered pet tries to eat, the lid stays shut, or closes if it was open.

Feeders that do this come in two kinds. A selective feeder guards a bowl that you fill by hand. A hybrid also dispenses scheduled meals, and opens only for its paired pet.

See feeders that open only for registered cats (7 feeders)

Selective or hybrid: which do you need?

Pick a selective feeder for wet food. Sure Petcare's manual says the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder has no timer, and ePawDen says its current feeder has no automatic feeding. Both brands say their bowls take wet and dry food.

Pick a hybrid for timed kibble meals. PETLIBRO's One RFID and the PawsPik Microchip Pet Feeder each schedule up to 10 meals a day. Both say dry food only, and each feeder pairs with one pet.

Will a feeder read my cat's microchip?

It depends on your cat's chip standard. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) says a true ISO chip carries a 15-digit numeric code. It uses FDX-B technology at 134.2 kHz.

England made microchips compulsory for pet cats on 10 June 2024. Cats must be chipped before 20 weeks old, or owners risk a fine of up to £500. The regulations require ISO chips that respond to a 134.2 kHz FDX-B reader.

Ohio State's veterinary college notes the US has no national chip standard. It lists 125 kHz and 128 kHz chips in use beside 134.2 kHz ISO chips. WSAVA describes US HomeAgain chips as 10-character FDX-A codes read at 125 kHz.

Brands split on what their feeders read:

• Sure Petcare says the SureFeed works with all identification microchips worldwide.
• ePawDen reads 15-digit ISO FDX-B chips only. It says 9- and 10-digit chips are not supported.
• PawsPik reads ISO FDX-B chips only, and its returns policy excludes incompatible chips.

Find the chip number in your vet records and count the characters. WSAVA's description means a 15-digit number points to an ISO chip, and a 10-character code with letters does not.

Which feeders work with a collar tag only?

PETLIBRO says the One RFID reads only its own collar tag, not microchips or other brands' tags. Vancpet says its RFID feeder works with the included collar tag, not implanted microchips. HoneyGuardian's SF35 also opens for its collar tag, with no mention of reading implanted chips.

PapaPaw's DietMatch takes a third route: the brand says it recognises each cat by face, so no chip or collar is needed. Unlike the tag hybrids, it takes wet food as well as dry.

Compare collar-tag feeders (6 feeders)

How long does training take?

Plan on at least a week, and longer for a nervous cat. Sure Petcare's manual sets out these steps:

1. Let your cat eat with the lid open

   Use the feeder for a couple of days with no lid movement at all.

2. Add lid movement in three stages

   Each press of the training button closes the lid a little more. Sure Petcare suggests a few days for each stage.

3. Move on only when your cat is relaxed

   The manual says each stage can take days or weeks. A cautious pet can need several weeks.

Until the later stages, pets can eat from each other's feeders, the manual adds. Other brands offer gentler starts. PawsPik has an Open mode for cats that aren't food-motivated, and HoneyGuardian suggests starting with lid closing turned off.

Can one chip feeder keep two diets apart?

No. A selective feeder only keeps out pets that aren't registered on it. Every cat you register can open it, so it can't keep a diet cat's food from the others.

For a cat on a special diet in a multi-cat home, use two feeders. Register only the diet cat on one, with its diet food. Register the other cats on the second, so the diet cat can't eat their food.

Sure Petcare's manual recommends each pet has its own feeder for correct control of individual diets. Cats on the same food can still share a SureFeed, which stores up to 32 pets. PawsPik and PETLIBRO's One RFID pair with one pet each, so they mean one feeder per cat.

What are the limits?

• No guarantee: Sure Petcare says it can't fully guarantee every other pet is kept out. ePawDen says its current version can't completely stop other cats trying.
• Hard-to-read chips: ePawDen says pairing can fail because of chip format, implant position or nearby interference. Sure Petcare suggests the tag if a chip has moved.
• Power cuts: PawsPik keeps feeding on backup batteries, but chip and tag sensing switch off.
• No timer on selective bowls: Sure Petcare says not to rely on the SureFeed for more than 24 hours for a cat.

Feeding a stray? Read whether a microchip feeder works for a stray cat. If the food thief is a dog, see how to keep a dog out of cat food.

Which one fits your home?

Registered pets only

SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder

Why it fits: the broadest chip support of these feeders, wet or dry food, and up to 32 pets sharing one feeder.

Recognises your cat by

Implanted microchip or Collar tag

Microchip standard

All ID microchips, the brand says

Pets it can register

Up to 32, all able to open it

Food

Dry, Wet

Capacity

0.4 L

$169.99amazon.com price as of Oct 15, 10:26 PM UTCSee it on Amazon

Registered pets only

ePawDen Microchip Pet Feeder

Why it fits: a rechargeable covered bowl for a cat with a 15-digit ISO chip.

Recognises your cat by

Implanted microchip or Collar tag

Microchip standard

15-digit ISO (FDX-B) only

Food

Dry, Wet, Raw

Capacity

0.5 L

Power

Rechargeable battery

$135.99amazon.com price as of Oct 15, 10:26 PM UTCSee it on Amazon

Timed + registered pets only

PawsPik Microchip Pet Feeder

Why it fits: timed dry meals behind a door that opens for one cat's ISO chip or tag.

Recognises your cat by

Implanted microchip or Collar tag

Microchip standard

15-digit ISO (FDX-B) only

Food

Dry

Capacity

3.85 L

Portion size

About 10 g

$249.99amazon.com price as of Oct 15, 10:26 PM UTCSee it on Amazon

For a rechargeable alternative to SureFeed, see the ePawDen Microchip Pet Feeder. Two head-to-heads cover the most common choices: SureFeed vs PETLIBRO One RFID and SureFeed vs ePawDen.