PetSafe Smart Feed
Uses a conveyor rather than an auger, so it jams far less than typical Wi-Fi feeders. The app is one of the more stable ones, with meal history and alerts, and there's a slow-feed…
Top picks
Our #1 pick in each feeders & fountains guide
PetLibro Dockstream Stainless Steel
A stainless-steel bowl on a large reservoir, with a genuinely quiet pump and a battery-powered "wireless" version that runs off a rechargeable pack so you're not tethered to an…
Outward Hound Fun Feeder Slo-Bowl
A floor-level bowl with raised ridges that make a dog work around them to get the food, which slows down gulping. Since eating fast was one of the risk factors in the bloat…
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Buying guides
Guides in Feeders & Fountains
Feeders & Fountains
Automatic Pet Feeders: Buying Guide
Automatic pet feeders compared: stainless steel vs ceramic bowls, rust and scratch resistance, dishwasher-safe parts, battery backup and jams. 7 picks.
12 min read · Updated November 11, 2026
Feeders & Fountains
Best Cat Water Fountains
Quiet, easy-to-clean cat water fountains compared: stainless vs ceramic vs plastic, filter costs and pump noise. 7 picks.
8 min read · Updated November 10, 2026
Feeders & Fountains
Elevated Dog Bowls for Large Breeds: Are They Safe? (Bloat Research)
Are raised dog bowls safe for large breeds? What the bloat research says, when a vet may recommend one, and which bowls to buy.
6 min read · Updated November 4, 2026An automatic feeder is only useful if it dispenses the same amount every time, doesn’t jam on your kibble shape, and keeps working when the power blips. A fountain is only useful if you’ll realistically clean it every week.
Our guides compare reported portion consistency from owner feedback, hopper capacity and airtightness, battery backup, app reliability vs. a simple dial, and — the thing owners underrate until they own one — how many parts you have to wash and whether they’re dishwasher-safe.
What we look at
- Portion accuracy: variance per meal, minimum portion size for cats.
- Jam resistance: auger vs. rotating-tray designs; kibble size tolerance.
- Power: DC adapter plus battery backup; behavior after an outage.
- Control: on-device buttons vs. Wi-Fi app; does scheduling survive a reset.
- Cleaning: number of parts, dishwasher-safe hopper, gasket access.
- Fountains: pump noise, filter cost over a year, BPA-free materials.
More cat gear: cat trees · grooming tools.
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