6 Best Smart Pet Feeders

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By Camryn Rabideau, Reader's Digest

What Are Smart Pet Feeders?

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If you've ever come home late from work to a disgruntled dog, or been woken up at the crack of dawn by a hungry cat, you likely understand the appeal of a smart pet feeder.

These high-tech feeders connect to your phone via Bluetooth or WiFi, allowing you to create an automatic meal schedule for your furry friend, or remotely feed them when you're not home. It's a great way to ensure your pet always eats on time. Many smart pet feeders offer additional features, such as voice commands, portion control, cameras and more.

Best All-Around

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The PetSafe Smart Feed Automatic Feeder is one of the best options out there, thanks to its sizable 24-cup hopper, useful features and sleek design. It can feed your cat or dog portions from 1/8 cup up to four cups, and there's a "meal splitter" accessory you can buy separately if you need to feed multiple pets at once.

In addition to meal scheduling and remote feeding, this gadget has a low food sensor and accepts voice commands via Amazon Alexa. You can even set it up to automatically order more food via Amazon Dash Replacement when it senses there's only a little left. How's that for convenient? The unit has an MSRP of around $200, but it's often on sale for less.

Best Budget-Friendly

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One of the more affordable smart pet feeders you can buy is the AIIYME Automatic Food Dispenser. This $80 model isn't as flexible as others in portion size — it doles out 10-gram portions, and you can choose between one and 20 portions per meal — but you can program up to six feedings per day or trigger remote feedings through the app. Another nice feature of this product is its dual power sources. It plugs into an electrical socket but has battery backup in case the power goes out.

Best with Camera

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The WOPET Smart Feeder not only feeds your pet, but allows you to check in on them throughout the day with its built-in high-definition camera. You can view the live video feed from your phone and even talk to your pet through the two-way microphone. The WOPET Feeder costs $170 and comes with two food dispensing trays to fit different types of kibble. It dispenses food in 10-gram portions, letting you choose between one and 39 portions per meal.

Best with Alexa

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If you already have a house full of smart devices, chances are you look for new gadgets that can be integrated with your existing setup. Luckily for you, the super modern PETKIT Automatic Pet Feeder, which costs $140, works with Amazon Alexa, allowing you to control it via voice commands. This model lets you schedule up to 10 meals per day, ranging from 1/5-cup to four cups at a time. It also features a low-food sensor, battery backup and tight seals to keep your pet's food fresh.

Best for Treats

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If you're only interested in giving your pet treats through the smart feeder, you'll love the top-rated Furbo Dog Camera. Pricey at $200, this smart gadget includes lots of features, including a high-definition camera, two-way audio and compatibility with Amazon Alexa. You can use the Furbo to toss your dog (or cat) treats, even when you're away from home, and it will send barking alerts to your phone if your dog makes a ruckus.

Best Pet Proof

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Food-motivated pets often find ways to "break into" unsecured feeders, whether by knocking the top off or pressing the manual feed button. Prevent your furry friends from helping themselves to an additional meal with the DOGNESS Automatic WiFi Smart Feeder. This $160 model features a unique locking lid on its 6-1/2-lb. hopper, and its manual feed button must be held down for several seconds before it dispenses food. Additionally, this smart feeder has a built-in camera to keep tabs on your pet, as well as a voice recording feature and battery backup.

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