Aspen Le Bistro Portion-Control Automatic Pet Feeder
One of the most common struggles of modern-day pet ownership is a frustrating lack of time. Our jobs, relationships and hobbies can overtake our schedules spontaneously in ways we often feel little control over. Unfortunately, when last minute obligations, heavy traffic, surprise meetings or phone calls arise, it can be our fur-babies that suffer the most. If the pet owner is not there to let the animal out or fill the food bowl, they might go hungry. Or will they?
This is where modern inventions really come to the rescue. Tools like doggy doors, indoor pee-pee patches and litter boxes deal with the pet-waste, and now there are also timed food-dispensers that make sure your pets gets their dinner right when they need it. Here is how these little lifesavers work, and why they are a fantastic way for pet parents to feed their animals on the go.
How Automatic Food Dispensers Work
There are several kinds of automatic pet feeders. Some simple auto-feeders have a large “tank” of stored food that will fill a cat or dog bowl when it is empty. These are great if your pet is naturally good at portion control, but for animals that can eat all day long, it can be a dangerous path to obesity. The dog or cat may learn that once they clean out the bowl, more food will be waiting for them shortly.
However there are other kinds of feeders that prove very helpful in not only giving your pet food right on time, but also in a limiting portion size. 2-Meal automatic dispensers have timers that can be set for each enclosed tin. Once the time is reached, the lid will lift away from the food bowl, giving your kitty or pup access to their lunch. 5-day dispensers are shaped in a circle, and have a rotating lid with an opening that rests right above a kibble-filled bowl. When the next day’s timer goes off, the lid will shift to the right, covering yesterday’s empty bowl, and exposing a fresh scoop of food for the next 24-hour period.
Warnings to Remember
Having a time-dispenser feeder does not mean that we encourage owners to leave their cats for several days unattended. The temptation with cats can be that having a litter box and a food dispenser makes them 100% wholly independent from needing their owner. Cats still require human interactions, playtime, exercise and supervision, and really shouldn’t be left alone for long. The time-feeder is meant to be a support not a replacement for a pet-sitter.
If you use an automatic feeder for your dog or cat, you will not be as actively engaged with their eating habits. Since providing them food will no longer be your day-to-day routine, it will be difficult to gauge any changes in the times and the amounts they eat. If you pup has not had an appetite in a few days, you may not be able to see the untouched portions until you go back to refill at the end of the 5-day rotation. Automatic time-feeders are meant to help you avoid problems in your life, rather than masking or creating them, so be sure to use these tools wisely.
Note: If you have been a faithful reader of PetCareFacts.com, you will notice that we recommend feeding a variety of kinds of foods (such as wet and canned pet foods, mashes, supplements and dry food). If you plan to primarily use a pet food dispenser for your cat or dog, we recommend serving the dry food in conjunction with a balanced diet of raw, archetypal and canned pet foods.
