Has anyone had any issues with cats outsmarting the bowl? I am afraid our fat cat will sit next to the bowl and wait for another cat to come up and eat and then eat while th bowl is open for them - can this happen? We have 5 healthy cats who free feed and one who eats constantly and is overwieght. They are on a high quailty grain free low carb high protein diet, so the food itself is not an issue. We want to limit the big guy's access without limiting our other cats - especially one who has jaw problems and eats very slowly. We really don't want to isolate anyone. Has anyone had any issues with cats outsmarting the bowl? I am afraid our fat cat will sit next to the bowl and wait for another cat to come up and eat and then eat while th bowl is open for them... » Read More Has anyone had any issues with cats outsmarting the bowl? I am afraid our fat cat will sit next to the bowl and wait for another cat to come up and eat and then eat while th bowl is open for them - can this happen? We have 5 healthy cats who free feed and one who eats constantly and is overwieght. They are on a high quailty grain free low carb high protein diet, so the food itself is not an issue. We want to limit the big guy's access without limiting our other cats - especially one who has jaw problems and eats very slowly. We really don't want to isolate anyone. « Show Less
1878866
Oh yes, it happens in my home. One of my cats acts like I never feed him, we'll call him fatcat. I use the Wonderbowl for skinnycat and put it on top of the refrigerator so its a little deterrent for fatcat. However, I have caught fatcat up there many times waiting for skinnycat to decide to eat. I don't really have a solution but canned air seems to bother fatcat, so I use that as a deterrent. Mealtime is a circus in my home :)
1878867
Absolutely. Both my cat have figured out that if they are eating together they can simply switch bowls.
1878868
My fat cat tried that and did successfully grab a couple of bites before the lid closed on his head. It wasn't too bad, but the main problem I had was when my finicky cat would eat, the sensor on the collar would be hidden thus shutting it on his head! I wound up returning this product because I could not fix the collar so the sensor would remain active for my cat to actually eat.
1878869
I have one cats that has outsmarted my other feeders and she has yet to break into this one. When my smaller cat eats it opens up and then when she walks away there is a slight delay when it closes, and sometimes my other cat will get maybe one piece of kibble but then the lid will close and she can't get into anymore. I got them both a feeder so the bigger cat wouldn't feel left out. I also try to separate their feeding spaces by at least a couple of feet. This has worked great and I have noticed that the bigger cat has lost some much needed weight.
1878870
This does not seem to be a problem. Our cats will not approach each other's bowls while the other cat is still eating. The bowl closes fairly quickly after the cat that is eating moves away.
1631056
we got this bowl for our dog. our cat has cystitis and dry food makes her flare up worst. she kept eating our dogs food so we got the bowl. she hasn't figured out how to open the bowl on her own but a couple times she has tricked our dog over to the dish so it would open.
1878871
I would put it in a corner or inside a box that will only allow one cat at a time to eat from one angle, then do your best to keep the fat one away when you see him hovering
1878872
The cat will have a sensor hanging from their collar in order for the lid to open. I think you'll be fine with this purchase. We had a similar situation with our pets and this fixed our problem.
437281
Cats' digestive systems are built to handle raw meat just fine, so I wouldn't worry about that. However they really are supposed to be treats so if there's still some left in the bowl when you get home from work, you're probably over-feeding.
1872828
Sorry I can't answer this-you'd have to call the manufacturer. I can say I've had the super feeder about a year now and I have had no problems. My fat cat has lost needed weight and the feeder allows us to leave for a weekend with no worries.
2217573
My cat used to do that with my other feeder but this one does not allow for that. There is a plastic sort of "paddle wheel" inside that dispenses the food so it pretty much stops them from doing it (except for what ever is left on the wheel).
620896
Our cat wouldn't eat anything for awhile. We had to syringe feed it to start then his liver enzymes got better (from eating) and he will now.... it depends on what is wrong with your cat.
2164365
I got mine for my cat. He was still able to tip it, so I got one of those black boot trays and velcroed the bowl to the tray, problem solved!!!! At least, when he did tip it, it wasn't as big of a mess as with a regular bowl!!!
1830418
My cats will not eat this by itself. I give them a 1/4 teaspoon in their wet food. They get about two tablespoons of wet food. I'm not sure how it mixes with dry food. Is having separate bowls an option for wet food?
1645668
We have 3 of the "PetSafe Electronic Pet Feeder 5 meal" and they are great for our 2 cats and one puppy. All three pets are found sitting right in front of the feeders 30 minutes before the 6 PM and 7 AM feed times to arrive. It eliminated the pets from bugging us in the morning wanting their food, and if we are away from home we don't need to worry about them not getting their food. To answer your question, the pets can't get to the food by turning the feeder over, and for some reason they haven't tried.
735245
I have the same concerns. But to be honest you can't have that much produce in a cat food that is only 4 percent carbohydrate. I think it is just a marketing ploy and the food contains very little vegetable matter. Certainly not as much as the label wants you to believe. The can is not brimming with fruits and veggies. I might see one blueberry skin and a small cube or orange stuff (carrots?) in a 12.5 ounce can. When I do I just pick it out of the can. My girl has severe allergies and I wish they made an affordable food that didn't contain all that stuff.
86004
Our big male "Precious" cat is the biggest and most spoiled cat (or one of them) in the world. This is the ONLY dry food he will eat!!! Of course, this is after he is playing his tricks to try and get "people" food (salman, tuna, etc.) He does know when "enough is enough" when we refuse to give in to him too much, and finally will go right to this one dry food--one big bowl will last him about 2-3 days, depending on how much we "fall for his tricks" and give in to him in small quantities--canned tune, salmon, etc. (people food). He is one smart, funny "fat cat". Good Luck! The bag does indicate it is from Pacoima, CA USA. Dick Van Patten donates to local animals charities. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. 1-800-829-4493 or www.naturalbalanceinc.com. This is not to say this food may not someday harm our cat (our previous cat died due to poison ingredients from a (reputation animal food chain--and a horrible death is all I care to say). We feed "Sammy" the best (or what we thought was the best recommended by our Trusted VET) but Sammy is gone. I ONLY CAN SAY THAT it is horrifying to see a beloved loved pet die slowly and you have no idea why--the vet's didn't know--until the news came out on the media. So, use your best judgment and research what your animal is eating. But, in all truth, we never know. It is heart-breaking. That is all I know; and probably only the ones who do the damage will ever know. GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS YOUR PET AND YOURSELVES AS WELL. We can only do the best we can do!
1284938
I have a York ie that eats and drinks too fast and then throw a up. We are using the feeding bowl and water bowl- works like a charm. I do t have a cat, howecer, the bowl is shallow so I would think it would work. Not sure how it would work with canned food....designed to use with dry kibble.
147609
I have three cats using this feeder, I have not had any problems with food getting stuck. I use Purina Indoor cat chow. The food flows freely, but it does not fill the bowl completely, but there is always food in the feed bowl. I also don't fill it up completely, I usually only fill about 1/3 of the way.
1794632
I use it for my cat as her food dish. I put 1/4 cup of food in it in the morning and another at night. I have had the dish for 2 yrs and she has gone from 14 pounds to 11.75. Sometimes she knocks it over but not frequently. I dont know how well this would work in a multi cat family.
1050662
My cat prefers cat food. I've been using this system for years and I've never seen her even attempt to eat a pellet. Maybe it's because I don't portion control my cat's food. If you do, and your cat attempts to eat one, I would stop using it. Though, I can't see a cat preferring to eat something that they poop and pee on.
1917301
Hi JoshYes this is a good question. I have a much smaller dog "schnauzer" . She does a great job eating out of bowl, slowly but when she's starving there is very little movement chasing bowl. I give the bowl 5 stars!!
2035334
I have always just mixed about 1/4 tsp in with the canned food, in their morning meal. It is much easier and they eat it fine. Your idea seems like it would cause the cat to put up an unnecessary fuss.
2231586
We have three cats. Two have always been big, one of them actually fat, the other just a large cat. The third is the most food obsessed, but also the smallest. Since we've had the feeder, our relationship with them has improved - like we can go into the kitchen without getting yell-meowed at. As for the cats, their weight has stayed the same with the feeder. If anything, it may have helped, they used to lie to us - trying to convince a human that the other humans had not fed them. Unfortunately, the only way to really put your big one on a diet is probably to feed them all separately.