automatic cat food dispensers

[paneer]

Are these any good and does anyone have a recommendation?

Not for long trips but maybe 1 or 2 nights. I do have a variety of friends I ask to come and put food out, but with the warm weather CheesyCat is hardly ever in anyway so I get excited kids coming over to feed a cat who is never in.

We had one, it was the one with a flap that pops up & you set it for 4 hours etc.

He learnt how to open it early though so we binned it and just left food out.

A microchip controlled ones coming out that will only open for your cat.

I think a poster on here before got into trouble with the RSPCA or the sspca because no one visited her pets for over 24hrs and they counted it as neglect. So maybe keep the kids going in just as a precaution?.

We had one.

It had four compartments, so 2 days worth. It came with an ice pack to keep wet food fresh, but we only ever used dry.

It was circular and would swivel round when the time you had set had elapsed - so only one compartment could ever be open at once.

We would go away from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon - didn't realise that could count as neglect! Surely OK if there is a cat flap, and food and water left out. We did leave the key with a neighbour for emergencies.

Under the Animal Act you are liable for prosecution if your animal s not checked at least once in 24 hours. Plus I would want my cats checked at least that often to ensure they have not got injured in that period.

Which part of the animal act is that?

Animal welfare act 2006 section 14 code of practice refers you to Defra's code of practice for cats that specifies that cats should not be left unattended in any situation or any period of time that may cause it distress. Additionally it states that while you are away you must ensure that your cat is cared for by a responsible person who is legally responsible for their welfare. You can read the full code of practice for cats here.

Oh for heaven's sake. We leave our friendly and sociable cat for a couple of days/nights. He is absolutely fine.

And if he's hit by a car Mintty what then? Or if a house cats slips falls catches leg behind radiator and leg breaks (fairly common house cat injury).

I think with lonecatwithkitten being a vet who has been involved animal neglect court cases we ought to listen to what she says.

...checked at least once in 24 hours.

There doesn't seem to be a specific time given, just that it should not be caused any distress.

It's been tested in court as a reasonable time frame.

Mintyy are you really telling me that you would want your cat to wait injured at home for 48 hours for you to come home. Personally 24 hours is too long my cats are checked every 12 hours when I am away

oh, for goodness' sake. Our cats are so feral that even if we did have someone round the would shoot off through the cat flap as soon as the key went in the lock, if they were inside at all, which in summer they probably wouldn't be, they'd be hidden in our jungle of a garden. We do of course have people round to feed and water them if we're away more than a couple of nights, but I doubt they'd actually see them.

We have a couple of 48-hour timers we use for weekends.

We have an Andrew James one that feeds 6 meals. So three days, but we have our lovely neighbours come in to check on him each day and leave them some food in case the batteries go or something. It's pretty good although a little fiddly to set up, they are on Amazon and reasonable. But I'd recommend having a friend or neighbour check in too in case of any issues with the feeder, I don't think you can rely on it alone as batteries can go, cat can work out how to open it and gorge itself etc.

I left it too late to get one for this weekend (1 night away)

My personal boys don't/wouldn't eat while I'm away so I'd have to look at photo albums to remember when I last had a holiday. Other trips are limited to quick overnights with plenty litter trays down or a family member detailed off to clean them/check on the cats while I'm absent.

(In fact, and thinking back, the last three substantial holidays I had were with cats - in the UK and not something I would recommend to everyone. My boys have been so bonded to me that they don't care where they are as long as I'm there.)