timed cat bowl?

[minesthecutest]

my parents have a cat which used to be a stray, he hates staying indoors and will start yowling to go out, they're going away for a few days so they were wondering whether to get a timed cat food bowls, you know the ones with 6 compartments that open automatically.
does anyone have experience if these work?
The cat has plenty of shelter where the bowl could be put down and he's always got a water and dry food bowl out there anyway as he's never there at a particular time he comes and goes when he feels like it sometimes disappearing for a day which is why they're reluctant to have someone come feed him inside.
I would take him but I've got my own car and they would not get on plus I'm 40 minutes away.

We had one. It worked well but then our very large and greedy cat broke it by basically knocking it around the place until it broke open. But before this, it worked a treat.

We have one with 2 compartments for weekends away which we have used together with a neighbour coming in for some of the feeding - the automatic one was for the time of day the neighbour couldn't be there. I think I would worry about relying on it completely because what if it malfunctions? Ours has failed to open occasionally, although when we examined it we discovered DH had not programmed the time correctly.

I have also heard stories of cats breaking into them!

I've used two different ones. Only time they failed was when the batteries ran out! So don't use old batteries and all will be fine

Do they not have a catflap?

If the food is left outside only I would worry another cat could come and break into the bowl and eat it. I had one for my older cat previously and she did manage to occasionally open the lid.

And what if he got into an accident and was injured and no one was there to check up on him for days?

They don't have a cat flap as they never intended on having a cat plus he hates being indoors anyway. He only comes in for an hour or so then off he goes again.

That's what I'm worried about, in case it didn't work.

Theyre away for 2 nights and both neighbours are quite elderly and would find it difficult to come in twice a day, also the cat would likely not even be there at the times they came.

maybe I'll buy the bowl and test it out at my house first to make sure it works

I've got a five meal one but find it quite tricky to get right so I don't trust it. I bought two of the two meal ones and they are great. I've got a catmate C20 and a cheaper Trixie one. No real both do the job. Trixie one is much louder though.

We've got the Catmate C20 as well and it's hard to set accurately but it does the job.