Valens Quinn from Gadget Guy explains the benefits of the Tech 4 Pets' Smart pet feeder and how it has helped him look after his pet cat Mittens while he is away.

Valen Quinn writes... "Our pets have had it pretty good over the past couple of years. Covid has meant that we could spend more time with our furry pals thanks to lockdowns, working from home and limited travel. However, with things opening again, many of us have less time at home with our beloved cats and dogs.

I for one have had to travel internationally three times in the past two months, meaning I’d need to find a way of caring for Mittens, my little tuxedo cat, while away. Thankfully, there are some clever “pet tech” options to help. I purchased Tech4Pets’s Smart Pet Feeder (4L) before my last trip for added peace of mind. While I had someone come in and check on my cat regularly, I still wanted to be 100% sure that there would always be food in her bowl in case there were any problems. I liked the Tech4Pets Smart Pet Feeder because it did everything, I needed without anything I didn’t, and it was just $179. You could spend more on feeders with bells and whistles like built-in cameras and two-way microphones, but I already have security cameras in my flat...."

The Tech4Pets automatic feeder connects to a home’s Wi-Fi and is controlled by an app. It was quick and easy to set up but keep in mind that it uses a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection rather than 5GHz. Nearly all home Wi-Fi networks will have a 2.4GHz option, thankfully. 

From the app, I could schedule regular feedings or manually add some biscuits to the removable food tray. And since it has a 4-litre capacity, I could put quite a bit of food into the hopper, which should last for a few weeks. Keep in mind that your food pieces shouldn’t be any larger than 10mm or they might not fit through the dispenser. There’s a bigger unit for that – the 7 litre Tech4Pets Smart Pet Feeder, which is $299 and comes with a built-in HD camera.

During my travels, I could see the feeder from my security camera and keep an eye on my cat’s comings and goings. When her bowl was empty, I could add some more food in small increments or fill it up entirely.

There’s also a cute little feature where you can record your voice, which plays every time a new portion of food is dispensed. I could see via the camera that my cat became very aware of my voice and would quickly head to the feeder as soon as she heard it and enjoy an extra treat. There’s also a feeding log so you can keep track of how much your pet has been eating just in case they are on a diet!

The Tech4Pets automatic feeder connects to a home’s Wi-Fi and is controlled by an app. It was quick and easy to set up but keep in mind that it uses a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection rather than 5GHz. All home Wi-Fi networks will have a 2.4GHz option, thankfully.