Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Update: So I ended up keeping it after all! Went on vacation, set it for breakfast only (and let the pet sitter handle dinner) and it worked like a charm. My cat is extremely food-driven, and surprisingly she leaves the filled feeder alone. So I don't think she can smell the food in there. My original review: This is perfect for pet parents who want to auto feed their four-legged kids on a daily basis. Instead of filling separate meal chambers, this style of feeder allows you dump a ton of food in and let it go. For me though, I rely on my little fuzzy alarm clock to annoy me out of bed in the mornings, and really just need something for the weekends and short getaways. So I'm returning mine and going with the other style. It does have a power button on the bottom, so I could just fill it up then shut it off during the week, but I'd feel bad teasing my little long-tailed darling with a dormant canister of food in the living room. And one meal at a time isn't right for this type... When I dumped just one meal's worth of food in the bin, it didn't really work. The rotating rudder that pushes food into the exit chamber doesn't touch the bottom, and doesn't extend very far, so it can't sweep much beyond the center. So I reached in and swept it all into the chamber myself. So it's really designed to just keep full. It seems air tight enough to not entice hungry critters. My cat was pawing at the food dish, wanting more, but left the cylinder alone. This seems like it's a tough nut to crack. There is no way, in my opinion, a kitty paw could reach up inside to get food. I've added some photos... the food chamber comes out, and I photographed the bottom of it, where u can see a stiff plastic brush guard blocking the exit, and the distance between the food exit and hole to the dish is such that I just don't think little paws can reach it. The top of the chamber opens with a button, but not an easy one. In fact, it's awkword enough that I needed two hands each time. So that should deter your cat burglar. Huge plus: it plugs in. The minus: the first morning I tried it the thing woke me up.... out of nowhere I hear my own voice shout out from the other room, "Tinker! Chow time!!" Then sounds of a motor as it goes into action, then the sounds of pellets falling on plastic, then another shout out to my cat. The whole point was to sleep in! So that kind of defeated the purpose. But if you have a 2-story house or perhaps a sounder sleeper than me, it might not be a problem. And you don't have to record anything. Settings are for 4 meal times. Set the time, choose the amount, then move to meal #2, set the time, choose the portion amount, then meal #3, etc. It beeps at you when there is no food. A great feature. There is a battery indicator light to let you know when they're low. It takes 3 Ds, but they're not required. You can use just the plug, but batteries are a nice backup for power outages or whisker-faced cord pullers. Hope this helps!