Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The low rating is due to the fact that my determined 10-pound cat merely turned the inner compartmentalized tray with her paw, within 5 minutes of seeing the unit for the first time, thus, revealing the food-filled adjacent compartments. When she found the automatic feeder, the first day I set it up, it was 8 hours before her next regular feeding (she was not hungry), yet after smelling food in the unit, she dutifully used her paw to turn the food tray ahead one compartment. The fatal flaw is that the fully enclosed compartmentalized tray does not lock into position when resting between timed feedings and is incredibly easy to rotate; no real physical force is required to advance the tray to the next one or several (food-filled) compartments. Only some level of interest in the enclosed food, in conjunction with a slight amount of determination is required for the animal to rotate the tray, at will. Years ago, we did use another automatic timed feeder with this same cat, the Cat Mate C20, which is a 2-meal, flip-lid type of feeder. We would fill up both compartments for the day, and she would immediately lift up both lids with her paw within minutes after it had been filled. That unit also was no match for our obsessive eater. Our cat is not large in size, nor has she provided any evidence that she is particularly clever, particularly strong, or particularly intelligent, she's just one obsessive (determined) cat regarding her food. My cat joins the ranks of the other reviewers, whose animals very simply pushed the tray around, at will, with little force. We had the identical problem as the 10/1/07 reviewer named E. Genzoli, whose Boston Terrier, moved the inner compartmentalized tray around with his face after 3 months of use and the 9/11/07 reviewer named NashvilleLady333 whose Australian Shepherd, also moved the compartments ahead at will after only "days." My 10 pound cat moved the inner tray around at will with her front paw within 5 minutes of our ownership of the Petsafe PF5-11. This unit has a design flaw which is fatal if your pet's history regarding food intake reflects even a slight level of determination. In summary, if your pet is somewhat determined and/or intelligent, then this unit's design failure (the non-locking compartmentalized food tray) will become apparent in no time, making the unit completely useless for its intended purpose of timed feedings. The pet need not be strong, heavy, clever, brilliant, nor be a dog in order to exploit the fatal design flaw of the non-locking compartmentalized tray. We have ordered the Super Feeder CSF-3; it may be our only hope for sleeping in, in the morning with our adorable, but food-obsessed cat.