If someone told you ten years ago that you would be able to feed and communicate with your pet on your phone from wherever you are, you would have said – go and eat another dog biscuit! Well, the wonders of modern technology never cease to amaze, and you can now do this and much more.

Unleash your inner geek as we round up seven smart pet feeders that solve the problems of pet owners who can’t always be home for feeding time, help with bored and destructive behaviour, as well portion control and weight management. Seriously, what’s next?

PETNET SMARTFEEDER

If there was an all-round smart feeder than can pretty much do it all (apart from dish out cuddles to your furry friend) then this is it. Making feeding time an exact science rather than a rough guess (guilty of feeding a bit too much?), SmartFeeder by PetNet provides feeding guidelines based on your pet’s age, weight and activity levels, giving you the ability to feed them remotely from your smartphone, with perfect portion sizes at just the right times of day. It will send you feeding reminders, let you know if you’re feeding too much or too little, offer pet food recipes based on your pet’s profile, and even deliver pet food to your door! Seriously, once they get the cuddles thing nailed, this will be unbeatable.

SmartFeeder by Petnet at petnet.io – USD$149.00

PETLY

We’ve raved about the Petly by Rinn before and we’re about to do it again. This Japanese-designed automatic pet feeder for cats and small dogs, is definitely design-lovers feeder of choice. The sleek white unit will fit seamlessly into your home, and the thoughtfully designed hardware couldn’t be easier to use. The Petly holds up to 1kg of dry food, and the simple dial allows you to program up to four measured feedings per day. The amount dispensed is measured in 5g units, which means you can carefully monitor how much your pet is munching on. This stylish little unit is also battery operated, so need to worry about power cords, and the food is stored in the sealed interior, to keep smells contained.

Petly by Rinn at amazon.co.uk – £230.00

OFEELY

 Feed your pet anytime from anywhere on your smartphone with the Ofeely smart pet food dispenser. Use the app and the unit to set portion sizes and a feeding schedule based on your pet’s needs. You can also use the live webcam to watch your pet while they chow down and there’s even a remote activated light for night time feeding when you’re not home.

Ofeely at amazon.co.uk – £199.99

SUREFEED

This high-tech kitty feeder already comes highly recommended by our resident cat expert Anita Kelsey. You can’t go past the SureFeed for the multi cat household with a piggy in the midst or a cat on specific medication or on a special diet. The lid to the feeding bowl opens upon recognition of the programmed microchip which enables the right cat to eat the food allocated and without any piggies eating food not meant for them. A little expensive for a food bowl but the ultimate answer to an age-old problem between cat owners with more than one cat.

SureFeed by SureFlap at amazon.co.uk £80.00

FEED AND GO

If you’re looking for a smart feeder than can feed both wet and dry food – the Feed and Go is it. Perfect for use with both dogs and cats, the Feed and Go also allows you to record a personal voice message to tell your pet when it’s chow time! Feed and watch your pets via webcam from anywhere via any smart device, with 6 eight oz cup sized food trays, an easy cleaning removable feeding tray, and the ability to control any number of Feed and Go feeders from one login on any computer, tablet or smartphone. Clever, huh?

Feed and Go at uk.feedandgo.com – £174.95

ICPOOCH

This cool doggy device is internet enabled, allowing you and your pooch to video chat while you deliver a treat to them via your smartphone from anywhere in the world! You will need to provide the dog’s smartphone or tablet which fits into the unit at home, then you can have a two-way doggy Founder and inventor Brooke Martin came up with the concept for ICPooch when she was just 12 years old, and after a successful Kickstart campaign, has brought this bright idea to life!

icPooch at amazon.co.uk – £64.99

CLEVERPET

Sure, an automatic smart feeder is great for when you’re not home, but what if that feeder could also help reduce boredom and destructive behaviour by entertaining your dog for hours with perfectly adapted reward-based games? Cue – the CleverPet. Successfully funded through Kickstarter, CleverPet is a learning console that engages and teaches your dog using algorithms to reward her when she learns something new. The device has three sensitive touch pads, which light up interactively and are designed for your dog’s nose or paw. CleverPet’s software is constantly adapting to your pet, so the interactions grow more challenging as your dog learns. We can’t wait for this one to be released!

See more at getcleverpet.com

Have you tried these or any other smart feeders? Which one is your favourite? Tell us in the comments below!