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CatMate C20 Automatic Feeder
by milmol7
I use this feeder together with its big brother, the Catmate C50, to ensure that my cats get spaced out meals when I have had to leave them overnight.
The feeder is made of fairly lightweight plastic. If you already own a C50 you may well be disappointed with this, as despite being the same brand and comparable name, the ... build quality feels much flimsier.
The feeder is operated by a single AA battery and alongside the battery there is a tiny "start switch".
Now to start setting up for the cats...
On top of the feeder there are two timer dials, one for each compartment. By turning them round to zero, a simple tab mechanism enables the lids to spring open. At first, they 'sprang' fully upright but after several uses they seem now to only open about 70 degrees. Not enough to inconvenience the cats from eating, though, and there is no resistance from the lids if the cats were to push against them to open further. Inside there are two separate trays, each about 10cm square and around 2cm deep. So plenty of room for a pouch, or certainly a generous portion of whatever your pet can stomach! Underneath there is also a chill block which you can freeze before you place it in there if you wish to go for the added freshness or your pets prefer chilled food!
Once you've filled the trays you need to hold the lid down whilst setting the timer dial. This timer works by a 'countdown' mechanism - so you tell it how many hours 'from now' you want it to open. It goes up to 48 hours. By turning the dial, the compartment is locked, and the feeder starts its countdown! By setting the two dials at the same time I can therefore attempt to give both my cats a feed together. The downside is that because its a fairly crude/basic mechanism, a 2inch dial covering 48 hours, the accuracy is inevitably somewhat hit-and-miss. I always try to get them to be exactly lined up with each other, but I doubt its possible to be 100% successful. Never having been there to witness it, I imagine its probably more of a free-for-all, but two happy cats on my return proves to me that between them, they are managing to share nicely what's available! If you have two cats and one or both are particularly greedy or ferocious eaters then this would be a major flaw in this product.
If you have one cat, though, or if you have two who will share nicely, I would have no hesitation in recommending this product because it is not especially expensive and does a great, reliable job when you can't be there for your cat.
Cleaning is easy because the trays lift straight out of the feeder and the plastic is shiny and they are small enough to go easily in the washing up bowl. The plastic lids can also be removed for a wipe or wash and easily put back.
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Pet Mate C50 Automatic Pet Feeder
by milmol7
I bought this product over 5 years ago when I started having to stay out overnight through work. This was going to be happening over a period of a few months so I was in a real dilemma about what to do about my beloved cat. After looking around and seeing this product I thought I would have to give it a try, as it was the only realistic ... solution. I would typically be going out one morning early and returning the following evening late.
The Feeder is made of sturdy plastic, a grey base/body and a white lid. It measures about 10 inches across and is about 2 inches high. With this feeder you are able to select 4 feeding times for your pet. It has 5 compartments, but obviously the first compartment has to be open when you leave. The feeder is battery operated, and there is a small "start" switch by the battery compartment underneath. Once you switch this to start, there is a visible indicator next to the time dial which turns so that you can see that the battery is working ok.
Removing the white lid, the actual compartments themselves are numbered (although these numbers are hard to see -they are grey, sort of embossed into the bases of each compartment), so you can see which compartment to start with. You then fill with food or treats as you wish for each planned meal/opening. When you replace the lid you turn it fully anti-clockwise so that the open section is compartment zero.
Attached to the side of the body of the feeder is a timer which covers up to four days (counting today as day 1). It is clearly marked with a red arrow pointing to the dial, saying "time", and you turn the dial so that the current time in the bright red "TODAY" section is lined up with the red arrow. There are then four red pegs which you drag around the edge of the dial, placing each one at a point in time when you want the feeder to open. As soon as the feeder is switched to "start" the timer dial will start to move. Bear in mind this dial covers 72 hours and in only a couple of inches across, so it's not possible to see it moving, but you can be reassured by the battery indicator going round. When the timer goes past the first peg, the lid turns with a 'click' and opens the first compartment, and so on for each of the pegs. The feeder has operated perfectly every single time I've used it, proving that it's easy to set up and very reliable. In addition I have since used it for my two much younger, much smarter, much naughtier(!) cats and they have never broken into it!
For my usage back then, I only wanted to use it over a 36 hour period, so I would feed her in the morning and could open one in the evening with her food, another later in the evening with some treats, morning breakfast and a smaller portion for later the second evening if I was delayed past her normal feed time. The closest that it's possible to get the pegs together is approx 4 hours, due to their size. The other thing to be aware of is that there is limited accuracy with the times of opening - again because of it being essentially a clockwork mechanism, and a huge time period on such a small dial. Each hour mark on the dial is approx 1mm to give some idea.
To clean the feeder, remove the lid and the part of the base with the food compartments lifts straight off. Due to its size, its not the easiest thing to clean, but it does come up sparkling every time. Also in the base are two 'ice packs' which can be used to keep the food fresh, but I have never used these, my kitchen is quite cool and the food remains safely covered in the feeder anyway.
Sadly my cat passed away 18 months ago, but this feeder was in storage and as mentioned above, I have recently used it on a few occasions for my two new cats. It still works perfectly well and is good as new, so is obviously made of sturdy materials and built to last. I guess the cost of this product is quite a shock - around £50 for a feeder, but for the things it does and for the peace of mind it has done me long and good service.
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Bob Martin Flea & Tick Spot On
by milmol7
Having adopted two cats together, I was all too aware of the costs I would encounter in their upkeep and whilst never being prepared to compromise their well-being I was keen to look for cheaper options where available. This Bob Martin product was significantly cheaper than the ones locked behind the counter in Pets at Home, and readily ... available at the local co-op, so in my mind it had to be worth a try.
My cats came from the rescue centre already protected and they weren't noticeably troubled by itching or jumping - although I should obviously say that I'm just a pet owner, no expert. I did the treatment in line with when the centre told me they'd be due - four weeks after their last treatment.
The packet has clear instructions on how and where to apply to the cats. The tubes are only about an inch long, and once the end of each tube was snipped off, the liquid came out quickly and easily, so it was a straightforward operation for me on my own to do the cats one at a time. It left a sleeky residue on their fur behind their necks but this is inevitable, and as stated on the packet, it had gone by the next day. Neither of the cats were unduly troubled by the application of the liquid.
Job done, I assumed. But within one-two weeks I really noticed one of my cats being terribly troubled both by incessant itching, and also having times of being really jumpy. Again, no expert, but I imagine the kind of jumpiness you would get if being troubled by fleas. After a couple of days I realised I had to do something and made a trip to Pets at Home for some advice.
Their view of this product was pretty dim, although I wouldn't be swayed by that - you never know if it's just a personal view or a sales pitch, but their advice seemed to be well informed. They said that the active ingredients in this product were not the same as Frontline, hence the cost difference, and advised me to try Frontline (or in this case, I took their own-brand version Fiproline). They told me after two weeks it would be ok to use the new treatment.
I did the treatment on both cats and the itching and jumping stopped almost straight away, so it certainly appears that the Bob Martin product had not deterred the fleas at all. I checked the packaging, and indeed, the active ingredients appear to be completely different, although long scientific names they obviously contain different ingredients that do (or don't do) different things. This is one product I would never buy again as in the end it was just a waste of money.
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