This Wi-Fi-Enabled Pet Feeder & Camera Gave Me Peace Of Mind On An Overnight Trip

When I’m away from my cat for a day or two, all I can think about is whether he is keeping to his routine and generally doing OK. It’s a persistent worry, and it’s fueled by a memory of returning from an overnight trip to find that he had consumed the entire mountain-sized portion of kibble that I’d left in his food bowl, crumbs and all. I’ve since enlisted the help of a trusted pet sitter — but even the best pet sitters (and friends and family members) can’t keep an eye on your animal 24/7. In the past, when nobody was available, I’ve had no choice but to overfill my cat’s food bowl again and hope for the best. Well, that is, until I got my hands on Petlibro’s Wi-Fi-enabled Granary Camera Monitoring Feeder.

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Petlibro understands the concerns that come with being a busy pet parent — including having to leave an animal home alone for the day — and strives to lighten the load. One of the brand’s newest products, the Granary Camera Monitoring Feeder has innovative features like a built-in camera to allow pet owners to care for and monitor their pets even from a distance.

For a limited time, get 15% off your first order of the Petlibro Granary Camera Monitoring Automatic Pet Feeder with the code camerafeeder on petlibro.com.

This is what happened when I took the Granary Camera Monitoring Feeder for a test drive during a recent overnight trip:

How The Granary Camera Monitoring Feeder Works

When the Petlibro Granary Camera Monitoring Feeder arrived at my doorstep, I was able to set it up right out of the box. Using a steady internet connection, it syncs up with the Petlibro Lite app, which I downloaded off the App Store for free. (If you use an Android device, it’s available on Google Play, too.) The interface of the app was user-friendly, and it walked me through a step-by-step process for syncing the feeder to my phone via Bluetooth, which took all of three minutes.

I followed the prompts to connect the feeder to Wi-Fi via a QR code (displayed on my phone via the app). It took a few tries to get it on the right frequency, but that’s something you might be used to if you’ve set up Wi-Fi-enabled products at home before. Once I managed to connect it to the internet, the feeder worked seamlessly.

From the app, I was able to schedule my cat’s meals for the weekend and select the size of his portions for each meal. You can schedule up to 10 meals per day and choose between several portions per meal. (Pro tip: Since you can program the meals for any time of the day, you can also schedule their breakfast and avoid those angry wake-up yowls at the break of dawn when you’re at home.) The kibble is dispensed from a tank with a twist-lock that ensures that every serving tastes fresh to your cat or dog.

Petlibro specifies that the Granary Camera Monitoring Feeder is best for kibble that’s 2 to 15 millimeters in size. And fortunately, I didn’t have to pull out a measuring tape. On the lid, there is a sticker with an image of the ideal kibble size, which allowed me to check that my cat’s existing food would work with it. (It would!)

I set up the Petlibro device to feed my cat two portions per meal, or the equivalent of the 1/4-cup amount his vet has prescribed. Every time the feeder dispensed the food, it made a small whirring sound that initially intimidated my cat — but once he saw that food was involved, he took to the feeder right away. The food is doled out into a stainless steel bowl that’s thick, sturdy, and super easy to remove for a deep clean.

When I left for my overnight trip, the camera feature allowed me to keep constant tabs on him while I was away. (No longer will I have to pester my pet sitter for videos!) Offering a 145-degree view, the 1080p camera with night vision was clear, even in in low-light conditions, and while the camera itself only offers one vantage point, I could see my cat whenever he was in front of his bowl or sleeping on his usual spot on the couch.

While I couldn’t keep an eye on my cat 24/7, the app took screenshots every time it detected movement, even when my cat returned to eat more of his kibble at 1 a.m. Another awesome feature of the Granary Camera Monitoring Feeder is that it allows you to communicate with your pet, too. When I tested the the two-way audio, it seemed to work great — my cat immediately recognized my voice. You can also record a 10-second voice message to give your pet a heads-up that a meal has been dispensed. The feeder can be conveniently plugged into a wall outlet, and it comes with a slot for backup batteries so your pet stays fed even if there’s a power outage.

The Verdict

The Granary Camera Monitoring Feeder might not be the cheapest robot feeder on the market — but if you’re a busy cat owner who travels a lot, works late nights, or has a thriving social calendar that requires a regular pet sitter, it could actually save you money in the long run. Plus, the other smart features — particularly the camera — make it a worthwhile investment for those who want to virtually close the distance between them and their beloved fur-ball.

However, if you aren’t interested in a camera or Wi-Fi-enabled functionality, or have multiple pets you’d like to feed, scroll on for more feeders and water fountains from Petlibro, all designed to keep busy pet parents and pets happy and comfortable.

A Budget-Friendly Automatic Pet Feeder Without A Camera:

For a more budget-friendly option, consider this more pared-down automatic feeder from Petlibro, which comes at a fraction of the price. It covers the basics and can be programmed using easy-to-use buttons that are located on the feeder. It can dispense up ​​to four meals per day and up to nine portions per meal, all of which are doled out from a sealed tank with desiccant bags and into a dishwasher-safe stainless steel bowl.

An Automatic Feeder For Multi-Pet Households:

Pet owners who are responsible for more than one fur-ball will appreciate Petlibro’s double food tray feeder. It features not one, but two stainless steel bowls. While it doesn’t have Wi-Fi compatibility, it still gives you lots of control of your pet’s feeding schedule, and you can even set it up to dole out different amounts of food in each bowl. Schedule up to six meals per day and several portion sizes for each serving. The feeder can be filled with up to 5 liters of kibble, and with the twist-lock lid and replaceable desiccant bags, the food stays fresh over a longer period.

A Filtering Water Fountain With A Large Reservoir:

Petlibro’s Cloud Water Fountain ensures that your cat stays well-hydrated, even when you’re away. It features a 2.2-liter reservoir, which means you can go a good while between refills. Plus, the water in the tank stays fresh, thanks to the five-filtration system. The fountain is available to purchase on its own, or with a pack of four or eight replacement water filters.