Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Cat Mate C3000 Automatic Dry Food 3-Meal Feeder, BPA Free for Cats & Small Dogs

Loud Lifesaver- Made some modifications for my persistent finicky feline

Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2016

Purchased this a month ago for my cat who needs to eat lots of smaller meals- she is a classic "scarf n'barfer". Total lifesaver. I have it on the frequent feed setting and it dispenses one "unit" (approximately 1 tablespoon of purina one) every two hours between 4am and midnight. Has been working reliably for a little over a month. It has definitely improved my relationship with my cat because now she's not constantly begging for food and then barfing it up because she ate it too quickly.

A couple criticisms:
- I consider myself pretty smart and tech savvy but even I found this programming to be over complicated. There just has to be a better way!
- It's kind of loud. It's only for the time it's dispensing so I don't mind but my cat was afraid of it at first. Now she's come to associate it with food so we're cool but I can hear it from any room in my apartment. That might be a concern if somebody's a really really light sleeper though.
- There needs to be more space between the arm and the bowl. My cat doesn't like the bowl because of the auger part that sticks out over it . I think the arm gets all up in her whiskers while she's eating and it must be uncomfortable. It was to the point where she would ignore the food in there if it was directly underneath the arm and then come over and beg for food. This meant that I was constantly moving food to the edges of the bowl- away from the arm- but since that wasn't really a sustainable solution I had to modify it. I removed the bowl and lifted the unit onto a box 6 inches of the ground. I put a normal cat bowl under it and now it just a drops straight down into the bowl. I'm probably going to to either get a larger bowl for her or get a piece of pvc pipe to help guide/narrow the opening of the auger because right now a few pieces bounce out of the bowl occasionally.
- The lid is more secure than expected but my cat still managed to pop it open the first day. She's really sneaky smart, so I had expected it but there are improvement opportunities here. The lid has that "snapware" style of clasp but unfortunately that's the kind of container I used to keep her food in so she figured out how to open it a long time ago. My suggestion would be to use some sort of latch or buckle- something where you must have thumbs and not just be persistent enough to knock it over. I got around this with a large strong rubberband around the whole thing and a couple of "sandbaggie" style ankle weights attached to it for good measure.

Overall I'm pretty happy with it. If you're cat is not too smart you should be fine with it outta the box. My need for modications is simply due to having adopted the smartest feline I've ever met. (No joke, she opens cabinets, closets and containers of all sorts. I've had to baby lock certain cabinets and I don't have kids! Had to resort to dog puzzles and teaching her tricks (she knows 6 commands!) in order to keep her out of trouble.) She's 10 years old so it's not even like she's a rambunctious youth. Just a silly smart middle-ager. 😸

24 people found this helpful

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Stephanie

Good product

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2013

Verified Purchase

Feeder does not support an ac adapter. I was expecting to be able to plug it in, and that is not the case. You will need 4 "C" batteries. Not a deal breaker, but FYI. Programming is more difficult than it should be. Yes, it is do-able, but instructions and programming are complicated. For example, before setting time and amount you want to feed for each meal, you first have to program the TOTAL to be fed to the pet per day. Then, once the feeder knows the TOTAL per day, you break that up into the individual amount per meal. I would have just preferred to program "feed 1/4 cup at meal #1, feed 1/8 cup at meal #2 etc, but the programming does not work like that. Too many steps and more complicated than it should be. That being said, overall, I would still recommend this product. Seller shipped item immediately, and I received it much sooner than I expected. After finally figuring out how to program the feeder, it does work great. You can program just one meal or up to 3 meals. Most feeders will dispense the smallest meal at 1/4 cup and I needed less than that with an overweight pet. This feeder will dispense 1/8 cup portions for me, and that is exactly what I wanted. Again, you can't just program it to dispense a certain portion, you kinda have to play with the programming and measure how much it dispenses at each setting to see if that it the amount you want. After all this, I still find the product to be reliable, and I am happy with the purchase.

3 people found this helpful

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cacalazani

Much better than the LeBistro

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2015

Verified Purchase

I must have received a feeder with a new design....the Cat Mate 3000 spout has a "shutter" that automatically closes off the opening so the cat can't get her grubby paws up the chute and fish out more food. I ran the unit in a test run for several days before putting it "into service", and it dispenses the same amount of food on time, every time. Tip: When first filling up the hopper with food or if it runs out, manually run a few feeding cycles to get the auger/dispenser loaded up with food, and then it will dispense consistently. I'm serving small kibble (about 1/4 inch).

I previously had the Aspen Pet LeBistro feeder...while I liked the fact that it had a provision to connect an AC adapter (so that the batteries functioned as backup in case of a power failure), I couldn't trust it to dispense food on a regular basis. It would jam up and not dispense for several cycles, and when it did jam up, I could hear the internal gears grinding. Had several instances where the cat didn't get fed. The LeBistro finally stripped its gears and now won't dispense at all.

Back to the Cat Mate - yes, it does make noise when dispensing, but the cat hears that as the dinner bell and comes running. The programming isn't difficult if you read the instructions carefully. It does dispense consistently, hasn't jammed up on me yet, and has greater control over serving size than the LeBistro. It has slots on the underside so the feeder can be mounted on a board to reduce the likelihood of a tip-over by an aggressive cat. I also like the Cat Mate design where the hopper/dispenser spout combination can be lifted off the base for easy refilling without spilling the food; however, a cat could knock the hopper off the base, so you will need to strap down the hopper if you have such a cat. If i tried to remove the hopper from the LeBistro, all the food would pour out from the opening on the bottom.

Only suggestion to the designers is to add a port to connect an AC adapter so I don't have to worry about the batteries dying while away.

UPDATE AUGUST 9th....feeder still working like a champ. Cat is happy. Took some time to get the portion control right so the cat wouldn't get too much or too little. The portion control feature allows for small incremental changes in the amount of food dropped each feeding time.

38 people found this helpful

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Patty

Reliable dry food dispensing.

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024

Verified Purchase

I am actually basing this on my neighbor's recommendation. She has been feeding her cats with this for years and is someone who really cares about her cat's welfare. She was very specific that I should get this particular feeder.

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N. N.

Great product. Works as expected

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2015

Verified Purchase

How to measure correct portion sizes when using 3 times a day feed schedule

Measure out the daily recommended amount of food (should be listed on your cat foods bag) using a measuring cup or a scale. Divide by 3. Place some food in your reservoir, hit advance feed three times to get food into the dispenser and discard. Hit the advance feed once, then remeasure. Continue until you come close to what your divided measurements are.

The units I use for two adult cats are 3, 3, 4 using small kibble

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*****Original Review******

.Great product. Works as expected. I read reviews saying the cat's could put their paw up the shoot and knock down food. The model i received has a guard that prevents this from happening. There's also clips on the food reservoir lid to prevent the cats from getting in and clip on the bowl to prevent detachment. So far in the month ive had it, it hasnt missed a meal. Always dispenses food on the exact time its been set to. Correct food portions. Large food reservoir. Overall just a great machine that has simplified the process of feeding my two cats.

Cons
1. The reservoir doesn't clip in with the base
2. Its loud
3. Directions are a little complicated at first

*****UPDATE 12/08/2016******

I've had this unit a little over two years now and it still works as advised. Now I'm using it to feed 4 cats instead of 2 with no issues. I haven't had to reprogram it once besides adjusting the units of food for 2 more cats. It's also been real sturdy. I had someone step on the neck that drops the food. To my surprise it didn't break, just snapped off the base. Great design. Literally just had to realign the turning mechanism with the neck and popped it back on. Overall a great product that has been used 3 times a day for 2 years. For all the negative comments from people that are to lazy to spend the 30 minutes and figure out the directions, well that doesn't mean the product deserves one star because of your ignorance.

13 people found this helpful

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Miss Kristen

Re-reviewing this! Does NOT work correctly.

Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2012

Verified Purchase

I was seeking a solution to keep my cats on a feeding schedule that would be the same amounts at the exact same times of day. (My cats get fur balls very easily and I've discovered that feeding them in much smaller portions a few times a day as opposed to once, helps greatly reduce vomiting episodes and the risk of getting another obstructed fur ball). So there's that, and I have a busy work and social schedule and do light traveling. So wanted a Feeder I could count on when also gone for a day or two from the home.

I did all the research on these types of Feeders and decided on this one. Unfortunately, the nozzle is an actual attachment and one my two small cats are able to knock loose with just enough patience of pawing away at it. Then all the food comes pouring out and also makes a huge mess to clean. OBVIOUSLY, this is not functionable! This continued to happen (the nozzle coming loose) even after adding heavy duty masking tape to try to better secure the attachment.

On top of that, even on the times when my cats weren't successful in getting the nozzle to come off, just the mere tapping on it continuously caused small portions of food to come out. Obviously, if I was gone and not there to tell my kitties "no", they could eat all day long just by playing with it this way.

TOTALLY RIDICULOUS! I'm especially frustrated because the first one I ordered (from a different Seller) didn't go on at all, so I had to go through the whole process of returning it and ordering a new one. (This Feeder was not "used" by the way, it was sold to me brand new). Then when I got this one, I spent days at home monitoring the cats with the Feeder (investing proper time to get them used to the sound of the motor and this system of feeding) only for the whole thing to deploy and be a joke. SO FRUSTRATING.

I have seen other Feeders on the internet that were MUCH pricier (like $200-$300 range) which, it just might be that's what you have to spend to get something for which you can rely on.

Sorry, but if I would have just trusted this Feeder, I could ended up with some VERY sick cats and huge Vet bills to deal with obstructed fur balls. This condition is deadly (by the way) if not treated promptly. Could put my cat's lives in danger, had I left town without first testing it out while I was in town. Not good!

6 people found this helpful

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Henrietta P.

Cat Mate C3000 vs. Mota Perfect Dinner pet feeder comparison

Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2015

Verified Purchase

I have an indoor cat and an outdoor cat that both needed feeders because I travel a lot. I decided to buy two different kinds to compare and decide which was better for inside. Both feeders have advantages and disadvantages so it depends on what is most important for you.

1) Cat Mate C3000 allows for much more flexibility in serving size but is much more noisy. The smallest serving amount is about a tablespoon which takes about 10 seconds of whirling gears to dispense. If you program a larger serving, it will take an additional 10 seconds for every tablespoon. So if you dispense 1/4 cup before dawn, you can expect close to a minute of grinding and dispensing. It's more difficult to set up this machine but only because there are more options. You can program 3 meals or do a continuous feed of tablespoon sized meals. All food contacting parts are washable. Overall, a better design but the noise is a deal breaker.

2) The Mota Perfect feeder is much quieter and easier to set up but has much less flexibility in serving size. Each serving is 1/4 cup (although the machine calls it "1 cup"). You can only program multiples of 1/4 cup for up to 3 meals a day. When it dispenses, the only sound is food hitting the bowl unless you take advantage of the recorded message feature (I did not as food hitting the bowl is enought to alert my cat.) Major downsides are that you can't wash all the parts that contact food and if you want to change any part of the programming, you have to start entirely over and reprogram the whole thing.

Bottom line is that the Mota Perfect Feeder will be my indoor feeder. The Cat Mate C3000 is a better design but makes so much noise that it will definitely wake me up and will have to go outside. If you're putting the feeder in a part of the house that you can't hear, it would be the better choice.

2 people found this helpful

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victheart

CM C3000 Automatic Pet Feeder

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2014

Verified Purchase

I'm writing this review primarily to add to some of the other reviews, which may discourage some people from purchasing this product. I've only had this feeder for one week, so I can't speak to it's longevity. However, it has a three year warranty, so this was not an issue for me. In addition, the price on Amazon is excellent....half of what it would cost, if it was purchased from the manufacturer's website. I have never had an automatic feeder before, so I can't compare, but I love, love this one. Programming is not a problem, if you follow the directions exactly. So far, it is very reliable and dispenses exactly the right amount of food at exactly the right time. The bowl separates from the rest of the feeder for easy cleaning, and the hopper is large and holds 6 1/2 pounds of dry food. Some of the other reviewers have mentioned that their cats were able to stick their paws up the shoot to get additional food. When I tested the machine , I couldn't see how that would even be possible. If you turn the feeder upside down, the chute is completely enclosed except when it is dispensing. I couldn't even fit a pen on either side of the chute. Even a small cat's paw is much larger than that. The only way I am able to get extra pellets to come out (and then only a few), is if I pick up the hopper and shake it very vigorously. The pellet size of the food I use is 1/4", so with a larger pellet, I doubt even that would be possible. Perhaps the manufacturer has changed the design....I don't know. The only problem I have noticed so far is that it is a little noisy when it is dispensing. I don't even really consider that a problem because it's not that loud, and I'm already used to it. So far, I think this thing is just great, especially for someone who travels or is gone alot.

One person found this helpful

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Barbara Carey

Cat feeder a little hard to program

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2024

Verified Purchase

Nice but a little hard to set

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Vanessa Wright

With a few adjustments it does the job

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2016

Verified Purchase

This feeder has really helped me to manage my overweight and food-obsessed cat's food intake. There were a few problems that I needed to work out though and I would have given 5 stars otherwise. I purchased it December 2015.
Jackson is very clever and determined. He very quickly figured out that he could stick his paw into the feed tube and get extra kibbles. Not the end of the world since it just reduces his next feeding but a problem nonetheless.
Soon after that he started trying to knock the hopper off of the base and was very successful at that. He wasn't able to get the top of the hopper off the unit (bravo to Cat Mate for creating a secure lid) but he would knock it over while I was away at work and I couldn't be sure how many of his feedings he missed since. I have it set to frequent feedings to offer him smaller portions 5 times a day.
I reached out to Gary Setter (protodog69@hotmail.com) and he gave instructions to build the Detroit Feeder Vault. (he'll also make it for you in his spare time if that is easier) The feeder vault definitely improved my stress level since he can no longer access the feeder. Unmolested, the feeder works really well. I don't use the feeder outdoors but would definitely advise building or buying the Vault from Gary because it is really sturdy if that is where you were considering using it.
I love the frequent feed function and although many others have complained about the instructions being challenging for initial set up I just read through them carefully a few times and then set it the programming as instructed with very little fuss.
A few improvements to the feeder could be made.
1. The ability to set more than 5 frequent feeds a day. I have seen some digital competitors that offer up to 24 small feeds. With Jackson being so obsessed I wish I could offer him a little more often without changing the total daily feed units.
2. An AC adapter with a back-up battery option would help me to feel more comfortable if I need to travel for a few days. Just knowing there is a reliable power source when I am not there to check on it.
3. The unit is really lightweight, and with minimal effort can be knocked over by a determined animal. I wish the base was heavier and that the hopper could be secured to the base (it just lifts right out!) Without the Vault I would not be able to use this product with my 15lb cat.
Overall, very happy with the product now that it is protected in the Vault.

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