PetNet SmartFeeder (2nd Generation) Review

Hey, ya’ll. So “smartfeeders” are all the rage.

I’ve taken my time in reviewing them. I love gadgets and automatic cat feeders. But, you know. It’s the old rule of thumb: Never buy a first gen product. A company is still working out the kinks in the first version. Is that always true? Probably not. But I don’t want to be the guinea pig.

Just sayin’ . . .

In any event, with PetNet rolling out the 2.0 version, I’m ready to give it a whirl. As you guys know, I love automatic cat feeders. They make life easier and cats healthier because of the flexibility and portion control and all that. So I was super curious if the PetNet Smartfeeder 2.0 would hold up. I don’t like reviews that drag things out: So the answer is . . . yes. It’s good. Really.

 

I’ll  walk you through some of the features of the PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0. Then I’ll give you a sense of what people who have bought the feeder on Amazon are saying about it. And then I’ll wrap things up with some recommendations of other choices, if you’re not ready to go full smartfeeder just yet.

If you’re one of those who likes to cut to the chase, I’m there with you. You can click here and go right to Amazon. Make sure to read the full product listing, some of the customer reviews and, of course, you’ll also be able to see any deals for the unit.

Click here to check out the PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0 at Amazon

The PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0  is good choice for a medium dispenser. If you’re looking for a larger capacity and all-around great (and I mean my top choice) automatic cat feeder, check out my review of the PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder.

Main Features of the PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0

The PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0 has some pretty darn good features. Here my faves, in no particular order:

• Well, actually, this is the top of the list. If you’re buying a smartfeeder, the technology better be it’s best feature. And for the PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0, it is in spades. You can feed your cat with tap of your smartphone. If there is another reason to get a smartfeeder, I don’t know of it.
• Key design improvements are on point. The main one: the PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0 now works with odd-shaped kibble. This was a problem in v1. Great new upgrade here.
• The other problem with the first gen product was that a “smart” or determined pet could break into the food without all that much trouble.  PetNet has solved that problem by securing the lid to the hopper. Check.
• Not to get too technical but PetNet has added more sensors to the machine. So what? Well, the more sensors, the greater the accuracy of the portions dished out to your cat. That’s important, especially if you’ve got your kitty on a diet or special regimen.
• It’s easy to take for granted but it’s totally compatible with all your devices from Alexa to Nest. Need to check if your cat ate all of her food. The PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0 has got ya covered.

Standout Features

So here’s where I tell you what I really love (and maybe a few things not so much) about the PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0.

Well, I kinda feel like I already did. But I’ll start with the fact that this is version 2.0. I love college basketball and John Wooden as the legendary coach of the UCLA Bruins. He won 10 national titles. An amazing run. And he famously didn’t like freshmen. Today, freshman start on most college teams. In those days, they couldn’t even play. And what’s more, Wooden wouldn’t want to play them. Too inexperienced. That’s how I feel about first generation products.

I was reading a thread about the first version of the smartfeeder and one poster to the thread put it best,

“I have a Petnet 1.0 … or maybe it could be described as a Petnet v0.1.”

The company had it’s problems but I think PetNet is good company and it’s figured things out.

I also love that portions go down all the way to 1/16 of a cup. If you’ve got your cat on a regimen of a bunch of small meals during the day or night, this fits the bill. And it’s got a standard hopper that holds between 5 and 7 pounds of food. Not huge but solid and right inline with the marketplace. (The bowl, by the way, holds up to 2.5 cups.)

And it’s got a built-in rechargeable battery. Hallelujah! But that’s just redundancy built into the system. It’s really designed to be plugged in and the battery is there in case there’s a power outage. Your kitty will still get her meals. Nice.

Who Should Buy PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0

I’m predisposed to start with digital natives. Look, we’re all on our phones all the time. So the term has lost a bit of its meaning.

But you get what I’m saying. If you think landline first, I don’t think so.

Let’s face it, this is a complex piece of digital equipment and if you don’t have a tolerance to learn it, live it and (yes) swallow hard sometimes, then go with another less techie feeder. (Got some suggestions below.)

Now, if you’re digital native. You’ve got Nest and check your deliveries on your phone when the UPS or FedEx guys rings your doorbell, ding, ding, ding. We’ve got a winner. You’ll be right at home with the PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0.

If you travel or are away a fair bit, this feeder is great. You get alerts all the time when your cat has been fed, when the hopper is running low or been filled. On and on. You can program the thing on your phone. You can change the schedule on the fly on your phone.

The Bottom Line

I get it. Smartfeeders are still in their infancy. That’s a strike against them because their not going to quite as reliable as the old standbys. But the old standbys were new on the market at one time and they had there problems.

Right?

Smartfeeders are going to be an acquired taste. Like all this stuff, eventually these kind of hyped up, smart technology units will become the standard. It’s just a matter of time.

For now, they’re an acquired taste. If you’re looking for a full integrated, I-want-to-see-my-cat-feeding, then the PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0 is one of your best bets, especially at a reasonable price. (You can check the latest price here.) What’s more, everywhere I check PetNet’s customer service gets high marks.

So I recommended if you’re ready to go digital native with feeding Fido.

Customer Reviews

The PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0. has solid reviews. Not as strong as the more traditional units (as to be expected) but solid nonetheless. The feeder has 3.3 out of 5 stars and at the time of writing it has more than 300 reviews.

Forty-five percent of the reviews are five-star and another are 12% four-star rating.

So overall I give the PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0 a thumbs up. Head over to Amazon and check it out yourself.

Click here to buy the PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0 at Amazon

Other Recommendations

Hey, the PetNet SmartFeeder 2.0 not quite the right automatic cat feeder for you. I know, it’s hard. OK. I’ve got a bunch of reviews here, so take a look around. You might want to take a look at some of my favorites linked below.

Hope that helps.

PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder	SureFlap SureFeed
This is the big one. The feeder can serve up to 12 meals a day. Yeah, you heard me right. And it’s super easy to program. If you’re still undecided, this is my go-to feeder.	This is the little one. But great RFID technology. And it’t totally capable of dishing out wet food. You wanna keep your cat healthy, this is a good option. Read the full review here.
PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Automatic Feeder Review	SureFlap SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Review
Westlink 6L Automatic Pet Feeder	Cat Mate C3000
Super quality and rates very high with users of this smart feeder. Packs in 25 cups and has a sensor that checks for food in the dish. Check out my review here.	A midsized option with a hopper capacity of 6.5 cups and up to three meals a day. This compromise might be just what you need. Check out my review.
Westlink 6L Automatic Pet Feeder Review	Cat Mate C3000 Automatic Dry Food Pet Feeder Review