Alright fellow cat parents, let’s talk about a super interesting new piece of tech for our furry friends: the PETLIBRO One RFID Pet Feeder.
As a cat enthusiast, I’m always looking for ways to make life easier and better for my feline companions, and Petlibro sent me two of these feeders to try out with my cat, Gordon, over the past few weeks.
This feeder is specifically designed with multi-cat households in mind, offering a lot of personalization features that are supposed to be a game-changer.
Key Takeaways
- The PETLIBRO One uses RFID collar tags to ensure only authorized cats can access their designated feeder, ideal for multi-cat households.
- The feeder offers excellent food freshness features including a tight seal, desiccant pack, and a locking lid for kibble preservation.
- With Wi-Fi app control, users can fully customize feeding times, portions, and even view alerts for food levels and desiccant replacement.
- Although secure, the feeder doesn’t completely prevent food stealing during active eating if one cat overtakes another.
- It’s a high-end, thoughtful solution for cats with dietary needs, offering peace of mind for owners even when away from home.
Why Consider an Automatic Feeder for Cats?
Before diving into the specifics of the PETLIBRO One, let’s chat about automatic feeders in general. They come with some distinct benefits, like better portioning control and ensuring more consistent meals for your cat, even if you’re sleeping in, traveling, or working long hours.
This consistency can be great for a cat’s metabolism and even help with weight loss by allowing for smaller, more frequent portions that might be tough to hand-feed.
However, there are also some common challenges. Most automatic feeders, including this one, only allow dry food.
A big hurdle for multi-cat homes is knowing exactly which cat is eating. If one cat is a food thief, it can be hard to monitor without constant supervision.
And of course, some clever cats can even outsmart basic feeders. That’s where the PETLIBRO One aims to step in!
The PETLIBRO One RFID Feeder: What Makes It Special?
This feeder is an upright design with a pretty classy and attractive appearance. But its real claim to fame is its RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, which is definitely its biggest differentiating factor and selling point.
Here’s how it works:
- Each feeder comes with a collar and an RFID tag.
- An RFID reader is built right into the base of the feeder.
- Once you sync the collar with the feeder, only the cat wearing that specific collar tag can open the feeder.
- This is designed specifically to prevent other cats or pets from stealing food.
- It’s important to note that the RFID reader only works with its dedicated collar tag, it won’t read microchips or tags from other brands. Plus, each feeder can only be synced with one collar tag.
For food freshness, the feeder features a locking lid that creates a very tight seal, which I found sometimes was even hard for me to open, that’s a good sign for freshness!
There’s also a desiccant bag located in the lid to absorb moisture, which is crucial for preventing mold and keeping kibble from clumping or jamming, ensuring smooth feeding.
They only include one desiccant bag initially, and you’ll need to buy replacements. Petlibro sells them in 6-packs for about $13.59-$15.99 or 12-packs for about $22.09-$25.99, and they even offer a subscription service for a 15% discount. I was already getting notifications to replace mine after just a few weeks.
The feeder has a capacity of 3 liters of dry food. It’s compatible with kibble sizes from 2mm to 15mm.
It’s also worth noting that this feeder is more suited for small or medium pets. I really appreciate the removable stainless steel bowl, which makes cleanup super easy, you can just take it out and scrub it in the sink.
The bowl even has a silicone seal around its edges. The dimensions are roughly 17.3 x 7.7 x 12.6 inches, so it does need a bit of space.
Setting Up and Using the PETLIBRO One
Setting up the PETLIBRO One is really easy. Everything simply snaps into place, no tools needed. You’ll assemble the cream-colored base with the RFID reader, the white food bowl container, the stainless steel interior bowl, the accordion lid, and the side walls (designed to prevent other cats from stealing food).
Don’t forget to remove the desiccant bag from its plastic wrapper before use!
For power, the feeder is corded electric and comes with a power adapter. A great safety feature is the option to install three D batteries (not included) for backup power during an outage.
However, Petlibro recommends using batteries as an emergency backup only, not the sole power source, as Wi-Fi and the reset button are disabled in battery-only mode to extend battery life. The device has a USB-C port with a neat notch for the cord.
The Petlibro app is essential for unlocking many of the personalization features.
- You create an account and then add the device via Bluetooth. Mine connected immediately and registered quickly with my home Wi-Fi (it works with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz).
- You can set up cat profiles with a picture, breed, age, and sex.
- Meal customization is extensive: You can tailor meal size (from 1/4 cup to 4 cups), specific feeding times, and frequency.
- There’s a handy manual meal release option.
- One of my favorite features is the ability to customize the feeder’s appearance through the app! You can display your cat’s name, a heart, or a cat emoji on the front screen, which is super cute.
- You can also control the sounds the device makes.
- The app allows you to record custom meal call messages.
- Alerts are provided for low food levels, clogged food, or when the desiccant bag needs replacing. This really gives peace of mind, as the app is essentially monitoring food levels for you.
- The clear plastic lid also lets you visually check the food level.
- The app’s remote control capabilities are fantastic. When I was on vacation, I realized I’d forgotten to set up Gordon’s dinner, but I was able to remotely set it up and then confirm he had eaten it, which was a huge relief.
- If you don’t schedule specific meal times, the lid will simply open whenever the cat with the collar tag approaches. There’s also an option to keep the lid in “open mode” for general access if you prefer.
Real-World Performance in Multi-Cat Homes
This is where the rubber meets the road! The RFID collar system was incredibly easy to set up and confirm it was working. It really did work as advertised, opening the feeder only for the correct cat.
I even did a multi-cat functionality test with my cat Gordon and a “friend” named Larry. Larry (the unauthorized cat) was not able to open Gordon’s feeder, and Gordon similarly couldn’t open Larry’s, even trying to bat at the side piece or open the lid.
The lid also securely closes if an unauthorized pet tries to access the food. This indicates a really secure design.
However, one small nuance for multi-cat households: while it prevents unauthorized opening, the feeder doesn’t 100% stop food stealing if one cat physically overtakes another while the authorized cat is actively eating. So, if your cats are very determined food bullies, that’s something to consider.
My cat, Gordon, was absolutely mesmerized by the feeder. He loved watching the door open and close and had no issues eating from it – he just cared that the food was there!.
My only minor critique of the feeder itself is that when Gordon was eating, the accordion door would sometimes make an annoying squeaking sound as his head pressed against it. It was loud enough for me to hear across the apartment, but it was a minor point in an otherwise great experience.
Design Notes and Pet Safety Considerations
One of my friends generally recommends against cats wearing collars due to a potential strangulation risk, especially for adventurous cats who might get their collar caught.
However, Petlibro has incorporated some great safety mechanisms to mitigate this risk. The collar is an easy-release design that automatically releases if pressure is applied, reducing the chance of injury.
The RFID tag itself is lightweight (4.2g), food-safe, and bite-proof. It also doesn’t need charging. Plus, the RFID tag can be detached from the included collar and attached to your cat’s existing collar if you prefer.
Ultimately, whether your cat wears a collar is a personal comfort level decision, but if your cat already wears one, this product doesn’t pose an increased risk.
Price, Availability, and Accessories
When I first reviewed the PETLIBRO One RFID Pet Feeder, it was priced at $150, which I considered to be on the more expensive side of feeders available.
However, Petlibro does offer a discount if you purchase multiple feeders at once, which is helpful for multi-cat homes.
Replacement desiccant bags are sold in 6-packs for about $13.59-$15.99 and 12-packs for about $22.09-$25.99. As mentioned, there’s a 15% discount if you subscribe for regular deliveries.
Petlibro also offers bundles that include the feeder with other products like their Dockstream RFID Smart Fountain or Scout Smart Camera, often with discounts.
They offer free shipping on orders over $75 in the U.S.. The feeder comes with a 24-month product warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
My Final Verdict
The PETLIBRO One RFID Pet Feeder is, in my opinion, a fantastic and clean-working automatic cat feeder. Its core functionality, particularly the RFID collar recognition for personalized meal access, worked perfectly and securely.
This feeder is a great option for multi-cat households, especially if you have the budget to invest in multiple units. It’s particularly useful if your cats already wear collars and you’re not looking for a microchip-based system.
It truly provides peace of mind, ensuring that cats with specific dietary needs or weight management goals get their designated food without interference from other pets.
If you’re ready to make feeding time personalized and hassle-free, this feeder is definitely worth considering!
