I grew up thinking all cats were finicky eaters and owners had to coax and prod their pets to eat. Well, owning a feline food monger has proved that wrong. Anyone who read my last review knows I have a cat who loves his food. That means being harassed when Tristan’s internal alarm clock goes off at about 4:00 P.M. every day, and sharing the house with one ticked-off cat in the wee hours of the morning when that same alarm tells him he should be served his breakfast--NOW.

Ignoring the banging bedroom door resulted in early awakenings, lying in bed with my taught nerves being strummed like the strings of a guitar. For a while I would set the alarm early, jump out of bed, run in the kitchen, and quickly dish out a scoop of his dry food, pour it in his dish, and jump back in bed. Take a guess how long that solution lasted. Right. I knew there had to be some type of timed feeder on the market so I’m off again to the pet store to see what’s available.

On the aisle with the dishes and bowls were indeed, several varieties of timed pet feeders. Some were too big, some were too small, and then there were a few that were just right. There were a couple of possibilities in the just right category and I studied the pros and cons the two to which I had narrowed the search. One had several compartments (5 or so) for multiple feedings, the other, the “Cat Mate,” had just two compartments. All I wanted was something I could fill each night that would allow peaceful sleep in the mornings. Although the $50 price did not put a smile on my face, in actuality, I would have paid twice that for something that would solve the early morning, cat prowling for the food problem. I've since discovered that a single serving Cat Mate is available which would have been ideal.

“Thank you Lord,” was my response when the alarm woke me the next morning, rather than a pesky cat. When I finally made my way to the kitchen, there lay the Cat Mate, compartment open and empty. Then there was Tristan--stomach full and a big grin on his face (well, almost). I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to spend $50.

Design
The Cat Mate is approximately 10 inches wide and about 8 inches from front to back. It contains two timed compartments, each 5 inches wide, 5 ½ inches front to back, and although slightly sloping, trays that average about 1 ¼ inch deep. Underneath the two compartments is a reusable, “ice pack,” like those used in coolers, pre-filled with liquid, which I assume retains the cooler temperatures longer.

Each compartment has a white plastic cover that closes down over each side, covering the width of each feeding tray, and the entire surface of the feeder from front to back. There is a circular hole at the back of each cover that, when closed, allows the raised circular timer to protrude through the hole, to be flush with the closed cover. Both circular timers are actually dials that can be, “programmed,” (you turn the dial), to the number of hours you want the timer to run before opening. Each timer has a notch cut out of it at the zero mark. As the dial turns, so do the days of our lives…just kidding! When the dial reaches zero, the cut out on the dial matches up with a protruding notch on the cover, and viola, the cover opens due to a spring-loaded plastic arm that pushes on the top until it is released. Each dial continually turns as long as an AA battery powers them. Because there are two independent compartments, you can set out two meals at any interval you want, up to a maximum of 48 hours.

Each tray inside each compartment is removable, to allow for the freezer pack to be added, and for easy cleaning. The battery is located on the underside of the unit, and surprisingly, only one is required.

Functionality
This thing works great! There have only been two occasions when it has failed to open and those had to do with the battery/battery compartment. The first time it did not open, the battery either came loose or drained. I wasn’t sure which since the dial moves very slowly and there is no other way to determine if a battery is dead, so I went ahead and put in a new battery and a few months later, I found that it failed to open again, because “Mr. Piggy Gut” knocked it around so hard, the battery came loose and dislodged. This leads to the only complaint I have about the entire unit. There is no cover over the battery compartment. Initially I didn’t see it as a problem because it is on the underside, where my cat won’t, or rather shouldn’t, ever get to it. And to date, despite its abuse, Tristan has yet to flip it over. To remedy the battery situation, I cut out a small square of cardboard and taped it over the battery so in the event it was ever jarred loose, it would still remain in its proper location and continue to work. It has been many, many months since then and it continues to work and accurately time its programmed openings.

This unit is also tough! Tristan is a 16 pounder and although he is a pussycat (bad pun, I know) about most things, when it comes to his food, he don’t play that. It took one day for him to figure out this mean, old plastic thing was holding out on his meal. That meant it was fair game, so on night number two, he went to work on it. OK, here it comes…another bad pun. The Cat Mate really, “takes a licking and keeps on ticking,” literally. It has been scratched at, chewed on, pounced on, and pushed around by one strong pink nose. It took a few more days for Tristan to realize that the contraption wasn’t going to open until around the same time each morning. But his motto is, nothing ventured—nothing gained, so about half an hour before the appointed opening time, he will bear down on the innocent box. And he will continue to do so because he discovered, if he pushes the cover from its outer edge toward the center, he can move it sufficiently to one side so as to force an early alignment of the notch on the cover with the cut out on the dial. By doing this he gains about 15 minutes on the timer, which is about the extent to which he can push the lid sideways.

Of course all this commotion produced a lot of racket, and the more convinced Tristan got that he was the one really in control of his breakfast time, the harder he tried. I finally relocated the Cat Mate to a carpeted spare bedroom, with the side opposite the one he pushes, up against the wall so it won’t move much when he does battle with it. And here it will stay. If I happen to be up and about, anywhere from 3 to 4 A.M., Tristan can be seen, crouching down in front of the feeder, staring at it, waiting for the appropriate time to attack.

Since I only use it for one feeding a day and put fresh food in each evening, I removed the second cover and tray so only one side is available and used each day. The hinge on the covers is simply a thinner part of the plastic that bends each time it is opened and closed. I figured if it ever did wear out, I’d have the other cover available to use. I also didn’t want to leave the cover on in a continually open position. If I did and it was on in the closed position and I didn’t keep up with the timer, it would open at a time that is not appropriate for eating and it wouldn’t be fair to disappoint Tristan in such a cruel manner.

Since I only put dry food in the Cat Mate I haven’t had the opportunity to use the freezer pack. It is located directly under the two trays so I have no reason to think it would not keep food chilled for a period of time. How long, of course, will depend on room temperature.

I’m sure anyone who owns a perpetually hungry cat has experienced cat food frenzies. If you are one of those owners and are still dealing with your cat’s timetable rather than your own, consider picking up this handy accessory. Instead of your cat taking issue with you, he can take issue with the plastic box that doesn’t give in to his every whim. Your cat will soon learn that the box can’t be defeated, with the exception of pushing up the timer about 15 minutes or so, and will learn to wait patiently.




Recommended: Yes