Best of Pets: every automatic feeder and water fountain we recommend, by situation

+Strengths

• Wet or dry, six meals, scheduled from a phone
• Ice packs included
• Battery backup for a power cut

−Limitations

• Six meals is the limit; a weekend away, not a week
• 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only
• Compartment size not published

→Good for

• a cat on wet food and an owner who works late

↺Look elsewhere if

• a week's holiday or a dog

+Strengths

• Portions from a tablespoon to nearly a litre, so it suits a cat or a dog
• Slow feed for a gulper
• Twelve meals a day

−Limitations

• Dry food only
• Mains adaptor sold separately by PetSafe
• No remote control

→Good for

• a dog or a cat on kibble, for a week or more

↺Look elsewhere if

• wet food or an owner who wants to feed from a phone

+Strengths

• Solves the multi-pet problem no timer can
• Sealed lid keeps wet food fresh for hours
• Three-year warranty

−Limitations

• One bowl, no schedule: you still fill it
• Needs the cat chipped or wearing the tag

→Good for

• a cat on special food in a two-cat or cat-and-dog house

↺Look elsewhere if

• an owner who wants timed meals while away

+Strengths

• Wet food for up to two days with the ice packs
• No mains, no Wi-Fi, nothing to pair
• Three-year guarantee

−Limitations

• Four timed meals, then it is empty
• Timer is set on the unit, not a phone

→Good for

• a weekend away with a cat on pouches

↺Look elsewhere if

• remote changes or a week's absence

+Strengths

• Small footprint, 19 cm square
• Battery or mains
• Lid locks against a determined cat

−Limitations

• 2 litres is a week for one cat, not two
• Battery life and type are listing figures
• One-year warranty

→Good for

• one cat on dry food and an owner who does not want an app

↺Look elsewhere if

• two cats or a dog

+Strengths

• Nothing to programme beyond twisting a dial
• Wet food under a lid with ice
• Three-year guarantee

−Limitations

• Two meals and that is all
• Timers are mechanical, 48 hours maximum

→Good for

• one day away, or two cats fed at once

↺Look elsewhere if

• anything longer than a night

+Strengths

• Three litres, a week for one cat
• Three flow settings
• Catit publishes the filter schedule

−Limitations

• Plastic bowl, which some cats and some owners dislike
• Mains cable from the pump

→Good for

• a first fountain for a cat that ignores a bowl

↺Look elsewhere if

• a house that wants stainless or ceramic

+Strengths

• USB power, so it can run from a power bank in a cut
• Level window and low-water light
• Detachable pump for cleaning

−Limitations

• Half a litre less than the Flower
• Catit's own dimensions and weights disagree

→Good for

• a cat that likes to see the water and an owner who likes to see the level

↺Look elsewhere if

• two cats

+Strengths

• Three heights suit a kitten, a cat and a small dog
• 3 m lead with the transformer at the plug
• Three-year guarantee

−Limitations

• Two litres
• The ramp has more surfaces to clean than a bowl

→Good for

• a cat that drinks from the tap

↺Look elsewhere if

• a house that wants a single bowl to wipe

+Strengths

• Ceramic tower that does not stain or scratch
• Wide bowl for flat faces
• Filter schedule published

−Limitations

• The bowl is plastic, not ceramic
• Two filter types to keep buying
• Dimensions not published

→Good for

• a Persian or a small dog, and a kitchen where it will be seen

↺Look elsewhere if

• anyone who wants an all-ceramic fountain

+Strengths

• Two and a half times the water of the 3-litre fountains
• Adjustable flow, including near-silent
• Dishwasher safe

−Limitations

• Big: 40 cm long
• Plastic throughout

→Good for

• two or three cats, or a medium dog

↺Look elsewhere if

• one cat in a small kitchen

+Strengths

• No cable: put it where the cat drinks
• Stainless bowl, which resists the slime plastic grows

−Limitations

• Listing-only figures, and an inconsistent listing
• Battery run time not stated

→Good for

• a hallway or landing with no socket

↺Look elsewhere if

• anyone who wants the maker's figures