PETLIBRO Upgraded RFID 3L Automatic Cat Feeder

We are no stranger to auto dog feeders, so this is a review from an auto feeder connoisseur of sorts that will go through all of the pros and cons. The only competition to compare this with is the Portion ProRx (PPRx) feeder that we have had for many years now and have honestly been hoping something better would come along that whole time. This feeder is the answer to those prayers both dispensing and protecting the food between a grazer and a gordo pet...this feeder blows PPRx out of the water when it comes to app, ease of use, noise level and reliability. When I make any comparisons or feedback it will be a direct comparison with the PPRx feeder. I accidentally ordered the former version of this feeder and the 'upgraded' version. As far as I could tell there was no difference in the machine but the RFID tag was smaller on the 'upgraded' version. I ran a test and came to find that the bigger RFID was actually more sensitive and better for dogs. I say that because the smaller tag required the pet to be closer to the sensor mat and though cats may be down closer naturally to that, dogs stand a bit more upright and would have to almost hunch down for it to sense it which is unrealistic unless they are as small as a standard cat. I think it would be smart of the company to offer the two different sizes of tags for this reason...have a larger 'dog' sized tag for a bigger radius and the smaller tag for cats. My dogs are two Italian greyhounds for reference, which are skinny and tall compared to cats...but they eat a small enough amount every day that this bowl works. I would not suggest it for any pet that eats more than a cup a day unless they are veracious eaters and will consume as soon as it dispenses, as the bowl is somewhat shallow and fills quickly. Here is a list of pros and cons. The 'cons' are moreso feedback about what the company could improve in the future, not dealbreakers, as this feeder gets high marks all around so far compared to cumbersome PPRx. Pros: - Quiet as a mouse: The door effortlessly glides open and shut silently which is great for apprehensive pets. Food dispensing rattles a bit on the metal bowl but no more than it would if you poured it by hand. - Software and setup is unmatched: I absolutely LOVED setting these bowls up...SO easy. The PPRx has a notoriously horrible manual entry and no app that I dreaded each time I needed to change anything. Not Petlibro, they have a beautiful phone app that has everything you could ever want on it including setting up a feeding schedule within minutes and perfect measurements for hefty pets you need accuracy with to help lose a few (lookin' at you Zoey). It also shows you a clear history of food dispensed and when your pet stopped by and for how long which is amazing. - RFID tag is light as a feather: PPRx had a GIANT tag that a lot of pets couldn't even lug around, they just recently modified it and their new upgrade is like the older version of the bigger Petlibro tag. Like I mentioned, the older tag is in fact bigger, but it's not much heavier, both small and big are light and airy and neither bothered my small skinny dogs at all. The small tag would be well suited for cats. - Versatile and Highly Customizable: In the app you have many great personal modifications which are super helpful. You can make the bowl open or close faster or slower. This is great for more skittish pets that you don't want the bowl to close hastily while stepping away and create a bad experience for them in doing so. Or if you have a gordo pet, such as myself, you can have it snap close faster than they can move their fat butts to the bowl to try and steal (lookin' at you Zoey). - Airtight seal on food. One thing I have hated about all of the auto dispensers we've had is the lid not providing a silicone seal at the top. Imagine leaving cereal in a tupperware unsealed, it would definitely lose it's flavor and go stale. This feeder has almost a suction seal to it both on the lid of the food storage bin AND in the bowl. It's all very airtight so it will keep kibble fresher longer for picky pets. -Turnstyle feeder vs a belt: Nothing made me more mad about the PPRx feeder than the belt dispensing system. It was finicky and designed to fail resulting in missed feedings and panic by the time you realized it not knowing how long it had been failing for, then having to buy a replacement constantly. Petlibro has a foolproof turnstyle dispenser that is less likely to break or get clogged for any reason, and even if it does it will send an alert to your phone immediately if anything is amiss which is a great peace of mind. It also sends an alert when food is low. - Battery Backup: This has a battery backup for power outages which PPRx does not. If wifi connection is lost it still has the programmed settings and will keep the scheduled feedings on it and running if there are batteries (you have to buy and install). -Price: Absolutely a steal of a deal compared to PPRx. I was able to get 2 Petlibro for less than the price of one PPRx feeder and they are sleek, well built and just as high of quality if not better. Cons/Moreso Improvements I'd love to see to perfect things: - Bigger food storage bin: Unit all around could be a bit bigger to hold more food and have a little bit deeper dish. If they continue to market these for dogs it will be a necessity as they eat a bit more and need the extra storage. - Better RFID tag options: the current tag is 'okay', but I would love to see it not be as hollow and 'plastic' sounding. It clanks around quite a bit when your dog is running at all. Even a silicon cover option to buy additionally would be great to cover, protect and stop the clanking. More variety of colors would be great too, would love to be able to buy different colors and sizes (Large or small) of the tags. - Recognize more than one tag: It would be nice to be able to program the feeder in a variety of ways with different pet's RFID tags. - Add an 'Open Bowl' option: this is the only area PPRx has this feeder beat. If it could offer an 'open bowl' option that keeps the bowl open to authorized RFID tags but then closes to unauthorized RFID tags it would be a huge improvement! - Offer a different color of RFID feeder mat: I'm not a huge fan of the feeding mat being the cream color. It shows every little crumb and hair and would be much more ideal in a grey or even black to hide the mess a bit. Well, if you've made it this far you are a dedicated! There is not much competition for this feeder and what it provides, but against the one competition it has it is the CLEAR winner. Officially approved by this auto feeder connoisseur so far! I will update if any issues arise.