With the PetSafe automatic five-meal feeder you give your pet its food at fixed times, even when you are not at home yourself. The device has a white finish and works as a dispenser: a rotating tray with five compartments slides the next compartment open at the chosen moment. PetSafe developed this system primarily for cats and for small to medium-sized dogs.

The heart of the device is the removable tray in BPA-free plastic, with five compartments that each hold up to 237 ml (about one cup) of dry or semi-moist food. This way you fill the tray with portions you put together yourself, instead of working with a fixed storage bin. The appliance measures 37.07 cm in length, 11.27 cm in width and 40.64 cm in thickness, with a diameter of 37.07 cm. The feeding system runs on four alkaline D batteries, which are not included.

You schedule the meals to the minute and thus give your pet up to five meals per day. That also makes the device interesting when you want to manage your pet's weight: you spread smaller portions across the day instead of one large meal. If you do want to give your pet an extra meal or a snack, simply press the 'Feed Now' button to rotate the tray; that action does not cancel the next scheduled meal.

If you have to leave unexpectedly or are away from home with your pet, you switch on the 'Suspend Feeding' option. This prevents the automatic feeder from dispensing the next meal, without losing your programmed schedule. After feeding, you take the tray out and place it in the top rack of the dishwasher for easy cleaning.